So the size of my pipe collection just doubled!

Yes that's right it just went from one to two!
I started with a Peterson Dublin #68 and I could not be happier with it. But even with the little amount of time that I smoke I wanted a second. When I started looking at pipes I noticed the Rattray's Lowland series but they did not have them at my local pipe place and they had the Peterson so that is where I started. I chatted with the guy at the store and he said he could get the Lowland in but it would cost me $172 before tax (the price of Rattray's in North America just went up by 40% according to him). A little out of my price range so I started to search online and found that Haddock's Pipe Shop in the Netherlands carried what I wanted and could get it to my door for $150. Sold. It only took a week from the Netherlands to my door and the service was great. I had a some questions that were answered quickly.
So here are my two pipe. The Peterson Dublin and the Rattray's Lowland #48




I also ordered 200 9mm filters for half the cost I can get there here for no additional postage.


Some pipe cleaners, a few filters and lighter were a nice token of thanks.




and a 10% off coupon to use before the end of the year... hmm that might come in handy.

teufelhund: Yeah I better not double it each time or I will be in real trouble.
Peterson have some nice green pipes as well. I have always liked green but never knew I would I would find a selection of green pipes.
I have never tried any Rattray Tobaccos but I might have to pick up a tin of Red Rapparee to go with the new pipe.

Well I feel I have had enough time with my new pipe to break it in and give a report. I have to admit it started a little shaky as the bowl got pretty hot the first few times I slowly smoked a half bowl which led to a lot of pausing for it to cool down before relighting. Now the carbon layer is building up so the bowl does not get hot just lovely and warm. Oddly the 9mm filter seemed to be cutting off the draw sometimes as the drilling is a little up and to the right and interferes with the lip of the filter. Then I discovered little “clamps” deep in the stem that hold the filter a little further in creating enough gap that there is no longer an issue no matter what 9mm filter I put in there.
Now that I have gotten to know the pipe a little I love it and never have a problem with it from one smoke to the next. It is lighter than the Peterson so easier to clench. Mostly I sit and smoke while doing nothing or reading but some lovely sunny still fall days led to me getting a little slow light yard work done with the pipe in my mouth. Wonderful!
At the same time as I got this pipe I got my first tin of Frog Morton (On The Town) which is worth all the raving I have been reading about on here. I also got a tin of Rattray's Red Rapparee after seeing a few interesting reviews and I figure hey might as well stick “Rattrays” tobacco in a Rattrays pipe. Well what an interesting mix this is. I was a little surprised by the undertone of old boot leather in the first bowl of it but now that I have had a few bowls the beef jerky/ leather taste is growing on me quite a lot.
I now have an itch for another pipe... I am beginning to worry I have the early signs of PAD.
My son (who is almost seven) told me I need to get a more exciting pipe (why my pipes are not interesting enough I didn't understand). I did some flipping through images and he thought something like this pretty nifty Nate King gear punk at Smoking pipes (link) is what I should get.

Now I think this is pretty visually appealing but I am not sure I would ever smoke it. When I explained I didn't have that kind of money for a pipe I got a lecture about how if I could not afford a new pipe I should not be thinking about getting another one. Somehow $2000 is the same as $200 (or $20) in his world. Researching a new pipe sure is fun and if I even get too close to buying it I can always ask for another lecture from my son to slow down the PAD problem.

Toby: I just started carving my first pipe so I have been thinking about the design a bit. My son keeps telling me I have to make it like the crazy one above.
It is interesting what general features of a pipe will draw a person to it. Most of them are tan to brown in colour. The first time I saw a picture of the green Rattray's I knew I wanted one. It is certainly not an image thing as I smoke alone in my shed most of the time. My local tobacconist will not stock any pipe with "colour" on it. Which means he is fine with brown and black. There are some crazy looking pipes out there and most of them I have no interest in at all but I like the diversity.