Does Price Make a Pipe???

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eazye77

Starting to Get Obsessed
Aug 21, 2012
247
0
I know that many people pay a good amount of money for a quality pipe and others on estate pipes or pipes that cost less then 50.00 or so.
Like anything the better it's made the more you pay, but my question is can you still get the same taste/effect from a tobacco in cheaper pipe vs. a pipe that cost 300.00 or more. Thoughts :?:

 

bigvan

Lifer
Mar 22, 2011
2,192
12
There will be differing opinions, but in my experience a well made pipe (which includes top grade materials and solid engineering) will provide a more enjoyable smoke.

 

petes03

Lifer
Jun 23, 2013
6,212
10,653
The Hills of Tennessee
Oh boy, Can-O-Worms officially opened!
I have $50 pipes that are on par, or better than some of my pipes that cost 3 or 4 times as much. That being said, it goes both ways. I also have cheaper pipes that can't come close to my more expensive ones. The true value of a pipe is what you place on it, not what the retailer does!

 
Jan 8, 2013
7,493
733
I smoke nothing that costs less than 900 dollars...... and I am lying through my teeth :D My most expensive pipe retails about 200 bucks. The rest of my meager collection ranges from about 50 dollars to 100something-or-other-ish. Therefore I really can't answer that question very well. However, my Peterson is the middle ground pipe of the bunch and is probably my best smoker.

 

pipestud

Lifer
Dec 6, 2012
2,010
1,749
Robinson, TX.
I like playing the odds, eazye77. The percentages (according to my experience), heavily weigh in favor of a more expensive, hand made pipe. Doesn't happen all the time, of course. But, I'd rather buy one $300 handsome handmade pipe that has taken a lot of time and care to make rather than six $50 pipes and take my chances for the same amount of money. I believe the odds would be heavily in my favor that way.
Best,
Pipestud

 

blueeyedogre

Lifer
Oct 17, 2013
1,552
30
My mostexpensive pipes are about 150$ and I'm happy with them but I've never smoked truly expensive pipes so I'm probably ignorant of the better quality.

 

pipeherman

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 13, 2013
228
2
My most expensive pipe (price converted) is around 245$, it is my pride and joy. Handmade by Nils Thomsen in Berlin. My average pipe is around 95$ (once again converted), they smoke well also, just not aswell :puffy:

 

papipeguy

Lifer
Jul 31, 2010
15,778
35
Bethlehem, Pa.
I just bought my first hand-made custom for $250. I must say that the difference between this pipe and my Ser Jacapo's, which cost the same or more, is very pronounced. I just spoke with the maker today about another custom pipe. The quality of the briar and the engineering for the open draw and other details males a world of difference in performance.

 

05venturer

Lifer
Nov 25, 2012
1,622
2
Amery,WI
I might as well be the one that says it first.

I just find it hard to beat my MM Cobs, best smoke for the money bar none.
I may be a bit biased but with all the pipes I have accumulated over the past year I continually reach for a MM.

 

chrisschneck

Lurker
Jul 24, 2013
36
0
I wouldnt say my Ser Jacopo ($350 donttellthewife) smokes way way better then my pipes that are 1/2 the price. But its definately prettier.

 

cobguy

Lifer
Oct 18, 2013
3,742
15
I'm in the school of thought that the choice of tobacco along with packing and smoking technique are far more important than cost of the pipe. You may have a $500 pipe but if you pack it with a goopy aro, loaded to tightly and puff like a train ... well it's not going to be good! :)

 

numbersix

Lifer
Jul 27, 2012
5,449
53
I do think that with pipes, as with most things, you get what you pay for. My $300+ Dunhills really do smoke better than all of my other pipes. The briar is lighter. They routinely require fewer relights and they make smoking a pipe just that much more enjoyable.
That doesn't mean that my $150-200 pipes are poor smokers - they are quite good. At the same time, I have a $15 1960s Dr. Grabow that is equal to my $150-200 pipes. And I have a $50 Bari (bought new, unsmoked) that is also equal to my $150-200 pipes.
And it must be said that there have been people who have stated that they've had $500 Dunhills that were poor smokers. So there are no guarantees, especially when it comes to a natural product like briar. IMHO, so much depends on the briar itself and it's not always apparent if it will be a superb smoker or just an average one.
Overall however, the odds are in your favor when you spend a little bit more.

