Bond Roberts or Bond Robbers as i like to call the is nothing but Asians paying 4x what cigars are worth, same thing that made Mitchell O rich .. the Asian market is flush with cash and sadly screwing the rest of us out of our hobbies, or at least pricing is out. Habanos deciding to reprice based on the Hong Kong luxury goods market screwed so many of us, a lot of friends that have smoked Cuban Cigars for 20 and 30 yrs are hording their collections now and the once’s without large collections are moving to the custom roll (YG is getting rich) market.
Pipe Shapes/Styles I "Should" Try/Experience
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As many are mentioning, shapes might have an effect some notice, and talking about briar, given it’s nature, we might be able to go buy like 5 of the same exact models from a maker and notice differences in each one.
As everyone says, buy what you like.
Be sure to read the article, ‘The Myth of Brand and Maker in Pipesmoking’, by Dr. Fred Hanna.
https://www.greatnorthernpipeclub.org/_files/ugd/17b259_acdce5ca70354ca7a5f64775f95ae600.pdf
As everyone says, buy what you like.
Be sure to read the article, ‘The Myth of Brand and Maker in Pipesmoking’, by Dr. Fred Hanna.
https://www.greatnorthernpipeclub.org/_files/ugd/17b259_acdce5ca70354ca7a5f64775f95ae600.pdf
I used to hate the look of oom Paul shapes. Straight billiard is my favorite. Almost a decade smoking them. But those pipes, now that im in my middle age, start to tire the jaw. Bought my Rossi full bent oom Paul style, and the term "just hangs" somes to mind. No effort to hold the pipe up, means more relaxing. My billiards get held more in the hand these days.
This. I personally love churchwardens, and I’ve heard my whole life that they smoke cooler. Maybe they do in a science-experiment kinda way. But you can freight train a churchwarden just like any other pipe and burn your mouth up in the process.
Yes, it’s undoubtedly true that genuine Lee Star Grade pipes were the highest priced regular production pipe on the earth in 1946 when first made available.
Back then, they likely were superior to all other lesser pipes, especially cheap European push stem production.
I think I have several Lees in Billiard, Bulldog, Rhodesian, Lovat, Prince, Bullcap, Bullmoose, Apple, Pear, and one large four panel billiard, in different sizes, with mostly straight but a few bent stems.
But on the market today is the huge Danish freestyle.
A huge Ben Wade, is the best pipe in my stash.
I think your initial question is a bit vague to give a decent answer on shapes, never mind sizes. I guess it would depend a bit on what sort of a smoker you are. Do you tend to smoke indoors or outdoors, seated vs out and about?
Well, there is THE truth, and there is YOUR truth.
Generally I would say that everyone is entitled to their opinion.
But in this case, I think that many would back me in saying your opinion is PLAIN WRONG.
There are MANY "cheap European push stem production" pipes (read French and British) that would piss all over your beloved Lees for quality.
A Lee might have been priced more, but that does not make them a higher quality product. PRICE DOES NOT EQUAL QUALITY.
If a Danish era Ben Wade is THE best pipe in your stash, what does it say about the vaunted quality of ALL your high grade Lees ?
And if the Ben Wade is your best pipe, then I say you need to get out and experience pipes from a few other makers. ?
Unlike other complex personal items a man uses or wears, such a watch, or pen, a briar pipe is an artfully carved hunk of wood, with a stem attached to it, and without a brand attached to his pipe it would be hard to tell one make of pipe, from another.
My Ben Wade Special Matt was carved from a huge piece of highly figured grained, old, beautiful Mediterranean briar. It holds over a half ounce of tobacco. It would be my best pipe if the maker’s letterings had worn away.
Unlike other brands of old pipes, a Lee today commands little, if any, premium over a similar quality generic “basket” pipe. The one and only old American factory pipe with a collector’s status is Kaywoodie.
But what makes a Lee such a true bargain in used pipes is the cheapest Lees ever sold competed with Kaywoodie Super Grains, and most sold for the price of a Flame Grain. Lee didn’t cheat his customers. He couldn’t, or else they’d have never mailed him five or ten or twenty five dollars, but once.
But the beginning pipe smoker cares nothing about brands, or else he shouldn’t.
If he can find the estate pipes with the gold stars, he’ll know his used pipe had the best grade of briar, the finest vulcanite, and sold in the open market for the most money, back when there were plenty of pipes to choose from.
With a Lee, for about $25 average investment, he can try out all the standard shapes and sizes.
