I Love my Basket Pipe

madox07 · Jul 8, 2018

I had a craving for an aromatics tonight, and while looking for a pipe to smoke it, I remembered my first pipe. I still have it, a very simple half bent billiard, which I bought almost 13 years ago in Texas. It had nothing stamped on it except for the word "Italy". If my memory serves me right I think I paid $20 for it.. what a wonderful smoke. It works perfectly, even after all this time, all the abuse (for a while this was my only pipe), and in spite of its simplicity. Makes me wonder.. why on earth have I spent all this money on expensive pipes? I mean .. I sometimes had some financial difficulties, I saved up to buy pipes .. and why? Sure they are nice, but all I need to smoke is in that $20 Pipe. I think I am going to rethink my purchasing habits, and focus more on tobacco acquisition than on pipes.

Chasing Embers · Jul 8, 2018

Makes me wonder.. why on earth have I spent all this money on expensive pipes?

It took me decades to figure that one out. :clap:

carolinachurchwarden · Jul 8, 2018

I'm in the same place in a way. I have yet to spend over $140 for a pipe. Some of them look really nice and I love some of the different styles and colors and grain, but in the end, it's more about want versus need. Do I need a Castello? No. Do I love and want some of them I've seen? Hell yes. In the end, it's about having something unique to me, that I like. I can smoke everyday out of a cob, but once in a while, I love the uniqueness of my Nording Churchwarden pipe. It was the first one I spent more than $50 on. Smokes great and I love it, but I can have an equally enjoyable smoke out of my MM Cobbler. It's actually one of my favorite pipes to smoke from.

mso489 · Jul 8, 2018

madox', I think you got lucky with your Texas basket pipe, but your point is well taken. As I have often preached, basket pipes can be cheap stinkers or good pipes. Better pipe shops tend to use the basket to move pipes that may be good seconds or branded pipes that have been on the pipe wall too long, and on that basis you can pick up some fine smokers. With experience, you can often spot the better basket pipes pretty quickly, if they are there. It is always worth a look, and more so if you know your shop puts goodies in there. You can get good pipes on down the scale of price. You just have to have enough experience to know what you're looking at and have the opportunity to check from time to time, and the patience to wait until you find the good ones. Same thing with online sales. I caught a nice Tsuge "tasting pipe," a full size straight blast billiard, at PC, for $39.99; it has the quality points of the Tsuge line in general. So, check out those basket pipes. Be prepared to buy 'em or let them be, and check them now and then.

scloyd · Jul 8, 2018

I have a two basket that I purchased at the local Tinderbox. One marked "ITALY and one marked "MADE IN FRANCE". Both purchases were made when the basket was just recently refilled with pipes, 20-25 pipes in the basket. I search through the basket and if one catches my eye and it feels good in my hand I'll run a pipe cleaner threw it, I'll look at mortise and tenon and I'll check out the chamber. I am no way an expert...if something just don't seem right, I pass on it. If I go into TB and see only 5-6 pipes in the basket I don't bother with them because I figure they're picked through. So far I'm happy with the two I have.

Chasing Embers · Jul 8, 2018

My wife got this Calabresi for me years ago from a B&M basket for $25. Great little smoker with a wide open draw and light as a feather.

mso489 · Jul 8, 2018

chase', your wife has an astute eye for a pipe. That has a lot of character, the rustication and engraved band. You can find things in them thar' baskets.

Chasing Embers · Jul 8, 2018

Indeed. Her surprises never disappoint!

jaytex1969 · Jul 8, 2018

My first "dedicated" pipe was the Generic German #26 virtual "basket" pipe from P&C.
The bit is substandard but the wood and airway are great. Some day I may spring for a nice stem, if it stands the teat of time. It is, of course, for smoking Black Frigate.

madox07 · Jul 9, 2018

Everybody seems to be so up and about this whole Black Frigate blend ... I need to see if "the dude" can get some. : puffy

: I may have to wash the old basket pipe a tad though, it's haunted by all the aros I have been smoking in it over the years.

carolinachurchwarden · Jul 9, 2018

Everybody seems to be so up and about this whole Black Frigate blend ... I need to see if "the dude" can get some.

:clap:
Yes indeed! Apply to sail on the Frigate today and receive a custom-built bone tamper, courtesy of our powder monkey! He shines them up and adds little tufts of hair to the top of each one! He's sort of a master by now after the huge rat roast we had a week or more ago....

jaytex1969 · Jul 9, 2018

NAY, NAY! If that powder monkey starts towards you with his bone, RUN!
Especially if he and Anthony have been drinking droid or Beekeeper's Friend.
There's naught more frightening than watching a monkey shine his bone....

pianopuffer · Jul 9, 2018

Here in NYC, shops don't sell em. Barclay Rex downtown does have some small pipes they turned years ago (similar to the Ropp line) but they're $50 I believe. Not cheap, but then again, nothing in this stinkin' city is!

jaytex1969 · Jul 9, 2018

My B&M doesn't seem to have much to brag about in the basket, either.
They seem to be all the same unattractive color with the same unattractive bad rustication, all from the same source.
Thankfully, the shop has other redeeming qualities.
The web is my pipe basket...

bnichols23 · Jul 9, 2018

Basket/"barrel" briars can be great, or lousy. I've gotten a couple of good ones over the years. I was in a shop the other day & their baskets were $53 .. each. You can find really stellar estates for that.
Don't worry, I sanitized the rat bones with cleaning fluid, before I used the rib bones to sew the tufts on. I didn't shine them, though -- rusticated natural finish is always best.

madox07 · Jul 10, 2018

So you guys have monkeys running around with boners on that Black Frigate of yours ... I may reconsider reviving our own "Royal Yacht Advocates" club instead, Death Metal where are you mate? :lol:

Chasing Embers · Jul 10, 2018

Well let's see. I think DM got banned, Royal Yacht got discontinued, and yeah, about those monkeys. :mrgreen:

madox07 · Jul 10, 2018

:rofl:

All joke aside, did he really get banned? I mean I have noticed his absence as of late, but I couldn't imagine what it is he has done to be banned. He was an old member, lot's of posts also ... Oh well, I guess I have to change the name of the club into "One man extinct tobacco lover's Club" :mrgreen:

Chasing Embers · Jul 10, 2018

All joke aside, did he really get banned?

From what I can remember, he got several warnings about offensive posts.
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/death-metal-and-toob-freak-are-back

"One man extinct tobacco lover's Club"

:rofl:

madox07 · Jul 10, 2018

Oh yeah ... I remember this thread, I even commented, totally forgot, especially since no spicy details were provided :lol: :puffpipe:

I Love my Basket Pipe

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