$50 Pipe vs. $1000 Pipe

[zakyj]

Hey everyone, my name is Zach. I am pretty much a complete newbie with smoking a pipe, I smoked cigarettes for years and then gave it up for the new electronic cigarettes which works awesome by the way. But I always enjoyed kicking back with a good pint of beer and smoking a cigar. Anyways, I recently picked up a briar pipe and some "flavored" tobacco to enjoy while brewing a new batch of beer. the flavored stuff really kind of sucked but i still enjoyed it much more than smoking a cigarette or cigar. I'm now smoking Erinmore Flake that was recommended to me by an actual tobacconist which seems to me smokes a lot better than the "black cherry" that I originally picked up. The pipe I got is a typical bent briar that I paid 45 bucks for.
And now that i've been reading up alot more on this new hobby of mine. I've come to see alot of pipes that look very similar ranging from 50 bucks all the way up to 1000 bucks. Whats the deal with that? I want to pick up another pipe soon because the one I have now just feels awkward for me for some reason. It smokes good, but I want to feel like i'm holding my pipe, not "pinching" it. If you understand what I mean.
My main question is, why such a large price range for similar style pipes? I want to get a nice looking Poker pipe with a sandblasted finish. Is there anything in particular I should be looking for to make sure i get the best bang for my buck? I'm not trying to go cheap with it but neither do i want to spend a small fortune on it either.
Anyways, any input would be great and thanks for reading.

 

[rotschefeller]

I'm no expert, I've never smoked a pipe that expensive, but from what I hear there is usually relatively little difference in terms of smokability. Expensive pipes probably have some kind of other value, maybe it has some gold rings or maybe it's handmade by someone prestigious, maybe it's an older make that is no longer in production.
I have a 50€ pipe that smokes just as well as any 200€ pipe I've tried, as nice as they were. I can't confirm that there's nothing remarkable about 1,000$ pipes, though

 

[judcole]

I am sure some of the other fellas can do a better job than I can, but here goes.

That expensive pipe you see is probably completely hand-made, by a carver whose work is very well-known and very highly regarded. He has carefully chosen briar, with beautiful grain, and may well have hand-made the stem. It is probably a unique piece.

The $50 pipe will probably have decent workmanship, but there is nothing unique about it. There can be hundreds of pipes just like it, made by the same company.
If you want a sand-blasted poker, you can probably do very well with a Savinelli or Stanwell or Peterson. If you have a knowledgeable shop owner, talk to him. He can be a big help.

Welcome to the forum and the hobby.

 

[bigmick]

To me pipes are like cars. A used Honda can take you the same places a new Corvette will. A $75 pipe can smoke as well as a $5,000 pipe will. You just pay more for more refined engineering and appearance. A '88 Ford will mostly get you to work, but it takes knowledge and luck to get a good one. Much like basket pipes. Some of them are great, but being new to pipes you don't know, yet, what to look for to increase your odds of finding one. I say spend $50-100 on a good brand pipe while learning how to smoke it and what to look for in your next pipe.

 

[topd]

Welcome to the forum zakyj, you'll learn a lot here....

 

[wnghanglow]

I would say 50 is a good marker of when a pipe should be good. Of course there are 1000 dollar duds and 5 dollar great smokers. *for a great cheap pipe look up missuri meerschaum* a couple of things to look for in a good pipe. If your in a B&M shop, " brick and mortar, real shop" try to pass a pipe cleaner through the pipe, of it goes through smoothly then the pipe is drilled well. The lighter the pipe is the more porus it is and the more moistur it will take out of the smoke, so light doesn't mean cheap, it means good. There are several several more things to look at but if it passes those two tests it should be at least a good smoker or better. The rest is finding a pipe you like tw look of, they mostly smoke the same. " of course shorter smokes a bit hotter, longer cooler"

 

[jah76]

Welcome Zakyj!
I think Jud's pretty spot on as well as these other fellows.
Honestly if your looking for a lower end price range NEW pipe, I'd recommend a Savinelli.
Estates are another way to go and sometimes get double the pipe for your money. Smoking Pipes, MKELAW, and The Pipe Parlor (all sponsors on the left), all have reasonable estates and good reputations. I'll add to that that Viking Club Pipes and Pulver's Briar who aren't sponsors.
You'll get tons of sometimes conflicting advice here. That's the best kind IMO. Let us know how your journey goes!