My Ben Wade Special Matt was carved from a huge piece of highly figured grained, old, beautiful Mediterranean briar. It holds over a half ounce of tobacco. It would be my best pipe if the maker’s letterings had worn away.
Unlike other brands of old pipes, a Lee today commands little, if any, premium over a similar quality generic “basket” pipe. The one and only old American factory pipe with a collector’s status is Kaywoodie.
But what makes a Lee such a true bargain in used pipes is the cheapest Lees ever sold competed with Kaywoodie Super Grains, and most sold for the price of a Flame Grain. Lee didn’t cheat his customers. He couldn’t, or else they’d have never mailed him five or ten or twenty five dollars, but once.
But the beginning pipe smoker cares nothing about brands, or else he shouldn’t.
If he can find the estate pipes with the gold stars, he’ll know his used pipe had the best grade of briar, the finest vulcanite, and sold in the open market for the most money, back when there were plenty of pipes to choose from.
With a Lee, for about $25 average investment, he can try out all the standard shapes and sizes.
I had actually never heard of Lee pipes until Briar Lee started gushing about them. ?Well, there is THE truth, and there is YOUR truth.
Generally I would say that everyone is entitled to their opinion.
But in this case, I think that many would back me in saying your opinion is PLAIN WRONG.
There are MANY "cheap European push stem production" pipes (read French and British) that would piss all over your beloved Lees for quality.
A Lee might have been priced more, but that does not make them a higher quality product. PRICE DOES NOT EQUAL QUALITY.
If a Danish era Ben Wade is THE best pipe in your stash, what does it say about the vaunted quality of ALL your high grade Lees ?
And if the Ben Wade is your best pipe, then I say you need to get out and experience pipes from a few other makers. ?
Buy what appeals to you. Could be shape, color, tactile ... material. If it appeals to you, your brain will find subliminal reasons to love it, and it will smoke better.
Nor have I. And I suspect, the vast majority of Forums members.I had actually never heard of Lee pipes until Briar Lee started gushing about them. ?
I am indeed grateful to Briar Lee for drawing our attention to an obscure brand.
However while I appreciate his love for the brand, it is his assertions that they are THE BEST, bar none. And his put down of other makes that rubs the wrong way.
Then there are his very contradictory remarks of how they are THE GREATEST, only to declare a few sentences later, that there is, in fact, another BEST pipe (a Danish Ben Wade, no less) in his stash.
Having an opinion is one thing.
I can understand that anyone can have an idee fixe
What I can't understand is said person browbeating us with contradictions piled upon unsubstantiated and flawed assertions
Pipes are like women. Variety makes life much more interesting.
No need to be insulting. Pipes are far more pleasant to be around.
I'll also note the vague broadness of your question and provide an appropriate response.
All of them that you can.
It is my opinion that different shaped and sized pipes perform differently with different tobacco blend styles, different activity levels while piping, and different ambient environments. At least they do for me. And then you can toss in the qualities of different pipe materials to make it even more complex.
Try all that you can and see if you find nuances that make it worth the effort and expense of doing so. You may find the same is true of your experience. However, if it's all the same to you in the end, then you can be pleased that you'll never have to chase down that which could be most special to you because you're already getting all the pleasure possible.
Wouldn't that be blissful?
Cheers
I need a couple of more, at least, but I have walnut pipe holders that hold 58 pipes decorating my office.
Behind me, I keep one 10 hole stand full of Briarlees, Pipe Makers, and stamped star Lees.
The other 48 are on my desk where my wife, my legal assistants, and clients can handle them. Every one is filled with gold inlaid star era Lee pipes, nearly all Three Stars.
It was men that smoked Lees, and still do.
But it was women who just went nuts over those real gold stars, and still do.
My wife, legal assistants, and female clients hold those Lees and gush over how beautiful they are.
My wife thinks my Ben Wade and other Danish freehands are ugly, and she’s right, when compared with a Lee.
But without those gold inlaid stars, a Lee can’t be distinguished easily from any other brand of quality pipe.
Behind me, I keep one 10 hole stand full of Briarlees, Pipe Makers, and stamped star Lees.
The other 48 are on my desk where my wife, my legal assistants, and clients can handle them. Every one is filled with gold inlaid star era Lee pipes, nearly all Three Stars.
It was men that smoked Lees, and still do.
But it was women who just went nuts over those real gold stars, and still do.
My wife, legal assistants, and female clients hold those Lees and gush over how beautiful they are.
My wife thinks my Ben Wade and other Danish freehands are ugly, and she’s right, when compared with a Lee.
But without those gold inlaid stars, a Lee can’t be distinguished easily from any other brand of quality pipe.