Brigham Pipes...What Do You Think ?

redpanda · Mar 22, 2016

Hello fellow pipesmokers,
for a while now I have been looking at Brigham pipes on smokingpipes.com, and I really like some of their shapes, the bulldogs in particular. However, I have never seen one of their pipes, and it is most likely I won't see one ever as they are not sold around here. I was wondering what do you guys think of them and of the maple insert they employ. Can they be used without the insert ( I guess not) ? Thanks !
Fixed thread title, please see rule number 9. Pertinent portion: Please capitalize words in the thread titles. Thank you, Robert.

cortezattic · Mar 22, 2016

I have a Brigham Algonquin Rhodesian (2-dot), which is near the bottom of their line, and it gives me good smokes.

IMO, their filter system is the best, mainly because you can pass a pipe cleaner through it.

My main criticism is that it is a heavy pipe for its size, so check the stats on the pipes you're interested in.

If I needed a pipe in the Brigham price range I would probably go with a Savinelli instead. :lol:

(BTW, I'm not a fan of filters, and I use the adapters on my Savinellis.)

agnosticpipe · Mar 22, 2016

The only Brighams I have are of the older variety that were made in Canada. I find them to be great smoking pipes, and the filter helps absorb moisture without restricting the draw. I've never smoked one without the filter, but I see no reason why you couldn't. I don't have one of the newer Italian made pipes, but I haven't heard anything bad about them. So unless you want to buy an estate pipe of the Canadian type, I would go ahead and buy a new one.

stickframer · Mar 22, 2016

I have 3 Brighams, an Algonquin and 2 Chinooks. They are awesome. I smoke all 3 without the maple insert.
According to their website, it's been relatively recently that they started marketing their pipes in the States so they are somewhat unknown there, but they are good smoking pipes.

shutterbugg · Mar 22, 2016

I had a few Brighams back in the day. Eaton's department stores in Ontario used to sell them. They were nice pipes, about on par with Savinelli, Parker, et al. Basically on par with a top-line second...mixed grain, occasionally a tiny fill or two. Good smokers. I don't even recall them having a filter, I probably tossed it right away and forgot about it.

krizzose · Mar 23, 2016

I have a $60 Brigham that is a fantastic smoker. The rustication on it, however, looks a 5 y/o did it with a screwdriver. I personally like the maple inserts, as they pull a lot of moisture out of the smoke. As mentioned above, a pipe cleaner goes right through them,

and it's better thought of as a liner for the stem than a filter. Whether it's the insert or the design/execution of the pipe, or all of the above, mine smokes very well and I'd highly recommend them at that price point. Their higher end finishes I can't speak to.

rigmedic1 · Mar 23, 2016

What I did was find an estate Brigham one dot, bought a box of maple filters, cleaned the bowl and fired it up. It smoked fairly well, and you can get up to 5 good smokes with one filter. I read where the maple filter could be rinsed and reused a time or two, but it takes awhile for one to dry. I liked it enough to get a second one, another estate that was restored by a forum member. I think they are good pipes for the money, as good as Peterson or Savinelli or Stanwell. You could probably smoke one without the maple filters, but if that is the case, it it probably more beneficial to get a Pete or a Savinelli.

tslex · Mar 24, 2016

I am a tremendous fan of bulldogs and I have been tempted in the past by the Brigham Acadian dogs. Really just a fine take on a classic shape -- somehow sturdy AND refined.
Encouraging to hear they smoke well.

pruss · Mar 24, 2016

While I've had my hands on many, I only have two in current rotation.
I have a Chinook series Canadian and it smokes wonderfully. This is one of the newer Brigham pipes and is made in France if I'm remembering correctly.
I also have a three dot Prince of the earlier, made in Canada, pipes. It is also a fine smoker. I have recently come across the seven dot twin to my prince and it will be joining my collection with a Brigham Lowlander shortly.
Estate Brigham pipes are very affordable and represent some of the best value for money in the estate market as far as I'm concerned. The drilling is good, the weight fantastic, even with the insert, and the draw is wonderful.
I find the lower grades of the newly made pipes a little wanting for grain, alignment and finishing quality. I have had a couple friends who had problems with draw on similar grades of the new pipes. But in both instances they were taken care of by their respective retailers and were more than happy with their replacement Brighams.
-- Pat

wolfe64 · Mar 24, 2016

I have an old Brigham pipe I bought for $10 and it is the best smoking pipe I have. And it's a 5 dot to boot !!!
Mark

pruss · Mar 24, 2016

@wolfe64 That is a lovely old Brigham, in one of their classic shapes and classic rusticated finishes. That's an awesome find for $10, and a perfect example of the value for money in Brigham estate pipes I was talking about.
-- Pat

sw0snuff3r · Mar 24, 2016

I have a Mountaineer 329, a newer pipe but not made in Canada and I love it. I'm going to be looking for a Canadian made Brigham estate pipe when I start buying pipes again. The rock maple filter wicks a good amount of moisture out and is a benefit to the smoke. It's a bit of a shame that they've moved production out of the country. I'd bet money that my grandfather had a Brigham or two living in Toronto as he did and remembering him smoking a pipe. That looks like a beauty @wolfe64.