 

petes03

Lifer
Jun 23, 2013
6,212
10,653
The Hills of Tennessee
Cobguy, you make a good point. Although quality is important, you are correct, packing, smoking technique, and tobacco moisture and casing are all important factors in how a pipe performs.
Welcome to the forum, BTW!

 

mrenglish

Lifer
Dec 25, 2010
2,220
72
Columbus, Ohio
The most expensive pipe I ever bought was a Larsen Pearl with a $900 price tag. The grain was to die for and the birdseye on the bottom was hypnotizing. It smoked wet. Very wet. Not sure why as it had excellent engineering. I let a friend try it out for a bit and he had the same problem. Sent it back to Denmark so they could look at it, they modified it a little but it made no difference. By all accounts it should have been an excellent smoking pipe. We only ran straight VAs through it so it was not the tobacco.
I think the more you spend on the the pipe, depending on the brand, gives you are greater chance for an excellent smoking pipe due to the craftsmanship, but it is no guarantee. I agree with Pipestud though, its better to save up and get one really nice pipe than several cheaper ones.
You can definitely get excellent smoking pipes for cheap, I just think the odds are better with more expensive brands and indie pipe makers.

 

pitchfork

Lifer
May 25, 2012
4,030
605
Answering the question in the OP can be a little complicated. Cobs (as noted) can deliver great smokes, but for many smokers there's more to enjoying a pipe than sucking on some burning leaves.
Leaving aside cobs, I would argue that most Stanwells have engineering that is almost as good as the engineering on the best handmade pipes. And "engineering" is just a fancy term for the holes in the stummel and the stem. That is, the taste of the smoke and how it reaches your mouth and taste buds is almost as good in a Stanwell as in more expensive, handmade pipes.
However, the stem on the Stanwell won't be as thin and comfortable as the stem on the better made artisan pipes. It won't even be as nice as the stem on most Dunhills. A thin stem can make a real difference for some people in how much they enjoy the smoke and even how it tastes because of the different mouth posture you have with a thin vs. a thick stem. (Try drinking wine out of a coffee mug -- it's the same idea.) And if you like a really open draft, you pretty much have to look at the handmade pipes.
Also, the overall look and handfeel of a pipe can contribute to your experience of the smoke. Pretty pipes don't burn leaves better, but they can be more enjoyable -- all else being equal.
So, the point I would make is, that a good Stanwell (or Bari, maybe) can produce a tasty, dry smoke stream, on par with all but the very best pipes, but a more expensive, handmade pipe can give you a more enjoyable overall smoking experience.

 

pstlpkr

Lifer
Dec 14, 2009
9,694
31
Birmingham, AL
I have a wide range of pipes, from $10 pipes to $500 pipes. My favorite pipe is my most expensive, it smokes great and it is my favorite to look at. It also seems to smoke better than anything else, but that may be sub-consciously driven.
Thank you Sam for answering for me.

:puffy:

 

peter70

Starting to Get Obsessed
May 24, 2013
175
1
I had, at one point of time, 2 identical Stanwell pipes. Shape, color, mouthpiece and engineering were not distinguishable, even the grain, although of course not the same, was a similar flame grain. One of them was a fantastic smoker, which always smoked dry and brought out the nuances of any tobacco very well. The other one was a quite wet smoker and muted all flavors of any tobacco, I put in it. So my conclusion is, that it is all about the wood. You can get a piece, even cheap, out of wood, that smokes extremely well, and you can get an expensive one, which smokes so-so. In terms of reliabilty, your chances, that you get a good smoker in the upper price ranges is higher, than in the lower ones, but if you like to play the lottery, you could get the smoking experience for a much lower price.

 

allan

Lifer
Dec 5, 2012
2,429
7
Bronx, NY
So, the point I would make is, that a good Stanwell (or Bari, maybe) can produce a tasty, dry smoke stream, on par with all but the very best pipes, but a more expensive, handmade pipe can give you a more enjoyable overall smoking experience.
To me, it's sort of like cars. For the price of an S Class AMG Mercedes, one can buy 8 or 9 Nissan Versa S. Both will get you where you're going and both are reliable with a nearly identical warranty. Is one "better" than the other? Depends what you're looking for, how much money you have, and where you want to put that money.
I think Roth and pitchfork have summed it up perfectly

 
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