Briar Pipe price vs quality

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music4cash

Might Stick Around
Jan 5, 2016
92
0
I am amazed at the vast range of prices for briar pipes...It is clear that some of the hand carved artisan briars exist as works of art in their own right rather than just a tool for smoking, these are not the pipes I would like to discuss...What I would like to know is when considering mass produced pipes what is the real difference between a $50 Baraccini pipe vs a $200 Peterson? Are the differences purely aesthetic, or are there functional advantages to more expensive pipes? Is there a particular price point where quality changes dramatically? My approach thus far has been to get pipes that I find attractive...when I see a pipe and think "I would like to smoke from that" that is the pipe I get (if I can afford it).

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
Welcome to Forums music'. Your question resounds in one way or another over dozens of threads over the years. The polar arguments are that the value of a pipe is totally determined dime-for-dime by its price, and you should always save up for the most pipe you can possibly afford to have a full rewarding pipe experience. The opposite pole is that name brand corncob pipes and shrewdly selected inexpensive factory pipes are all you will ever need and will provide everything you can expect from any blend no matter how fine. Unlike many issues with two extremes, both are correct, depending on your perspective, and many pipe smokers subscribe to both, that is, enjoy expensive pipes they are able to afford and also some well selected inexpensive pipes they also enjoy. I go with this last approach. I have several pipes that most would consider higher end, or at least high in the mid-price range, many in the solid mid-range, and many carefully selected low priced pipes many of which do well compared to higher priced pipes. Of course, you know you can often get better pipes at discounts, as estate pipes, in online auctions, and so on. If you want good pipes but don't want to spend a lot of money, at least right now, I think you can feel secure with the lower priced series of Stanwell, Savinelli, Big Ben, Neerup, Nording, and similar brands. If you shop carefully and learn about filters, adaptors to use filter pipes without filters, etc., you can find many good pipes in the economy bracket like Dr. Grabow, Yello-Bole (briar pipes, not the Brylon), Kaywoodie briar, and others. Iwan Ries has just reinstated their house pipes which are Italian made, highly serviceable I suspect, and inexpensive. Good luck and welcome aboard.

 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,621
44,833
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
As a general rule, you get better quality materials and a little more care in finishing in the more expensive factory machine made pipes. At the lower level stems are molded and may not be as comfortable as a hand cut stem. The fit between stem and shank may not be as tight at the lower end. Simply put, there's not enough money being made per unit at the manufacturing end, to pay for much quality control.
Within the price range that you set there are alternatives to strictly machine made factory pipes, which offer good value for the dollar spent. Trever Talbert's Ligne Bretagne line offer pipes with very nice stem work and finishes, which start at about $140 and go up from there. These are made from old French turned stummels which Talbert finishes and provides with a well made and comfortable stem and bit.
But if you're staying on the cheap, quality will be limited because there's no money to be made in providing it.

 

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,565
27,068
Carmel Valley, CA
Your approach is just fine. I have $20 basket pipes from 50 years ago that smoke just as well as several hundred dollar estate pipes and a few new Petes, Savs, Rossi that also smoke just fine. Pricing is based partly on aesthetics, workmanship, reputation, quality of the briar, scarcity, and then Heavens-only-knows.

 
M

mothernaturewilleatusallforbreakfast

Guest
Pipes are just like everything else, in that, you get what you pay for. This is not always the case though, as it is with anything that goes beyond aesthetics.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
music', you make a good point that a prime factor in selecting a pipe is that it be appetizing to the owner to smoke. Some beautifully crafted and very expensive artisanal pipes won't appeal to everyone and may even be a turn-off. Whereas some moderately priced pipes may be highly appealing to many. If you don't want to pack it and puff it, don't buy it. Sounds simple, but it's important to remember.

 

rfernand

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 2, 2015
669
39
You pay for what you like in the end - be it a tool, a brand, a style, a commission from a starting maker, ...
Fred Hanna (I think) has written about how some of the most beautiful and expensive pipes do not automatically turn out to be the best smokers. You are, after all, at the mercy of many, many steps in the process of making a pipe - starting very early with how (or if!) the briar was cured.
To acco, same thing. Some people stick to the cheapest bulk tobacco because that's what they like, while others exclusively hunt for rare stuff on auction.
It's a hobby with all the built in traps :)

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
I think it was 2014, pipes magazine interviewed the top marketing man for Lanes tobacco, whose name slips my mind. This guy's a pro in the pipe tobacco business. Asked about the pipes on his rack, he all but waved away the question and stated that he was a tobacco man not a pipe man, and asserted that he smoked mostly Stanwell because they came across his desk -- I assume he meant he got them free. So perspectives on this vary wildly, from mothernature' saying you get what you pay for, to people who consider research and experience can find excellent pipes at any price point. And the Lanes man who just wasn't going to split hairs about it, at all.

 

music4cash

Might Stick Around
Jan 5, 2016
92
0
Thanks for confirming my suspicions...It seems rather like guitars...I have owned $100 Squier guitars that were great to play, and I also had a very nice $3500 67' Fender semi-hollow body that was absolutely worthless as a musical instrument...As a beginning pipe smoker is there a magic number for a price point that will assure me a reasonably good pipe? The pipe I'm considering currently is a peterson donegal rocky 606 fishtail pot. It is around $100, can I be assured that the pipe will be a good smoker?