fnord · Mar 25, 2016

Redpanda:
I've got a couple of two dot, made in Canada Brighams that are superlative smokers. I always use the maple inserts, because, why not? The filters are affordable and really dry out the smoke.
If Pruss says the newer pipes, made abroad, are solid then take that info to the bank.
I've been told by several Canadian pipe movers that vintage Brighams were based on bowl finish.
The vintage Brigham line is one of Canada's best kept secrets.
Fnord

wolfe64 · Mar 25, 2016

Thanks Pruss it came from a co worker's father, who bought some pipes and a pipe rack at an auction sale and was flipping them.

I bought 2 pipes, this being one.
Mark

mso489 · Mar 26, 2016

I wanted a Brigham when they were made in Canada. I was always a little put off by the rock maple inserts -- just one more system and consumer item to navigate, so I never bought one. When they moved production to Italy, I felt like I'd do as well to buy an Italian pipe in the same price range. Brigham no longer had the status of adding a nation to my pipe rack. To their credit, Brighams are often praised by their owners, so credit where due.

mothernaturewilleatusallforbreakfast · Mar 26, 2016

I had a Mountaineer once that was gifted to me. I smoked it a few times and thought it smoked good. I remember really enjoying some Pipeworks & Wilke No.191 in it. It seemed to make that tobacco better for some reason? I think it must have been the filter? I gifted the pipe to a co-worker who had expressed an interest in pipe smoking. He got let go a short time after, so I never got his take on what he thought about the pipe. I thought the pipe was nice enough.

buddy · Mar 27, 2016

I've owned several of the made-in-Canada's purchased new. Nice smokes and I liked the filter.
But I bought an estate once. Apparently the previous owner didn't know the filter was removable. It was so munged-up and embedded in the shank that I just tossed the pipe. Nasty!

shikano53 · Mar 27, 2016

Just my 0.02 cents worth. I bought 5 Brigham pipes in the past eight months. All of them new except the estate Sportsman. The Sportsman is the only Brigham I have that was/is made in Canada. All of the other four were made in Italy. I have a Chinook, cheap low end. A Mountaineer, Heritage, Klondike. Except for the Sportsman they are lousy smokers. Each of them had draw problems. To fix the draw and make them smoke what I consider to be proper, I drilled them out with a 5/32" drill bit. Now, I repeat, NOW, they smoke just fine with or without the rock maple insert. I no longer use the rock maple inserts. The finish on the Klondike bubbled in several places and the B&M I purchased it from replaced it. They are good folks. Personally, I would never buy another Brigham pipe. They're junk. Certainly since they are a Canadian pipe Company with the pipes being farmed out to Italy or France. Save your money and get a nice Savinelli or a Peterson or a dozen of the other brands out there. Oh, and the Chinook is the worst of all. It has very thin walls and you could fill it with snow and it would still burn hot.

papipeguy · Mar 27, 2016

I only have one, a bent Country Club. It is very light weight for its size and a nice smoke. My onlt concern is that the tenon is a bit too long. With the maple filter in it the draw feels very restricted so I have to back the stem off a fraction. Some others have had the same issue and sand the tenon down a bit.

I'm still on the fence about using the maple filters since I don't use any filters in my other pipes.

pruss · Mar 27, 2016

@shikano53 - The Chinook is actually the current equivalent of the 4 Dot, so it is one of the higher end of the line and is one of the three models made in St. Claude, France and not in Italy. I know a number of guys who have Chinooks, and love them, perhaps you got a lemon? Not saying the current line don't have problems, I've heard similar things about draw and also heard similar reports to John's about the mortise being too short (or more often, too long). In general, I agree with the sentiment of staying away from the lower tier models. I'd only buy Chinook, Klondike, or Acadian models of the current lines.
This is all a little moot, because for less than the price of a new Chinook you could have an estate Calich from Mike at Briar Blues. Now Calich's are Canuck pipes worth digging for!
-- Pat

Brigham Pipes...What Do You Think ?

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