High End Pipes Offered Among Other Lines

If you have enjoyed mid range pipes by a maker who offers higher grade pipes I would be inclined to look at those pipes, at least to start. It's the devil you know, VS the devil you don't.

Just keep in mind that you may get a prettier pipe, but not necessarily one that is going to smoke markedly better.

Just keep in mind that you may get a prettier pipe, but not necessarily one that is going to smoke markedly better.

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I agree with that.
When I was heavy into Stanwell I was trying to collect a 63M in all finishes, a Flawless was beyond reach, but I did find a Flame Grain, and it's a very fine pipe - yet it performs the same as my lesser grade 63M's, so the extra cost was mostly for grain and specific stain.
I've recently entered the world of American artisan pipes and I've been delighted - the most I've spent is $325 which is a lot for me and I don't ever see myself going much beyond that.
If you like estates, you can find some great deals,

Smoker's Haven at the moment has a bargain Nate King estate, a smaller pipe, 14g! ...and a chip on the bowl front, but for a smooth, pretty damn good price,

http://www.smokershaven.com/nate-king-estate-pipe-zulu-32-12.aspx
And there are quite a few budget minded options out there too,
http://www.briarbirdpipes.com/albatross-pipes.html
http://www.askwithpipes.com/handfinished.html
http://www.teipenpipes.com/store
http://www.talbertpipes.pair.com/bretagne.shtml
http://www.tobacco-pipe-collectors.mybigcommerce.com/solomon-pipes/
::

To add to what Sablebrush said: if you buy a higher end pipe of a mid level brand, you are probably getting better grain, maybe a nicer adornment ergo silver instead of nickel etc. and maybe a higher resale value. However the smoking qualities will be the same (often) as their lower level pipes. If you step up to a higher level brand you will most likely get a lighter pipe, with better smoking characteristics and a more comfortable stem made out of better materials. I have found over the years, that mid level companies cherry pick out their best blocks of briar and sell those pipes for a premium, however they are all made at the same factory, so buyer beware. There are exceptions to this however, companies such as Stanwell and W.O. Larsen had their top of the line pipes hand made by some very fine carvers. You need to do the research to find out what you are really getting, is the money getting you a much better pipe or simply a much nicer box?

I had this friend that was helping me build a shed out on the farm. He was a professional framer, and he kept going on and on about how my hammers were cheap crap. So, the next day he brought out these framing hammers that he said were excellent tools, the weight, balance, the length, etc... I was excited, QUALITY HAMMERS!!!! But, after an hour of swinging that heavy, precarious thing, bending nails, pulling them back out, work had slowed to a crawl for me. He was doing just fine, because his arms were acclimated to these hammers. Mine was used to the lighter hammers.

A pipe is a tool. As someone who switches between Grabows, Beckers, Savinellis, cobs, and various other artisan made pipes ranging from $20 to $800, smoking 10-12 bowls a day, I have yet to be convinced that there is such a thing as quality in pipes. You learn to get the best experience from the tool. The quality is your skills. That's my opinion, and I'm sticking to it... until I find that magical Holy Grail pipe that everyone seems to exist out there. ::

I've owned a couple of Nordings better grades and they are excellent pipes.

I've owned a couple of Nordings better grades and they are excellent pipes.

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Yep. I love my Nordings
While I agree to a great extent that smoking technique is the critical ingredient to getting the most out of a given pipe, I don't agree that all pipes are the same. I don't agree that price is linked to performance as in a $15,000 Nordh is going to smoke 150 times better than a $100 pipe. After all, the thousands of dollars spent on an ultra high grade covers not just that one pipe, but all of the labor and stock cost that went into bowls that got discarded along the way because they didn't meet the maker's standard at some point in the pipe making process.
That said, pipes made with better grade briar, top quality vulcanite or acrylic, and good engineering are likely to last longer and perform better than pipes made with cheap materials and poor engineering.

I wholeheartedly agree. I didn't mean to sound extreme. However, for me it's the aesthetic of smoking something that I think is wonderful, verses just a tobacco burning machine. I think that the added beauty of the higher end pipes is what keeps me more satisfied smoking in the higher end. I guess I don't taut the high end experience as being a better smoking experience, because I'm not 100% sold that it is a better "smoking" experience, or just that I'm reveling in the awe of what I believe to be a masterpiece. Yeh, I want to smoke a Michelangelo any day over grandma's watercolors ::
But, I can often be found rolling my eyes back in extacy while smoking my cob, ...in the backyard, ...where no one can see me, ha ha!!

For me the biggest difference in two well made pipes, one being pretty cheap and one being expensive, is the quality of the mouthpiece. I have gotten used to handcut ebonite stems, factory made stems make my teeth and jaw hurt to clench them.

mso489,

What's your price point? I think just that w/o knowing that the pipes you speak of can be heads and shoulders apart in cost and you may be missing out on some better pipes, i.e. I can suggest some if I know more.

Those Wayne Teipen budget pipes are completely awesome
BUY ONE IMMEDIATELY

Costello

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I think that's an unintentional funny ::

mso489,

Let's put it this way, certain pipes shine with certain tobacco's and others no matter what tobacco you choose, I have not had a Savinelli, Nording do it and I have never owned a Johs pipe but my Radice's, Caminetto, Castello's and definitely my Becker's do. You mentioned Bob Hayes and I can honestly say the one I grabbed is a fantastic puffer and would not hesitate for a minute to recommend one of his pipes to anyone. Regards......

banjo

I guess there is no way to know short of trying the examples you identify and drawing your own conclusion.
Who knows, it may end up being less expensive than collecting the high ends only to find that your authentic smoking experience has not been enhanced by the higher priced pipes.
Good luck!
-bw

Years ago I used to smoke mostly factory pipes. I had Castello Sea Rocks that smoked great. I had a KK Fiammatta with incredible grain that retailed for 700 back in 2000. It did not smoke any better than my SR's but damn it was pretty. I bought Winlsow pipes from his E grade to his B grade and there was no difference in performance. I think that when you spend more for a factory pipe you are basically getting a prettier pipe that smokes the same as lower grades. I am talking about factory pipes that start at 200 and go up from there. Radice makes great smoking pipes and again I found no difference from their lower to higher grades.
I personally think that going for an American artisan pipe will give you a very different smoking experience. A hand cut stem made from high quality German vulcanite makes a huge difference in performance. Artisans buy very good briar that also makes a difference. Wayne makes a very good pipe from all accounts for a reasonable number, Rad Davis makes incredible pipes in the 400.00 range. You can also get great estate pipes from names like Ruthenberg, Bruce Weaver, Thile, Morrissete, Jody Davis, Stephen Downie in the 200-275 range. I would recommend going for a group 4-5 sized pipe in the 45-50 gram range, a few grams higher or lower on either end is no big deal.