Getting The "Eye" For Pipe Buying

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louiezmich

Lurker
Feb 1, 2013
29
0
Illinois
As I am learning about the art of pipe smoking, more and more questions arise. Basically everyone so far can agree on the fact that you do not need a really expensive pipe to enjoy your smoke. But just like anything you get what you pay for, so the investment is probably worth every penny. I have no problem saving money and investing in a nicely made pipe regardless of the price eventually, but once I know more on how to master the smoke. But my question is that almost everyone says that you can find the "Diamond in the rough" kind of pipe where you only pay 10-20 dollars or so for a pipe that smokes fantastically. Can anyone help me develop that "Eye" for finding pipes on the market others are passing up? I assume it all comes down to wood quality and the man who made it but I could be wrong.
Thanks ahead of time,
Lou

 

rmbittner

Lifer
Dec 12, 2012
2,759
1,994
Lou: you'll likely have to go through a lot of cubic zirconia before you find that "diamond"! You really can't know for sure if you've got a winner until you light it up.
You can improve the odds a bit by sticking with known brands. Run a pipe cleaner through the shank to make sure the pipe was drilled well and that the hole is at the bottom of the bowl. Hold it and ask yourself if it's light or heavy for the amount of wood used; lighter is better, a result of a well-dried/cured piece of briar.
Finally, the only place you're likely to find a $10 pipe these days is a flea market or garage sale. Otherwise, I think of $40-$60 as a "low end" pipe. That doesn't mean they won't smoke great! I've got a Sasieni in that range that's wonderful. But it may mean you'll see a couple of putty fills (which only affect appearance), maybe some finish issues.
I think you can find many many fine-smoking pipes in the $40-$200 range. When you start getting over $200 -- what I consider the start of "high-grade" territory -- then you're paying (in some cases) for hand craftsmanship, finer-quality briar (often with nicer grain), and better overall engineering. And the differences can be surprisingly noticeable! But that doesn't mean you can't get a great pipe for a small fraction of those prices.
Bob

 

louiezmich

Lurker
Feb 1, 2013
29
0
Illinois
Okay thank you for the advice. Quick question though, what did you search for on craigslist to find pipes? Because it either comes up with plumbing pipes or "Water Vapor" pipes. Not Tobacco pipes.

 

louiezmich

Lurker
Feb 1, 2013
29
0
Illinois
Also thank you for more responses, I will have to look around for pipes at local shops or estate sales and test them out. I never thought of testing the weight and such, great advice!

 

maduroman

Part of the Furniture Now
May 15, 2010
662
1
the only eye i have developed is the stink-eye from the warden when i buy a pipe...
but i have managed to get a couple basket pipes that are great smokers, it is a matter of luck skill and chance sometimes.

 

yadan

Can't Leave
Dec 23, 2012
336
1
Central Galilee, Israel
Lou, the above advice is on the mark. Remember, too, that you want to buy something that feels comfortable in your hand and in your mouth. In time, you will also want to buy pipes that you enjoy looking at, and this is strictly a matter of personal taste.

 

rmbittner

Lifer
Dec 12, 2012
2,759
1,994
Flintlockjohn:
Along with GBD, I'd list Comoy, Sasieni, Chacom, BBB, Ben Wade, Butz-Choquin, Parker (Dunhill's seconds line). These all were, for the most part, mid-range pipes that were solid performers.
Bob

 

martiniman

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 6, 2012
885
2
Lou,

Welcome aboard.

If your looking to start out with $10-20 do yourself a favor and get a corncob or two or three.....

Do some research here and you will find BY FAR the best bang for the buck for a great smoking pipe is a cob.

Your diamond in the rough will be exactly that. An old pipe, older the better from a will know carver/pipe co.

You need to be willing to put the effort in refurbishing a neglected pipe. As long as a pipe is solid you wouldn't believe how beautiful an dingy estate could turn out.

 

joshwolftree

Part of the Furniture Now
I'll blaspheme here for a moment and mention that one of my best smokers is a cvs bought doc grabow, but then so is one of my worst smokers,same model,different sizes,I also got my favorite, smoke all day pipes out of a MM bag of seconds. so those diamonds in the rough are out there. I'll agree wholeheartedly with the proper drilling, and with the proper shape and size that feels good to you, but add some pipes just smoke certain tobaccos better. A wider internal bowl diameter smokes va/pers or Aros a little better for me, whereas I prefer English blends,especially lat heavy, in a taller more narrow bowl.