 

[cigrmaster]

zakyj, welcome to the site. First of all you do not need to spend 1000.00 to get a fantastic smoking pipe, you can get top of the line smokers for 200-300 on the estate market. There is a huge difference in the smoking properties of a 50.00 pipe and a 250.00 artisan made estate. Yes the 50.00 will smoke tobacco, but you will not get the same experience that an artisan pipe will provide. An artisan will pay 50.00 plus for a block of briar that has been aged and cured properly, a 50.00 pipe will come from a 5 dollar block of briar that is no where near as good as the 50.00 plus block. A hand made stem that has been designed by a top artisan will smoke completely different than a factory made one, the stem matters. You can get pretty good smoking new factory pipes for 65-150.00 but they do not smoke as good as estate artisan pipes by certain carvers in the 200-300.00 range.
If you are going to get into this hobby, I would suggest spending a few bucks say 125.00 or so on a quality estate Upshall from a good on line estate dealer. Upshall is in my opinion one of the best values on the estate market today and you will then have a quality pipe that you can use to judge others. Their stem design is very good and they use quality briar, Barry Jones is a master carver and has been doing it a long time. If you want to spend more then I would recommend looking for an estate Rad Davis pipe( 200-250.00 for estates) because those smoke as good as any 1000.00 pipes I have smoked, and I have smoked my share of them.
You are also going to want to learn what shape pipes you like, what size pipes, what weight, are you a clencher or holder. Some pipes are better suited for different types of tobacco. Your Erinmore flake is one that I think should be smoked in nothing larger than a group 5. A Dublin, Billiard, Apple or Lovat are some of my favorite shapes for flakes. I also have a Cherrywood that is similar to a poker that smokes flakes great. There is a lot to learn and the journey into finding what you like takes time. Pipe smoking is unlike any other type as I have smoked everything from cigs to cigars and pipes. Pipes have a large learning curve which will require patience on your part, but the rewards are well worth it in my opinion.

 

[bigvan]

Harris is absolutely right. I know a lot of guys will swear that "you can't go wrong with a (insert name of cheap pipe here)", but as with most things in life, good isn't usually cheap and cheap isn't usually good.

 

[kashmir]

My herd of 60 pipes range from estate Stanwells and Peterson's picked up for under a hundred to $600+ commissioned custom artisan pipes. Without exception each of the pipes are outstanding smokers. Pipes that didn't perform were sold off. After doing this for 30+ yrs., I would say price paid for a pipe has little to do with its smoking qualities, and much more to do with aesthetics, history, rarity and the psychological benefits these accrue. As a newbie, I would recommend you purchase a nice new Stanwell or Peterson, for under a hundred, break it in slowly to make it yours, and take it from there.

 

[numbersix]

I think cigrmaster explains it very well.
Of course there have been people who've spent $600 on a pipe and were disappointed, but generally speaking there's a noticable difference in the smoking qualities between a $600 Dunhill or artisan pipe and a $50-100 pipe.
However, generally speaking you will get a fine pipe and excellent value with a $75-125 Savinelli, Stanwell.

 

[puffy]

Welcome to the forum..My first suggestion would be don't over spend your budget.Keep in mind that nasty tobacco won't smoke good in any pipe.As far as pipes go I feel that a few good pipes will give you a better smoking experience than a lot of not so good ones.You can pick up some pretty good smokers starting at around $75.From there you can go as high as you please.Personally I don't see a need to go over around three or four hundred dollars.I probably would though if I had a lot more money than I do.

 

[zonomo]

Roth - this one's for you. Welcome to the addiction Zak.

