Pipes You Let Go

Even though I am pretty new to this hobby, I don't think I could get rid of any of my pipes. I am finding each one is getting a character on its own. But maybe after a couple of years I may have changed my mind

I've sold a few pipes because they didn't smoke well for me. I've also sold a few because they were decent smokers, but rarely got smoked. I usually have a reason if I part with a pipe.

I constantly sift through the pipes and pull out those I don't smoke, for whatever reason, and sell them. There is only so much room for pipes here & I don't have the space to keep non-smokers.

I hope I can be as rational as you seem to have been with this hobby, unlike others, such as firearms, which I find I will no longer sell any of my guns since the ones I have managed to part with over the years I truly regret letting go of. I've got to escape the hoarders mentality with this one! Time will tell I suppose. On a side note, regarding another of your posts, that's a fine looking collection you have going there, I'm green with envy and thanks for sharing with us, it's always nice to see what others tastes are. I also like very much the rook looking meer, it's got some great coloring coming along. Cheers!

I wish I'd never sold this one, but I needed the bread.

It was a great smoker, actually.

I regretted it as soon as I sent it off.

One doesn't accumulate 76 pipes over 37 years by letting many go, and I cannot say that the ones I gave up to friends or family were bad, they just didn't do anything for me once I got them. Now pipes I have lost? That is another story. I accidentally threw out a K&P Peterson rusticated Dublin Churchwarden that my late wife had given me in 1988. I have bought 3 pipes trying to replace it, but haven't come close. I will always know that these are replacements.

I had a wonderful Edwards Freehand from 1985 that I got from a seconds basket at the Edwards shop on Severn in Metairie, way back when. The drilling was off center, and one night it cracked down the length of the bowl on the shallow side. When it cracked, i tossed it in a dumpster in disgust. To this day, 25 years later, I still have fond memories of smoking that beauty.

There was a white LePeltier Deluxe bent billiard, that I dropped when getting out of my car one day. It shattered into a million prices. Clays will do that.

I gave to one of my son-in-laws my second ever pipe, a seldom smoked Missouri Meerschaum bent bulldog cob from the 1970's. I have had separation anxiety ever since, lol.

I do not regret giving away any of the pipes that I have given to friend or family (except that one cob) but I will probably always wish I had those lost ones back in my hand.

There was a figural meerschaum of a horse, standing on top if a horn, that was given to me by another departed friend. /sigh. Never knew to where that one disappeared, either. GuessI posted in the wrong thread, since I haven't let go of these pipes.

misterlowercase
That is (was)a beautiful pipe you let go
I love that shape!

The only pipe I was considering letting go was a Ronson Three-Way that I had recently won in an auction on Ebay. The pipe arrived totally blocked up and it took a lot of effort to free up the obstruction. Even after boiling in alcohol and vinegar and sweetening with good whiskey, a very slight funky taste remained.

However, I discovered that by smoking Latakia mixtures such as Dunhill NC, the taste was no longer discernible and did not significantly corrupt the taste of the tobacco. So, I've decided to keep the pipe and dedicate it to Latakias.

I have sold off probably 50 pipes over the years for one reason or the other. If a pipe does not get any use in my collection, I move it out. I don't like seeing a pipe sit month after month and not get used. Most of my pipes were Danish and Italian in the beginning and they were big, plus I was also focusing on grain. Now I am collecting smaller pipes that are blasted from American carvers. At one time I stopped smoking my pipes for a number of years so I sold off a bunch because I didn't think I would need that many sitting and doing nothing. I am again in the process of culling the herd as I try to keep the number at 40 or so. I have 6 -9 pipes that I will be moving out because I just don't reach for them. They are all great smokers but they are either too big, or have acrylic stems that I don't care for. I have learned that certain types of tobacco do better in certain types of pipes so no reason to have a pipe that just doesn't suit the blends I am smoking. I have also gotten pickier in regards to the stem I put in my mouth, I do not enjoy smoking something that is not super comfortable. There has been a few pipes I wish I had back, but not many considering the numbers I have sold.

I also like very much the rook looking meer, it's got some great coloring coming along.

Click to expand...

I wish I could take credit for the patina, but it was like that when I bought it.

Most of the pipe I sold recently were from a lot I bought awhile back. I bought a lot of pipes because it came with a rack and a vintage Kaywoodie ad. Another lot had a Kirsten in it, and I got the whole lot for less then the value of the Kirsten. I had the pipe all restored, and and made my money back. as well as nice profit. I used the money from my recent sales to buy three pipes(a Kirsten,a cob, and a Falcon), and a nice TAD order

thanks Allan, the shape was a perfect jawhanger & it was incredibly light.
funny thing is I got it from a guy in France, so he sends it to USA then I sell it to a guy in Italy, so the pipe ended up going to its true home!