In Defense of Brylon Pipes

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tuold

Lifer
Oct 15, 2013
2,133
165
Beaverton,Oregon
Ok, this is a very mild defence of Brylon, because I can now see the pluses and minuses of them after spending five bucks on ebay on this Medico Brylon pipe. (I've never owned one before this)
brylon_zps3be98dd4.jpg

After doing a cleanup of the pipe, I considered which tobacco to try first. I chose Sutliff "Old San Francisco" because it's one the tobaccos I have yet to really enjoy in any of my other pipes. I noticed a very open draw in this pipe which was nice for getting a good charring light. Just a few minutes into the smoke I really started to appreciate this tobacco. It was like a dark filter had been removed for the first time and I could get a nice clear taste. I was impressed. So far, so good.
Many others have remarked how Brylon tends to get hot after awhile. I also find this to be true, but the bowl never got too hot for me to hold. I believe because of the nice draw of the pipe I had good control over the temperature of the burn which was very consistent as well, requiring not one relight for the duration of the smoke.
So my conclusion is, for a five dollar estate pipe I've got a good, if somewhat ugly, (or at least nondescript) well performing and low maintenance tobacco pipe. It doesn't fail by any means.
Its main competition would be a cob which would have the advantage of cost when purchased new as well as lighter weight. The Brylon added zero taste overtones. Can't say the same for the cobs I've smoked which required a short break in period.
I don't think I'd ever buy a new Brylon pipe. But if you do see one cheap at a flea market or on ebay it might be worth trying if you are so inclined. At any rate, I can now say I've given one a fair shot.

 

necron99

Starting to Get Obsessed
Mar 4, 2014
268
0
I didn't want to dignify this with a response, but seeing the words defense of brylon stuck in my eye like a splinter of steel from a wire brush wheel on a bench grinder. There is no defense for brylon and any company still subjecting the world to them should have its owners skinned alive and tossed into a salt pit. Do yourself a favor and destroy that pos as soon as possible.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
I don't find a synthetic composite all that charming a thought, but rsuninv seems to get good service out

of his Brylons in rough work conditions. My only complaint would be that they are sold cheap to beginners

who think they are typical pipes, and obviously, they are what they are. I have some thin bowled briars that

burn a little hot that I find perfectly acceptable, so that isn't a high crime. However, there are so many

surprisingly good briar pipes available at very low cost, that is certainly a preferable choice. Pipes can and do

last forever, so unless you need a Brylon as a curiosity, or for rough service as with rsuninv, don't clutter your

life with 'em.

 

cmdrmcbragg

Lifer
Jul 29, 2013
1,739
3
If you can throw it in the dishwasher to clean it, you shouldn't be smoking out of it. I had the exact same pipe @tuold and I got rid of it. Hell, that may have been mine and the guy I sold it to passed it on.

 

condorlover1

Lifer
Dec 22, 2013
7,996
26,613
New York
If you can throw it in the dishwasher to clean it, :rofl:
I have always believed they were introduced by an alien race that visited earth and thought they would screw with the earth mans brain by sharing the secret of Brylon!

 

homeguard95

Starting to Get Obsessed
Mar 18, 2014
206
0
If you can throw it in the dishwasher to clean it
This brings up a good point. Technically speaking wouldn't brylon be easier to clean than briar? I never owned one, but it wasn't for a lack of curiosity, and I've pondered this often. I've had a briar that was sour when I got it and it was the devil to clean. Just a thought.

 

weezell

Lifer
Oct 12, 2011
13,653
49,163
I have always believed they were introduced by an alien race that visited earth and thought they would screw with the earth mans brain by sharing the secret of Brylon!
I can hear the Alien now " Well, what's it gonna be? Brylon or anal probe " :rofl:

 

cmdrmcbragg

Lifer
Jul 29, 2013
1,739
3
I'm taking the brylon pipe over the anal probe. Now, if I have to smoke Mixture 79 in it I may reconsider.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
I've had the irrational thought when roaming the online retailers, well, maybe I ought to own one

Brylon pipe, just as a piece of Americana. Naw.

 

papipeguy

Lifer
Jul 31, 2010
15,778
35
Bethlehem, Pa.
I keep mine as a reminder of the nadir of pipe making. I can't believe that this stuff is still being made. The CI site has a bunch between $15-$18.

 

condorlover1

Lifer
Dec 22, 2013
7,996
26,613
New York
@weezell - Makes you wonder why alien intelligences travels thousands of light years to earth just to engage in anal probing? Go figure. Its like we shipped the whole of Greenwich Village off to another solar system to engage strange and unusual sexual acts!

 

puffy

Lifer
Dec 24, 2010
2,511
98
North Carolina
Let me veer off here and say as I've said before...Many years ago when I first starting buying pipes most of them were cheap and didn't smoke very well.One thing that I learned from this..A pipe doesn't have to get too hot to hold to burn burn your tounge.Such was my experience with the one and only Brylon that I've ever owned.If it works for you though smoke on...

 

tuold

Lifer
Oct 15, 2013
2,133
165
Beaverton,Oregon
So basically, "If the tobacco stays lit, you must acquit".
Well it has to provide good taste too!
I'm not trying to be a contrarian and I understand and enjoy the room here for comedic comments, but look, I just smoked the same tobacco in my brand new Peterson Harp. Guess which I enjoyed more? I know...sacrilege! The Harp will improve with age, I imagine, and it sure looks and feels a lot better than the lowly Brylon Medico. But from a point of enjoyment of taste (which is what is of the most importance to the beginning smoker) it just wasn't all that bad. I have to admit I was surprised to have had this experience after all the bad things I had read about Brylon pipes.
I'm only talking exclusively about an estate pipe here. When you pay $15.00 or more for a Brylon pipe I think the cost/benefit ratio is exceeded. A cob (with equivocation) would be the better first pipe if cost is the main factor.
I'm curious as to how some might rate clay pipes against Brylon. I find similarities with the latter coming out ahead in comfort of smoking.

 

necron99

Starting to Get Obsessed
Mar 4, 2014
268
0
All them work conditions and rough living times is what a cob is for. I can't imagine any time that breathing hot plastic fumes is desirable.

 

kb7get

Lurker
Nov 10, 2012
35
0
Why I don't bother to post in here very often. I have had at least a few Brylon pipes in my smoking rotation for the last 40+ years. Sure, they can get hot if your not careful with your cadence using them but they don't get soggy if you keep them clean. Just run a pipe cleaner through them and let them cool down. Just another pipe for the snobs to look down on like they have done with cobs. Learn how to smoke a pipe and you will find out they are at least an ok pipe.

 

lonestar

Lifer
Mar 22, 2011
2,854
161
Edgewood Texas
My post was an attempt at humor alone, no "smack talk" about brylon. I think whatever a person enjoys is what they should smoke. Unless they enjoy Crack. In that case I would recommend smoking something else.

 
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