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I Want a Churchwarden and Need Your Wisdom

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J

jason64

Might Stick Around
Dec 12, 2012
87
3
Hi folks,
I think I have asked this recently but couldn't find the thread. I am looking for a churchwarden and narrowed down my choices to HCA stanwell and Vauen. both have a pleasant look and come with two stems, but I never owned a Vauen. What would be your choice?
Thanks a lot

 
johnbarleycorn

johnbarleycorn

Lifer
Dec 28, 2015
2,337
1,003
I have the Stanwell HCA. Love the pipe. Have used the church warden stem once in the 4 years I have owned it.

 
mikethompson

mikethompson

Lifer
Jun 26, 2016
11,339
23,496
Near Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Vauen makes some nice pipes. I've never had a Stanwell but they have their fans. One thing to check is that the Vauen might be drilled for a 9mm filter. Mine are but I don't use 9mm filters and they smoke just fine, but something to consider.

 
d4k23

d4k23

Can't Leave
Mar 6, 2018
426
673
Texas
My take is one churchwarden is enough. Save you money for the Vauen Auenland. Not only is it the coolest pipe you’ll ever own, it smokes like a dream. It’s my Sunday afternoon smoker where I can sit and relax. Not a clencher, but really fun to smoke.
Plus if you can hold off, they’ll go on sale at some point.

 
Chasing Embers

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,445
109,364
You can also get Auenlands on eBay for under $200.
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F311124141758

 
J

jason64

Might Stick Around
Dec 12, 2012
87
3
Auenland s look great, hands down. Just curious, how different this one would be from Auenland?
https://www.tobaccopipes.com/vauen-churchwarden-smooth-3608-tobacco-pipe/

 
Chasing Embers

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,445
109,364
The chamber is a bit shallower than an Auenland, it has a fish tail bit, and the Auenland pipes have wooden stems with an acrylic shaft running the length of them with an orific, acrylic mouthpiece. Looks to be 2-3 inches shorter than the Auenlands as well.

 
Chasing Embers

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,445
109,364
That would have more to do with technique than the pipe. You can achieve good smoking quality with any well drilled pipe.

 
olkofri

olkofri

Lifer
Sep 9, 2017
8,049
14,666
The Arm of Orion
Those Vauens are good value. They come with two stems, so you can have your churchwarden and standard size too! Looks to have a military mount too, so no worries about detaching the stem whilst hot and cracking the mortise.
Alas, looks like someone beat you to that one. I get an out of stock message on that page.

 
S

sumusfumus

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 20, 2017
596
545
New York City
Convert one of your favorite pipes into a churchwarden by having and extra stem made. Done...and you're out only the price of the new stem. Churchwardens are just pipes with longer stems. The pipe has no idea where its stem finally ends......
Of course if you must buy one of the pipe brands that were mentioned....do it. Life is short. :))))

 
pappymac

pappymac

Lifer
Feb 26, 2015
3,303
4,358
First, ask yourself why you want a churchwarden.
I have a Savinelli 601, a Servi Meerschaum churchwarden and a Missouri Meerschaum The Shire Cobbit churchwarden. They are all good smokers that I just don't seem to smoke very often anymore. However, they were all inexpensive.
If you want a churchwarden just because you're a fan of the Lord of the Rings, buy either one of the cobbit series from Missouri Meerschaum (if you plan on smoking it.) or one of the MacQueen Lord of the Rings pipes because you are just going to display it mostly.

 
mso489

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,459
Like pappy', I have a Sav 601 my wife gave me for Christmas, as pictured in my avatar. It's an enjoyable pipe to smoke, and I make a point of getting back around to it. Churchwardens are pipes smoked when seated for most of us. Moving around, it is going to get snagged on obstacles and, in hand, will get in the way. So it's a pipe for reading and ruminating. I also have a straight 'warden, a Big Ben, and a small EWA 'warden that is actually pretty good for short smokes, or longer smokes with flake/etc. If you buy a pipe with two stems, you're going to end up with the short stem on there, and that will be that, I suspect.

 
olkofri

olkofri

Lifer
Sep 9, 2017
8,049
14,666
The Arm of Orion
The MacQueen's are pastiches of the original LOTR Vauens. I have the Wizard, briar version:


Wizard!
I still want one of the Vauens. The MacQueens, well... they're too expensive for what you get, really. I wasn't very impressed with mine: rough chamber drilling, poor finishing on the aluminium tenon, and not so sure I like the taste of wood from the mouthpiece. It's cool that the stem is all wood, but I'd prefer to have a plastic end where my lips go. Last time I smoked it, I had some funny post-smoke itching in my upper lip (shot of Jaegermeister fixed it). They're not bad pipes, but I don't think they're spectacular either.
Churchwardens are not the chore some think they are. I drive whilst smoking mine—the long stem kinda lets me rest my arm on the, erm, armrest. Yeah, you can still poke your eye with them, but I wear spectacles. :)

 
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