Cup O' Joes

Like this?

I have a Stannie, and I like it a lot. I should probably have another one.

Plus, when I've checked, CoJ price was usually higher than the other vendors I patronize.

Click to expand...

+1
I really would like to give them my business, but they pale in comparison to other vendors. Their prices are usually higher, the photos they show aren't of the actual pipe you will receive, and they even charge a re-stocking fee should you wish to return it.
They do offer good customer service, I will give them that (but so do most of our other vendors).
p.s.

Meant to say, congrats on your purchase! didn't mean to rain on your parade - roth's post got me stirred up! Damn you roth!

I have only ever bought 2 pipes from the USA, and both were bought new from Cup o' Joes. I had been looking for a true Peterson Straightgrain, but my usual on-line supplier, "mysmokingshop", arguably the biggest supplier in the UK, said that often years went past without them getting one. Then a couple of years ago I saw one on Cup o'Joes (a straightgrain bent sitter #304) and bought it. Everything went well. It arrived by UPS in an unmarked carton, with no invoice, to avoid the attention of Customs. But the pipe was not marked "straightgrain", rather it was a stunning cross-grain, marked "Supreme". It looked so good and the price for a supreme was not much less than for a straightgrain, so I kept it, without complaint. It has proven to be one of my best pipes - I use it for black ropes as it has a medium-sized bowl.
Since then I have been on the lookout for a 'real' Peterson Straightgrain and a few months ago another one came up - on Cup o' Joes - a #304 bent sitter! This time I was more careful in my enquiries, and bought it. It is a beautiful, appropriately marked light-stained pipe. It smokes a good as it looks, and I use it for my brown ropes. I did pay a fairly high price for what I got. But now I have two stunning pipes that I couldn't source in the UK and which are built to last generations!
I care for them like I would my babies!!

Cup O Joes has some pipes others don't carry. I wish they carried more specs on their pipes like shape

classification, weight, and exact length, but I have bought several pipes from them and been pleased.

I also like Cup O Joes #5 Virginia, among others.

dunringill, that is a great looking pipe, I hope it smokes great for you, congrats.
I am also not a fan of CoJ. The pipe pictures and descriptions are amateurish at best. 11.99 to ship a box that costs 6.00 is insulting to me. But the thing that turns me off the most is they allow you to order tobacco that they know they do not have in stock and then it is a pain dealing with them to get your money back. They have no system that shows what is in stock and what is not and that is unacceptable. Also they gouge on the prices of the most popular Samuel Gawith Flakes, for example a 250 gram box of SG St James or FVF is 51.00 at CoJ and smokinpipes sells it for 30.00. That is what I call obnoxious and taking advantage of people. They also have tons of broken links of pictures on their site and the site has not been updated in over a decade. It is clear to me they have no regard for their customers and they take them for granted. I wrote them a nice letter over a year ago explaining to them that they really needed to fix a number of things on their site if they wanted to get my business and a lot of other people I know. Because they are a sponsor here and I do feel an obligation to spend money with Kevin's sponsors I wanted to let them know that they would be losing a good deal of business if they did not start catering to their customers better. I never got a reply and they lost a chance at a piece of the substantial amount of money I spent on tobacco, pipes and accessories. Smokingpipes, P&C and 4noggins got 95 percent of a big chunk of dough. I know a lot of people like myself who spent the year loading up our cellars and they got none of it.

I buy as little as possible from them because I have to pay NY sales tax. Their prices do tend to be high, and as mentioned above the pictures are poor. Also no free shipping.

Having to pay Cup O' Joes a $12 shipping charge for an order over $100 instead of the freeing free Priority Mail shipping I'm used to getting elsehwhere, then, to add insult to injury, having to pay a 10% "restocking fee" on top of the return shipping should I, for whatever reason, need to return "non-defective" merchandise doesn't work for me.
Plus, when I've checked, CoJ price was usually higher than the other vendors I patronize.

Click to expand...

I have also checked into doing business with Cup O Joes along with several other site sponsors and for my ordering wants and needs it is tough to beat 4Noggins & P&C IMHO.

It is clear to me they have no regard for their customers and they take them for granted. I wrote them a nice letter over a year ago explaining to them that they really needed to fix a number of things on their site if they wanted to get my business and a lot of other people I know.

Click to expand...

Well said Harris, everything you say is true. It amazes me to no end that a company will not listen to its customers. I never visit their site anymore and it's not out of spite, it's because they can't compete - not even close.

six, it is kind of shocking in today's day and age that these guys don't look at what their competition is doing. Up to date inventory is pretty basic stuff.
05venturer, don't forget smokingpipes, their prices are tough to beat also and their customer service is second to none, right up there with 4noggins.

05venturer, don't forget smokingpipes, their prices are tough to beat also and their customer service is second to none, right up there with 4noggins.

Click to expand...

i have checked with smokingpipes but every month when I make an order I order 1 or 2 tubs of PA for a friend of mine and SP doesn't carry it from what I have found

I've had good luck with CoJ but I've mostly just ordered tools and a few other small items. They have been fast and easy but I have no desire to order tobacco from them. As for pipes, I bought one from them and it was pretty good for a cheap Pete.