Pick 5 Countries. Who from each makes/made the Best Pipes Under 500$?

[milk]

Let’s talk about objective criteria as much as possible. I’m talking about shaping, stem-work, engineering, etc. Objective means, “I don’t like that shape but it’s well-done.” I realize that there’s a subjective element here but I’m talking about things you think you can defend with objective language. Whose pipes were closer to perfect more of the time?

 

[karam]

Easy:

Italy - Savinelli
US - Missouri Meerschaum
France - Butz-Choquin
Ireland- Peterson

They are all inexpensive, reliable, well-made, good smokers.

 

[AirOne]

Easy:

Italy - Savinelli
US - Missouri Meerschaum
France - Butz-Choquin
Ireland- Peterson

They are all inexpensive, reliable, well-made, good smokers.

This is a good list for pipes under 200 USD. For under 500, I'd buy from an artisan anyday. Stem work for instance is far superior on my artisan pipes, drilling is spot on, draw opended as I like it,.. You can get a tailored pipe for under 300 USD, so if you have the cash why bother buying a factory one?

 

[OzPiper]

$500 - current price or historical price when they were released ?
Obviously talking about estates here

 

[Sigmund]

500 is a high ceiling. Too many choices!

Italy
Ser jacopo
Castello
Radice

Denmark
Kai Neilsen
Peter Klein
Many more Im sure

Germany
Paul Becker
Cant think of others but there are many

 

[karam]

This is a good list for pipes under 200 USD. For under 500, I'd buy from an artisan anyday. Stem work for instance is far superior on my artisan pipes, drilling is spot on, draw opended as I like it,.. You can get a tailored pipe for under 300 USD, so if you have the cash why bother buying a factory one?

Eh, possibly because it's easy? You go on a website, few clicks and few days later and you have it. My best smoker is my very first pipe, a Savinelli 106 bought 15+ years ago, it's the simplest of the simple billiards, cost ~$45 and smokes perfectly. It's also my tasting pipe.

I also agree with Sigmund and OzPiper that $500 is quite a lot and adds many variables to the mix, the post's question is difficult to answer because at that money I'd expect perfection across the board which you get from either major manufacturers' top lines, or artisan, this is why I listed cheap options in my first post.

OzPiper I don't know old pipe prices (say '80s and before), but I'd struggle to think there were many $500 pipes back then, it's a lot of money in today's money, and a hell of a lot of money for the 80s - my rent in Coventry in the UK in 2010 even was 150 quid/month, my friends in London paid 300-400/month and that was considered a lot of money! Now for 400 in London you probably get a mattress under a bridge...

 

[OzPiper]

I’d struggle to think there were many $500 pipes back then, it's a lot of money in today's money, and a hell of a lot of money for the 80s - my rent in Coventry in the UK in 2010 even was 150 quid/month, my friends in London paid 300-400/month and that was considered a lot of money! Now for 400 in London you probably get a mattress under a bridge...

I posed the question as estates make up the bulk of my pipes.
There may be one or two high priced pieces, but none would have gone close to $500 back in the day.

But in the spirit of the OP, I’ll assume it’s $500 at current values

 

[OzPiper]

Japan:
Limited edition for Stokkebye by Asami Kikuchi
Not the elevated prices of her one offs. But great attention to detail nonetheless


Denmark;
Danish made Stanwells
Great design aesthetics. And quality at fair prices
All these 3 are Stanwell seconds


England:
Lots of choice with all the Britwood factories.
My choice is a second from Comoy - one of their Specially Selected
Great grain and beautifully thin hand cut stem

 

[milk]

I suppose I was thinking pipes that you can get right now, new or estate, for under 500. Actually, I wonder if it’d be too complicated to ask for 500$, 400, 300, and 200. I think it’s interesting to see what people would say for a bunch of categories. I was looking at a forum about Ashton pipes and it was pretty harsh. It got me curious about workmanship. What shops have the best workmanship at different price points? But I’m not interested in pipes above a certain point because if they don’t have perfect workmanship at that level, why are they in business?

 

[OzPiper]

France:
Again LOTS of choice
I’ve had this Butz-Choquin for @ 50 years. Not flash - just dependable


Italy:
A bewildering choice of brands.
One of my favourites - a horn-stemmed Viprati Bulldog
Ask me tomorrow, and I would have a different choice

 

[karam]

Italy:
One of my favourites - a horn-stemmed Viprati Bulldog

I mean this one is a real beauty!

 

[SSGT.]

While I do understand the whole you get what you pay for thing but in order for me to pay 500 dollars for a pipe its going to have to do a hell of a lot more than hold burning tobacco.

And though I'm sure a Dunhill is a wonderful smoking apparatus there needs to be a lifetime of sexual fulfillment for that kind of money. But then again, my kids have always said that I'm a tight wad.

 

[PaulRVA]

Strictly Production Pipes
Italy- Savinelli
England- Dunhill
Ireland- Peterson
France- Nuttens
Germany- Vauen

Too many Variables and too subjective for Artisan Makers.

 

[Duane Cartmill]

Italy- Tonino Jacono (aesthetically perfect to thine eye, smoke perfectly)
Denmark- Stanwell prior to 2010, now Peder Jeppesen (terrific smokers)
The United Provinces of Sovereign Canada - Blatter & Blatter (the best! $100cad and you’ve got a beautiful briar pipe with precision drilling)
The country below Canada - Randy Wiley (I love his style, but the chambers are often too large to fit my schedule)
England- Orlik (back in the day)