 

jackswilling

Lifer
Feb 15, 2015
1,777
24
I think there are some seriously good deals to be had. Estate, new production, and even commissions. I have a comfort zone south of $300.00. Any more than that, and I would rather buy another gun. For around $100 +/-, I like the Savinellis, Stanwells, Comoys, and Chacoms, generally. Moving up, I like Radice and Luciano. Commissions, I like Northern Briar, off the menu, and Scott Hudson "customs" for around $250, and those are both excellent pipe makers for the money.I just got a Castello estate for $150 that is going out to be refurbished and opened-up, and in the end I will have around $200 in it. New, it would be at least double that or more. Cannot wait to have it finished as it is an excellent piece of briar. There are many deals, too many to name, for new pipes at $50 +/- and as mentioned, the Missouri Meerschaums which work real good for next to nothing.It is all a slippery slope. I am pretty much set with pipes and tobacco inventory, but keep buying if I see exactly what I want at a great price

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
music', I really like my six or seven Petes, but in the past two or three years several posts on Forums have complained about quality control problems like stain in the chambers, fading stain, and conspicuous fills. So if you are shopping for a pipe right now, you may want to go with brands that have stronger consistency, at least until you gain some experience. You can get a great Pete, but you don't want to pick the short straw just getting started. Savinelli and Stanwell have excellent reputations, if you can find something in those lines that you like. You can find good pipes in lower priced lines in Savinelli and Stanwell for $70 or $80, with some as low as $50 in particular lines at particular retailers. Look at the Stanwells at pipesandcigars.com and the Savenellis at smokingpipes.com (also at SP look at French pipes Genod, Chacom, and Butz-Choquin). The French make excellent pipes at moderate prices. Many of the classic English shapes started with the French. Also check out Savinelli's on sale at Iwan Ries.

 

hawke

Lifer
Feb 1, 2014
1,346
4
Augusta, Ga
The best smoker I have cost me $20(Rossi 1886 Bent) and a match for it cost me $35(Volcano shape). I like the wide stem the way it feels in my mouth and the wide open draw. I think it has something to do with the pride which was taken back in the day and the fact that these Rossi's just don't bring the money like a Dunhill. A Peterson System is in my collection that's just an average pipe to me. A couple Savinelli's I have do quite well as smokers to my style of puffing. I have to search hard for the little gems that float around.
The Rossi's:

ap8gmu.jpg


 

stickframer

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 11, 2015
875
8
Brigham and Lorenzetti also offer good pipes in the under 100 dollar range.
I've also heard stories of problems with Peterson pipes, both here and at b&m's, and personally would not take the chance of ordering one online.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
I second northern' on Luciano; I have two, and smooth author and a blast billiard. New they start about $100, so it is a choice between these and other good pipes that you can get for somewhat ($20-$30) less. Happily, I caught Luciano when they were just building a market and were priced a little lower, but that's water over the dam. Sebastian Beo also makes Genod pipes; both brands can be viewed at smokingpipes.com. The Genods start a little lower priced.

 

rfernand

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 2, 2015
669
39
music4cash: that's a fine shape, and the donegal line is quite popular. The odds it'll smoke fine are on your side.
Inspect the drilling for obvious problems - beyond that, "cake happens" :)

 

rfernand

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 2, 2015
669
39
Let's also be fair and clear for our friend who is new to the forums - bad smokers are not that common. In fact, let's define.
I consider the following signs of a bad smoker:

- Excessive gurgling due to improper drilling and unintentional wells in the bowl. And by excessive I mean from the third puff onwards. Occasional gurgling can be dealt with.

- Rancid taste from day one. No fixing as far as I know. That's just bad briar with bad curing and a lot of bad luck. Should be very rare, considering most briar is sourced from the same handful of places.

- Excessive heat - some shapes are infamous for this. A Peterson Sherlock Holmes Original can do this very early in the bowl. Dimensions matter. So if you were hoping to smoke your favorite goopy aromatics in one of these, it'll perform poorly.

- Burnouts! Rare, perhaps due to faulty briar. You end up with a hole.
As I said, all rare.
Now, superb smokers that always taste sweet and all that is what we are all chasing. The bulk of pipes sold perform adequately.
Note cosmetic defects do not necessarily affect smokability, but matter. Stain bubbles, false drillings, and imperfect stem fits can be distracting.
All this chatter has made me go reach for a cob and some Prince Albert. Ciao!

 

andrew

Lifer
Feb 13, 2013
3,042
400
It is around $100, can I be assured that the pipe will be a good smoker?

You won't know if it's a good smoker until you light it up. In the 100$ price range you're better off with Savinelli or a Stanwell though, or even a nice estate pipe. You can get many great pipes without breaking the bank. It all comes down to do you want functionality or flash.

 

andrew

Lifer
Feb 13, 2013
3,042
400
002-029-20843.jpg

I don't know how you can tell if this is a bad smoker by looking at it and it being under 100$

 
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