$50 Pipe vs. $1000 Pipe

[foggymountain]

Despite what some people say, A really (justifiably) expensive pipe does smoke a whole lot better. You say you want a blasted poker at a reasonable price. I suggest David Jones. His pipes are rusticated, but feel and look like sandblasts. You can get a hew one on Ebay for about $150. You have to bid on it. That is the only way he sells. They are good smoking pipes.

 

[tslex]

Take a look at Fat Bastard pipes for a line of very good smoking, new pokers made by an artisan.
As for 50 vs 1000: My best smoking pipe is an estate David Rhodes that cost me about $150. But, as noted above, if I get a pipe of any cost that doesn't smoke well, I don't keep it.
After that, "The price of a thing is what it will bring." To a collector of Comoy Bleu Ribband pipes, the precise one he wants may be worth a great deal to him, but it will leave a Danish freehand fan cold.
There are layers and layers and layers to this hobby. Welcome to the club and enjoy.

 

[hfearly]

I'd say price beyond the 250$ mark is mostly due to
1) Reputation of the artisan

2) Material (age, curing, grain, weight, ...)

3) Aesthetics (design, flow of lines, proportions, color, etc.)

4) Techniques used for drilling, staining and finishing

 

[withnail]

This was one of the questions answered by G L Pease in his column on this site. He raises some interesting points here-
http://pipesmagazine.com/blog/ask-g-l-pease/ask-g-l-pease-june-2012-volume-14/#more-5984

 

[chispa]

Paying around $100 for an estate will get you the most bang for you buck for a briar. I suggest Stanwell. If your tastes in pipe shapes change you can likely sell it again for what you paid for it.

If you want best smoking for least money and less risk of a poor smoker then get one of the bigger cobs. Just be sure it is a Missouri Meerschaum. They are the only good cobs out there. The rest are cheap Chinese garbage.
Get a diplomat 5th avenue

or a country gent model

and start honing your technique.

There are some really nice artisan pipes for around $250 and after that you are just paying for art.

Neerup makes some nice pokers that won't break the bank.

 

[chispa]

Rad Davis, an artisan.

 

[austinxpipe]

I struggled with that question myself. Perhaps not so much regarding why a pipe would be $30 v. $200, but why someone would pay $1500 for one. And now that I know the answer it's not so easy to describe, at least in writing. I found the answer when I won my Von Erck at an auction (A carver who's pretty renowed and makes pipes that are usually about $500 and up). Everything about a masterfully crafted pipe is better in almost any aspect you could imagine. I just can't describe it. When you put one in your hand you'll know.

 

[easterntraveler]

For me it is the experience. I can get a cheap bottle of whiskey and get drunk for $10 or I can get a more expensive bottle and get just as drunk. However my intention is to enjoy the time I am taking to sip a nice glass of scotch. Getting drunk is just a bonus. Better briar smokes smoother and gives the tobacco a little more flavor. Now there is a line when you are buying an expensive pipe for no other reason than you can. However yet again that person will enjoy themselves a little more knowing they can afford it.
Also it may not matter. Some people just do not care. A friend of mine enjoys scotch however will never spend more than $20 because he just does not care. Comes down to personal allure.
I saw a study that had people drink a "cheap" bottle of wine but told them it was expensive and they thought it was by far better than the the expensive stuff.

 

[igloo]

If you like high end pipes and art buy them .If you want to save your money most pipes above the 100 dollar range smoke just fine . As a bonus you can change the oil in car and mow the lawn with a 100 dollar pipe without worries .

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

you mentioned you wanted to "hold your pipe" not pinch it. And since you're looking for something affordable, I'd look at the Nording Signature Freehand pipes. They are from 70 to 80 bucks, and quite large and feel good in the hand. I'm not a pipe expert or anything like that, but I absolutely love mine.

 

[peckinpahhombre]

I detest expensive pipes. I never spend more than $20 on a pipe.

 

[tbradsim1]

My Toyota Tundra gets 100 miles to the gallon. The old Cajun

 

[philobeddoe]

?????

 

[peckinpahhombre]

I read Bradley's post as a backdoor way of calling me a bullshitter. LOL

 

[petergunn]

I never want to pay any more than I have to for a good smoke and so far I've not found a dealer that would let me try a pipe before I buy so all I have to go on is brand reputation and to some extent that includes price to make my decisions. I don't play in the big-boy sandbox(1k)but I've found that new pipes that are in the $100-300. range have been good to me so far. The other thing I've learned is life is too short for crappy smoking pipes.

 

[cigrmaster]

The other thing I've learned is life is too short for crappy smoking pipes.

Peter, that sums up my philosophy quite well.

 

[phoenix]

Welcome! I'm new to the forum too, but have been smoking a pipe for 30 years, since I was 16. The old addage, "You get what you pay for" roughly applies. I have cheap pipes and some very expensive freehands. Here is an example of the differences within the same company, Some years ago, when I was living in England, I bought 2 Parker pipes (Dunhill seconds). One of them is one of the best smoking pipes I own, while the other one seems to let moisture build up in the bottom and works its way up the stem and into my mouth. Needless to say, I don't smoke that one very often. You can get really good pipes at a decent price from Stanwell, Savinelli and a few others. A really good pipe is Ser Jacopo. They cost a bit more, but they are excellently hand crafted and the ones with the silver mount have a classy appearance. I recently picked up a Chieftains pipe for 95 Euros. It looked cool, so I bought it. It smokes really well. I would suggest a non-filter pipe. IMHO, filter pipes are harder to clean and the filter traps the moisture and can taint the taste, but this is all a matter of personal preference, like most things pipe related. I am partial to the flavored tobaccos, but you want to avoid the ones that are wet. They can goop up the pipe. I have noticed that most veteran pipe smokers go for the English blends because of the burning qualities and the tobacco tends to be of higher quality, although this is not always the case. Captain Black, which some people may balk at, is a nice smelling and relatively easy tobacco to smoke.
As for which pipe to get, start off with something that has a good standing in the pipe community, but is reasonably priced. Once you get into it, you may want to save up and buy an expensive freehand, but this is again personal taste. There are some pipe smokers who smoke nothing other than corn-cob pipes. Again, it's down to personal taste and how much you can afford. Good luck. :puffpipe: