Big Ben pipes?
- Thread starter boudreaux
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Big Bens are good smokers. The company had a long tradition in making affordable pipes. Well-made, but nothing fancy. You could perhaps compare them best to say, Kaywoodie or Dr. Grabow, or any other mass-produced American brand, or with European brands like Butz-Choquin or the standard Savinelli-range. They are now recovering from a bankruptcy which has resulted in an unexpected parallel with Stanwell: rumours have it the bowls for Big Ben will now be turned elsewhere and only finished at the Big Ben-facility. These new pipes are not yet on the market, so any Big Ben you find out there is a true one and sure to be an excellent pipe for your money.
They are as good as any and better than some they have been around since 1870 . Check out this web site http://www.3jshopping.com/bigben_pipes.html
They make Hilson pipes too. Hilson has been the biggest surprise to me. I like small pipes with long stems. So far I have gotten 3 such Hilsons, 1 more expected next week. The cost is $110 each. They are either a Rhodesian or a curved hexagonal panel, are marked Hilson Vintage Special Grain, and are made from bowls turned in the late 70s and set aside when they closed for a while, then finished and stemmed recently. These Hilsons, about a #2 size' are among my best pipes. Very light in the mouth and great smokers that break in right away.
Just got my first Big Ben, a cheapie College Sampler 50 bucks. I have a few Dr Grawboys, lots of Savs, Petersons, a couple of Stanwells and one Dunhill. Recently added a Kaywoodie to my collection. The Big Ben smokes very well glad I bought it. I would say it is made better than the Dr Grawboys, kind of on par with the Kaywoodie.
I have about a half dozen Big Ben's in my collection... they are ALL great smokers and look great as well! The highly level of their quality control was superior to Peterson's in my experience... I bought 3 (expensive) Petersons over the years and they were all deficient and needing correction. Not so ever with my Big Ben's. Here's one of mine:
The only tiny issue I've had with one BB pipe in their Cambridge line was that the white acrylic stem squeaks against my teeth... but it is a great smoker anyway!
The only tiny issue I've had with one BB pipe in their Cambridge line was that the white acrylic stem squeaks against my teeth... but it is a great smoker anyway!
About a year ago I bought a Big Ben Lectura churchwarden, and I am completely satisfied. I was a great price and it's a good, light weight pipe with an ample bowl and handsome design. As I recall, I bought it on sale at PC, for about half what I'd expect to pay.
Some years ago Big Ben offered a Mahogany calabash with a meerschaum bowl which I bought because of the price. They didn't offer them long I suppose because it must have been labor intensive hogging out all that wood from a solid block. It's not fancy but fairly well finished, I assume it's a pressed bowl but it smokes good and for $120 bucks it was hard to pass up.
A friend has several Big Bens and puts them on a level with Stanwell.
A friend has several Big Bens and puts them on a level with Stanwell.
Just picked one up in a Pipe Starter kit. It is a filtered (9mm) Oxford. Came in a cute little tin with filters, pipe cleaners and a pipe tool. Looked like an upscale Dr. Grabow. It was 50 bucks. The darn thing smokes very well, actually better with the filter than without. It really is a very good smoker. It is not a great looking pipe, but it smokes MUCH better than it looks
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