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P

pinem

Might Stick Around
Aug 16, 2015
65
106
Nebraska
Have been putting in some overtime lately at work, and looking to transform some of that effort into a new pipe. Have narrowed it down to either a Radice rind, Dunhill shell, Kai Nielsen or Caminetto. All have been made in the last couple of years, and the last three essentially have identical chamber dimensions. The first three have vulcanite/ebonite stems, and the Caminetto has an acrylic stem, not that that is really important to me, but most of my pipes have acrylic stems so a vulcanite stem might be a nice change of pace.
Given these are current production, and my main concern is getting a good smoker, does anyone have any opinions on which might be the best bet on that end? The Kai Nielsen appears to have pretty thin chamber walls, and I would be hesitant to believe there would be enough briar there to absorb moisture, but maybe that's not a valid concern.
In case anyone's wondering, I'm not interested in getting an estate for this round of PAD, one of the four indicated above will be the one I get.

 
tarheel1

tarheel1

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 16, 2014
936
2
Pictures of the pipes would really help out as well as the prices.

 
clickklick

clickklick

Lifer
May 5, 2014
1,700
212
For the price, a Radice Rind or Caminetto are always winners. Kai Nielsen as well, but as tarheel said, pictures are required!

I have nothing good to say about current Dunhill production.

 
cortezattic

cortezattic

Lifer
Nov 19, 2009
15,147
7,638
Chicago, IL
I think thin walled pipes get too hot to hold comfortably.

Acrylic stems don't oxidize, and they are more resistant to tooth marks.
I have 3 or 4 Radices -- two of which suffer from a high draft hole. That leads to a little bit of wasted tobacco, but it doesn't bother me since they smoke well until the ember reaches the draft.
Dunhill? I'm not sure I understand why they're so expensive. Maybe if I would smoke one I'd figure it out. (Not gonna happen!)



Choosing a pipe is such a personal thing. I think you should go with your gut instincts on this.

 
mso489

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,459
Dimensions being equal, I'd give some favor to a pipe that weighs a little less, especially if the bowl wall is still fairly thick, indicating older, better briar. Lighter pipes also are better for clenching, if only for lighting the pipe (I light with matches, so it's a two-handed operation).

 
tarheel1

tarheel1

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 16, 2014
936
2
If you are thinking dunhill i would suggest you look at Ferndown, Ashton, and Askwith pipes. Ferndown is mqde by Les Wood. He was a dunhill carver and silversmith. He comtinues in the dunhill tradition and i fond his pipes superior to modern dunhills. Ashton is another company that was founded by a dunhill carver, but now run by Jimmy Craig. He is still using the same technique as dunhill, but using more modern and colorful stem materials. Chris Askwith is fairly new to the field compared to the other two, but makes amazing pipes. He is less into the traditional shapes and more into his own representation of the classics as well as new shapes.
Don't get me wrong. I love Dunhill pipes, but I find that they are not worth the asking price. All three makers I mentioned makes a better pipe at far less in price. If you know where to get them they can be had for under 200.00. Pm me if you want to find out. Both Chris and jimmy can make a custom pipe and they are in the 250-500 range depending on what you want.

 
pitchfork

pitchfork

Lifer
May 25, 2012
4,030
606
Recent Dunhills and Kai Nielsens are generally really good smoking pipes. I haven't smoked the Italians, so can't comment on those. And in case no one has mentioned it before, Al Pascia has the best prices on Dunhills. They're in Italy, but you'll get your pipe in less than a week.

 
jackswilling

jackswilling

Lifer
Feb 15, 2015
1,777
24
I have two Radice pipes, one is a rind. They are both fantastic. Want to add more Radice pipes to the collection. Big fan.

 
tschiraldi

tschiraldi

Lifer
Dec 14, 2015
1,813
3,555
55
Ohio
I'll vote for the Caminetto! Honestly, there are few pipes that equal the craftsmanship, engineering, and smoking qualities of a Caminetto. I love Italian pipes and own a number of them including Castello, Ascorti, and Mastro Beraldis. I would put my 1970s Caminetto up against any of them!

 
P

pinem

Might Stick Around
Aug 16, 2015
65
106
Nebraska
Thanks all for the responses. It did help. Links to three of the four pipes below.
https://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/new/radice/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=197850

http://www.alpascia.com/pipes/d/Dunhill-817-i26426.html

http://www.alpascia.com/pipes/d/Kai-Nielsen-087-i33094.html
I had made my mind up to get the Caminetto, only to find that it had been reserved. Oh well. Ended up going with the Radice, as I don't have one from them, and the chamber size and weight looked promising.

 
mso489

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,459
Of the three, I like the Rad best. It has more originality while still being a traditional shape, and it's light and has a nice wide chamber. I think you'll be well pleased.

 
shikano53

shikano53

Lifer
May 26, 2015
2,061
8,085
That is an awesome pipe, congrats. I don't think you will be disappointed. I like that Dunhill as well.

 
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