A Good Five Dollar Pipe Tool

[Briar Lee]

For maybe twenty years now I’ve been buying and losing this five dollar red handled pipe tool.

I just bought four more for twenty bucks, and waited a month for them to arrive from China.

The makers have actually improved these tools and lowered the price over the two decades I’ve used them. Instead of actual rosewood they are laminates, but the springs are better, the heads never fall off, and the pick and scoop/scraper blades are beefier.

These are a bit classier than the ordinary Czech tool that I also buy and lose.

They have a set of hidden legs that causes them to walk off.

But those who haven’t discovered how good these are, if you can spare five bucks you can see for yourself.

 

[Snook]

I had several just like this and loved the heft of them, but they were all in the shape of a pipe, which was a little too kitschy for my tastes. I really like the style that you have, though!

 

[El Capitán]

I have one that is really loose. I have no idea how to fix it. I'm cheap and rather fix than buy.

 

[Bbailey324]

That looks familiar. I find the scraper to be useful for preventing too much cake build up in pipes. The hinge does tend to loosen up over time but can be squeezed to tighten up with a pair of pliers or a vise.

 

[Briar Lee]

I have one that is really loose. I have no idea how to fix it. I'm cheap and rather fix than buy.

The $5 Redwood tool is made like a pocket knife, and of stainless steel.

The makers have greatly improved the spring and the heft of the two “blades” and how the head is joined to the body in recent years, about the time they switched from redwood to a laminated wood.

Somehow they’ve rounded all the sharp edges down on newer production, a blessing for pocket linings.

There’s a factory over in China just raining five dollar pipe tools at the end of an automated line. The price markup must be enormous.

The fix is five more dollars.

You’ll lose the new ones before they bust.

 

[El Capitán]

The $5 Redwood tool is made like a pocket knife, and of stainless steel.

The makers have greatly improved the spring and the heft of the two “blades” and how the head is joined to the body in recent years, about the time they switched from redwood to a laminated wood.

Somehow they’ve rounded all the sharp edges down on newer production, a blessing for pocket linings.

There’s a factory over in China just raining five dollar pipe tools at the end of an automated line. The price markup must be enormous.

The fix is five more dollars.

You’ll lose the new ones before they bust.

Give me a link then in a message.

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

I have basically the same tool, only mine is the one shaped like a pipe. It's solid and does the job. The weight of the tool is great for tamping as I just let the weight of the tool tamp the tobacco down.

 

[Briar Lee]

I have basically the same tool, only mine is the one shaped like a pipe. It's solid and does the job. The weight of the tool is great for tamping as I just let the weight of the tool tamp the tobacco down.

They still sell the one shaped like a pipe for three times or more the money.

The reason is they probably sell ten times more of the classic shape.

I couldn’t ship one to China for five dollars, much less make and sell one for that.

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

They still sell the one shaped like a pipe for three times or more the money.

The reason is they probably sell ten times more of the classic shape.

I couldn’t ship one to China for five dollars, much less make and sell one for that.

I got mine for like $10, but I've seen them a lot higher.

 

[Bbailey324]

I think I paid 8 or 9$ on Amazon for mine.

 

[tobakenist]

I have a few of them, advertised in the UK as Rosewood sides, I have so many tools from smoking a pipe for over 55 years, some of my tools are over 100 years old, gifted to me or found in junk shops.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I just posted a photo of one of mine a day ago, in another thread. Keep one in the car, and one with my active tobaccos. Also have a few stainless straight ones, and a couple shaped like a pipe. In order of my preference. On the gold course, a wooden tee is all I need, but there's one in the bag just in case.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

I know you are trying to figure out how to make this work!

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

I got one of these off Etsy three years ago - not cheap but haven’t lost it.

 

[Briar Lee]

Let’s review the options

1. Index finger

2. Harry Hosterman carved a stick

3. Small pocket knife

4. Golf tee

5. Pipe nail

6. Czech tool

At the level of the $5 rosewood tamper we enter real, fancy, honest to God pipe tools.

At $27 there’s this really cool pocketknife.

 

[Lees65GTO]

For maybe twenty years now I’ve been buying and losing this five dollar red handled pipe tool.

I just bought four more for twenty bucks, and waited a month for them to arrive from China.

The makers have actually improved these tools and lowered the price over the two decades I’ve used them. Instead of actual rosewood they are laminates, but the springs are better, the heads never fall off, and the pick and scoop/scraper blades are beefier.

These are a bit classier than the ordinary Czech tool that I also buy and lose.

They have a set of hidden legs that causes them to walk off.

But those who haven’t discovered how good these are, if you can spare five bucks you can see for yourself.



View attachment 277741
View attachment 277742
View attachment 277743

Nice!

 

[OzPiper]

There’s a factory over in China just raining five dollar pipe tools at the end of an automated line.

I’m more than happy with my Czech tool.
Just not the Chinese knock-off

Off topic: my sister buys Chinese quartz watches for $10 each, several at a go
She reckons it’s cheaper to replace the whole watch when the battery runs out than shelling for a replacement battery

How they do dat ?

 

[jpmcwjr]

I know you are trying to figure out how to make this work!

View attachment 277968

Is that a prototype reamer??

 

[Zamora]

I still use the same $3 dollar Czech tool I got for free with my first pipe, though I do also have another tamper.

 

[bullet08]

I know you are trying to figure out how to make this work!

View attachment 277968

They had to knap a rock to make a hammer? I don't know if that's using one's head.