 

[withnail]

It's certainly a case of ever diminishing returns. As others have said, most pipes in the $100 range will offer an excellent smoke. But a $1000 pipe is very unlikely to be 10 times better than a $100 pipe.
Apart from the build quality, which will effect the way it smokes, there is the quality of the material. As long as it is free from faults, an "ugly" bit of briar will make just a good a pipe as the finest straight grain. But straight grain briar is rather rare and so commands a higher price. Add to that an established maker with a first class reputation and some fancy adornments (Dunhill make a pipe with a Woolly mammoth tusk section) and the price goes up and up.
It's up to the individual to decide what represents value for money and what they can afford to spend on a hobby. You can enjoy an excellent smoke from a Corn Cob for a few Dollars or become a collector of top of the range exclusive pipes.

 

[allan]

Welcome to the forum.
Adding to the excellent advice given I would add that because you are new to this hobby, start slow. I have purchased some pipes based on preconceived notions that turned out not to be correct, at least for me.
My suggestion as that you study this forum very closely and look at old posts that have concerned pipe selection. Many members here have collected hundreds upon hundreds of pipes and have given their opinions willingly on the forum.
Good luck!

Allan

 

[alexl]

You can buy Suzuki or you can buy BMW. Both will bring you home, but there is a difference.

 

[mso489]

If you are just starting to smoke pipes, I would suggest that you plan to get enough so you can

rotate them and let them rest (dry out) between smokes. Depending on how often you smoke, this

might be four or five pipes. For this basic set, I think new pipes are a good idea, and I'd say don't

spend over $80 or $100, and you could keep it $40 to $65 if you shop carefully. Buying these pipes

over a year or two (I'm visualizing you are looking at a lot of pipes and learning a lot in the process --

shapes, materials, sizes, size and configuration of bowls, on and on.) Once you have a good reliable

rotation of pipes, you can make a judgement about buying at a higher level, which can be $130 up to

thousands, depending on your financial situation and how long you want to save between purchases.

Meantime, you'll have plenty of pipes to try different tobaccos, educate your palate, and learn more.

Above a couple hundred dollars, you are buying artistry, better and even rare materials, highly

developed craftsmanship, and bragging rights. Don't buy a pipe as an investment; it is an expense

and won't bring much or any return. What others have said above is excellent, but I offer my two

cents for what it's worth.

 

[yadan]

Hi, and welcome to the forum!

Another angle you might want to consider after having smoked a few briars and cobs is the metal-framed pipe, such as the Falcon (the only one still in actual production).

This kind of pipe is not everyone's cup of tea, since there are those who just don't like their looks (I happen to love their uniqueness and 'modernity')or their feel, while others reject them outright or simply ignore them out of snobbery or misconception. Nearly all of them have briar bowls and a metal (usually aluminum)frame designed to separate moisture and tars and provide a cool, dry smoke.

I have NEVER heard anyone say that 'metals' don't smoke well - in fact, I have often heard how traditional briarists are surprised and even 'blown away' by their pleasurable smoking qualities.

Falcons, for one, are very affordable, widely available, extremely sturdy and easy and fun to maintain.You can also purchase extra screw-on briar bowls which, for rotation purposes, is like buying complete extra pipes but only for the price of the bowls.

IMO, something really worthwhile to consider!

 

[lordofthepiperings]

Usually when pipes crack into the $1,000 range it's because of the things mentioned. Hand crafted by a single person, high quality briar with no fills and wonderful grain, possible gold or silver work, and a limited number of them made.
As far as how well they smoke as compared to the $50 pipes I can't say because I don't have a pipe that I spent $1,000 on. I can say though that my pipes that are around $100-$200 do smoke noticeably better than muy $50-$80 pipes.
My suggestion to beginners is get a few cobs and then check around on sites for estate pipes. Keep an eye out for Savinelli, Peterson, and Stanwell as they're proven good name manufacturers. That way you increase your rotation with quality briar more affordably.

 

[numbersix]

FWIW, I thought I might add that my $35 "basket" pipe smokes really well, just as well as my $100 pipes, so like kasmir says, price doesn't always denote quality of smoke. However, I can say that my Dunhill (paid $157 on ebay, but it's valued at over $600 new) is superior to all of my pipes.
I wouldn't necessarily say it's twice as good as my best $150 pipe, but very close (and it's not just wanting it to be better or my imagination, it is noticably better). So IMHO, often there is a big difference and if you have deep enough pockets, worth the extra dough.