My Wife's New Ukrainian G. G. pipe

agnosticpipe · Nov 9, 2013

My wife recently celebrated her 73 birthday, and got an Amazon gift card from a family member. After weeks of fussing over what she would use it for, much to my surprise, she decided to get one of these new Golden Gate briar pipes from the Ukraine. I told her to make sure it was worth it, so she did some research and didn't find too much negative about them. She got it yesterday, a squashed tomato shape that looks rather nice I thought, and she's going to start breaking it in today she says.

Has anybody else had any experience with these pipes? They seem to be well made and finished, and I realize that most of what they sell are fruit wood (pear) pipes. I understand that they're getting briar from Italy for these. Priced fairly at $55-$59, I guess she'll have to be the judge of how good she thinks they are.

twangthang · Nov 9, 2013

Looks like a nice pipe. I like the shape, nice grain.

Is that a wood ring on the stem?

agnosticpipe · Nov 9, 2013

I was wondering the same thing, so I just looked at it under a magnifier, and it looks to be real wood. Not sure what type, but it looks like the same grain as briar. She better start smoking this thing, or I'm going to snag it and take it for a test run!

cigrmaster · Nov 9, 2013

Nice looking pipe. I have never heard of them, but if it smokes good for that price, she did very well. Let us know what she thinks. That is pretty cool your wife is also a pipe smoker, you are a lucky guy.

oldredbeard · Nov 9, 2013

I really like the shape, and looks of that pipe. I have also read elsewhere that they are good pipes, but never had experience with one.

tbradsim1 · Nov 9, 2013

What a lovely pipe, your Lady has great taste.

lestrout · Nov 9, 2013

I must say that is a shapely pipe. Would like to hear how it puffs.

plateauguy · Nov 9, 2013

Classy looking pipe. Hope it smokes well for your wife!

winton · Nov 9, 2013

I have two GG pipes from the Ukraine and I really enjoy them. Mine are from pearwood, so hers are probably better. Let us know how she likes them.
Winton

agnosticpipe · Nov 9, 2013

Ok, the verdict is in. We went out on the porch after she took out the stinger from her new GG, and loaded up some Plumcake. After only one bowl, she said it was one of the best smoking pipes she has ever smoked. She liked the way it drew, and felt in her hand. She doesn't have very large hands, so she has never favored large pipes, but never liked smaller pipes either. So this must be the "Goldilocks" size, just right. I hope she continues to like it and smoke it. Neither of us have been smoking pipes for a long time. We went crazy in the 80s when living in California, buying all sorts of pipes, mostly high grades. We ended up selling most but a few favorites during the 90s, so we're having fun trying a few new pipes now. Can't afford the high grades anymore, but we're finding that a lot of pipes we wouldn't have given a look years ago, are actually great smoking pipes. And hey, this is a great site too with a lot of info, and interesting discussions. We're looking forward to more....

dottle · Nov 10, 2013

That is a very nice looking pipe! I wouldnt mind having one myself! Hope your wife has many great smokes from it.

4dotsasieni · Nov 10, 2013

I have the exact same pipe from GG, and have found it to be a great value. Good smoker, easy to clean, and, yes, that's real briar.
I hope your wife enjoys it as much as I have.

vlodko · Nov 10, 2013

Hi all,
I am from the same city where Golden Gate is located

And I know some of these guys personally.
They have started as a small cooperative workshop in 1980s (during Soviet Union times). They made firstly a lot of pipes from different wood (except briar) but from the 1990s they started to carve briar pipes and I really proud to mark their improvement.
I have smoked a number of GG and I can say it's acceptable value for money. Additionally: GG pipes are almost every year club pipes of Kyiv pipe smoker club.
So I can recommend.

timely · Nov 10, 2013

Nice looking pipe, and I think it is wonderful that your wife will be smoking a pipe.

I would love her to sign up and let us know how she likes it.

numbersix · Nov 10, 2013

Thanks for the report agnostic. I've seen GG pipes on ebay and didn't have high hopes for them (I wrongly assumed they were from China). Anyway, good to know!

gwtwdbss · Nov 10, 2013

I agree. That is a nice looking pipe. Tell her congratulations and I am glad it smokes well for her.

papipeguy · Nov 10, 2013

First of all, it is so cool that your wife smkes a pipe. Second, she has great taste in pipes. That squat tomato is a nice shape and it looks like a sweet pipe. Happry smoke rings to both of you.

agnosticpipe · Nov 10, 2013

Thanks for all the feedback on this post. My wife has been smoking pipes almost as long as I have. We used to live in Southern California, and in the early 1980s we would take our pipes out with us sometimes. One time we were out in the evening walking down Melrose Ave. looking in the shops and weird stores there, and while smoking as we were walking, my wife got more stares than all the punkers with their pink mohawk hair cuts and piercings. I don't have any idea what they thought of us, but we were having a good time. ( and yes, we were just smoking tobacco)

She's agreed to let me try her new pipe if she can try my little Smokemaster that I just restored. Sounds like a good deal to me!

My Wife's New Ukrainian G. G. pipe

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