When searching in ebay they have a category for tobaccianna, this will narrow out alot of the exhaust, it will still show some water pipes(still smoking just not baccy). If you're looking on there a piece of advise, if it says durable in the title line, it's cheap and Chinese. I know $1 plus shipping seems like a good deal but it's plastic with a metal lined bowl.

Till you get an eye for certain brands you like or certain style's a B/M is your best best for finding a good pipe. Also I don't know where your located, but finding another pipe smoker, can both increase your enjoyment of the hobby,and teach you valuable things that are hard to express without "learning aids", like over/under packing, and what a good draw feels like.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
If I wanted a novice smoker to have a good experience with a new pipe, below or just over fifty dollars, my best suggestion would be Ivan Ries exclusives,

their house brand at the Chicago tobacconist, iwanries.com. Most of these pipes are made by Benton in the U.S. Iwan Ries bills itself as the oldest

family owned tobacconist in the U.S., opened in 1867. I think they have a vested interest in giving new pipe smokers a good experience to bring them back for future

purchases. In jest, I call these pipes Chicago Dunhills, but the several I have smoke great. And I never owned one until I had been smoking on and off for

about 40 years. They make good travel and pocket pipes. Next I would suggest a low-end Savinelli, Peterson, Parker, etc. After that, you're on your own.

Once you have several pipes that smoke well, you can make them better pipes by habitually cleaning them and rotating them. A five year old, moderate-priced pipe that

has been kept clean and rotated is probably a better smoke than a high-end pipe that hasn't been broken in. You cultivate the smoking properties of a pipe,

in my opinion. Your oldies are favorites for a good reason. Someone else made the pipe, but you keep crafting it into something unique. That's the pleasure of

buying a new pipe but keeping it a long time.

 

numbersix

Lifer
Jul 27, 2012
5,449
53
A lot of good advice here already, but I'd like to add that while estate pipes are going to give you the best bang for your buck, knowing what's a good deal can be tricky. First, get to know the better brands. Ask people here. If you see a brand on ebay that you're curious about, check online retailers like smokingpipes.com for what they go for new.
Also check Pipedia for info on the pipe. Next, be careful who you buy from when checking ebay. Make sure they have a good reputation and offer money back if you're not happy. Also, read the description carefully - often times important info (like a crack in the stem, etc) is mentioned in a long paragraph of text. The next thing is most good deals on estates require a good cleaning. There's lots of info on these forums on how to do that.
Another thing about ebay is patience. A great deal is hard to come by, but they are out there if you search often (I just picked up a Peterson meer for $20 and it only needed minor cleaning). But it can take weeks or months to get that "great" deal.
BTW: my first pipe was a $40 no-name basket pipe and surprisingly, it's a fine smoker. So sometimes you can get lucky taking that route. Good luck and happy hunting!

 

quincy

Part of the Furniture Now
Feb 7, 2013
508
10
Man, I lucked out. My first pipe back into this foray is a Lionessa Bellissima. Smokes like a champ and I love it. It was low end, but looks nice and smokes great. But, I feel lucky. The very first pipe I bought was junk.

 

yadan

Can't Leave
Dec 23, 2012
336
1
Central Galilee, Israel
I'm a metal pipe fanatic, and ever since my first few pipes (which were briars), I've been purchasing only metals. Since I already know how most of them smoke (assuming they're in decent condition), I have to go by sellers' descriptions and photos. That's worked out quite well for me except in one case where the pipe was totally blocked up. However, the seller compensated me and I was also able to remedy the blockage.

 

tbradsim1

Lifer
Jan 14, 2012
9,093
11,011
Southwest Louisiana
Inst I just bought 2 Parker's on E-bay, cleaned them up and they smoke fine, I suggest buy the ones with a patent # IMHO they are older and smoke better but bear in mind they are small pipes, I did not pay much for them and they cleaned up good, I am not sorry I bought them. The old cajun

 

cigrmaster

Lifer
May 26, 2012
20,249
57,280
66
Sarasota Florida
I think that you might have to buy 10 20.00 pipes to get a real good one so it doesn't make good financial sense to do that. I think you are better off buying a pipe in the 50-80.00 range that has already been restored from a reputable maker. We have sponsors on this site that sell these types of pipes and they give money back guarantee's. For example, I think this would would be a very good pipe and it comes from a great seller.
http://www.mkelaw-pipes.com/html/pipee1830.html

 
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