A Rumination on how Tiny Flaws Depreciate a Good Pipe

[hauntedmyst]

Nah, one should always know one's mind and be comfortable with one's preferences. I commend you for that. For me, for whatever reason, a narrow road was one that never allowed me to feel unconstrained. One of my favorite pipes, a Sasieni 738 second, is loaded with fills. I've had it for years and it smokes better than any other pipe in the rack. I have had to have it repaired with a nickel band, but you know what - it is a war hero if there ever was one in terms of showing no quarter to tobacco.

I get that. I have this McCrainies I got as part of a deal. I'm not a panel fan but it smokes great so I've owned it for 20 years and don't see myself getting rid of it.

 

[Briar Lee]

@Briar Lee , I'm beginning to think that you just might know the whereabouts of some Yocum silver dollars hidden about.

If'n you does, I'd say you are one mighty fine knowledgable person, gender specific not withstanding. That said, I'm thinking that them there Lee Pipes might be the hidden mine, if'n you know'in what I'm get'n at.

Right, still ain't no excuse for some of these bald nobbers round these parts of the this here forum to be think'n that you jus a be ruminat'in for no p'ticular reason when we alls knows that you have some mighty fine smokes in them there cherry lane blends.

Now don't mind me, I'm just enjoy'in the ride down the White River round Tanycoma try'n to hook me some brownies.

Honestly, about twenty years ago a man came to my office and claimed to own the original dies, to the Yokum silver dollar. He said he was metal detecting in a stream one day in the Ozarks, somewhere off around Branson, and the Good Lord told him to look a certain place, and lo and behold he found those dies.

He had a girlfriend with him, that was hanging on his every word.

Now he claimed that silver was a bit high, to make those silver dollars, so he cast a limited number from wheel weights.

For only $20 each, I bought five and he tossed in an extra.

I passed them out to friends and family, and still have one or two somewhere.

I always have wondered if that fellow got on Jim Baker’s new show down at Branson.

His girlfriend left that man, bye and bye, but he had her hooked that day, he surely did.

They were dressed up like old time hillbillies going around peddling $20 counterfeit lead Yokum dollars, but made from the original dies, of course.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Lead dollars and wooden nickels. Worth more than face value by a huge margin.

 

[sablebrush52]

@cosmicfolklore , Ef Ah had mah druthers, Ad'd druther see youz all natcherly bash yore haid o'ver with'n ya pipe. Amoosin' but confoosin it is, o'big sloppy beast of a red-blooded American boy, ya is. Ah has spoken! As any food kin plainly see, ah sees that it'za time for alls us good folks to rightly 'preciate the value of a good well made pipe, even if it'z n'xpensive. There'zn youz 'half it.

From your good friend in Dogpatch, USA.

I tried using Google translate but all it did was make screaming noises and then smoke started rising from my workstation.

 

[telescopes]

Honestly, about twenty years ago a man came to my office and claimed to own the original dies, to the Yokum silver dollar. He said he was metal detecting in a stream one day in the Ozarks, somewhere off around Branson, and the Good Lord told him to look a certain place, and lo and behold he found those dies.

He had a girlfriend with him, that was hanging on his every word.

Now he claimed that silver was a bit high, to make those silver dollars, so he cast a limited number from wheel weights.

For only $20 each, I bought five and he tossed in an extra.

I passed them out to friends and family, and still have one or two somewhere.

I always have wondered if that fellow got on Jim Baker’s new show down at Branson.

His girlfriend left that man, bye and bye, but he had her hooked that day, he surely did.

They were dressed up like old time hillbillies going around peddling $20 counterfeit lead Yokum dollars, but made from the original dies, of course.

My dad lives down the road on H from a couple of Yokums. He said L’il Abner was partially based on the Yokum family and from what I’ve seen, I tend to agree. The Yokum Silver dollar is of course stuff of legends in that part of the world and if indeed someone had found the dyes, the value of the dyes themselves would far eclipse any silver they might form. I like to imagine that if that Indian silver mine exists at all it is buried under the waters of table rock lake.

 

[lawdawg]

Cobs are still objectively the best smoking pipes ever made.

If you want to win, stop throwing your money away.

I love cobs for certain blends. It's hard to find a better pipe than a cob for a burley blend or an aromatic. Beyond that, I don't think we can say they are objectively superior to briar, meerschaum, morta, or any other pipe material. They are certainly objectively more absorbent than briar, but I don't think they can outright win in any other characteristic comparison except cost.

Er, that's subjectively, and in either case, I disagree. They may smoke all right, but they look poorly.

I wouldn't smoke a cob anywhere that I wouldn't wear my chore boots.

You might prioritize aspects other than smoking quality, sometimes I still do, but in the end you can't taste aesthetic preferences.

You hold the pipe in your hand and feel it. You look it and see the grain, stain, and other aspects of its finishing. All those things (and more) will affect your experience in smoking it.

I've got a New England Firearms single shot 20 gauge shotgun that is a great gun for carrying around the woods hunting small game. It points intuitively, it's robustly built, inexpensive, and light weight. However, there is a reason that shotgun-hunting enthusiasts are walking around with Brownings and Benellis, and it's not because they'll bag you more game than the NEF single shot - they won't, but that's besides the point.

 

[telescopes]

However, there is a reason that shotgun-hunting enthusiasts are walking around with Brownings and Benellis, and it's not because they'll bag you more game than the NEF single shot - they won't, but that's besides the point.

Yes, but that point bears discussion. I appreciate the beauty of a classic English or Italian double barrel shotgun. There is no denying its esthetics. I would gladly own one if I hunted more.

Yet, as much as I enjoy finer things, and I do, there is something that needs to be discussed. When the pursuit of finer "things" becomes its own passion and blinds the buyer to the world around them, the consumption of those finer things corrupts the buyer in ways they are often unaware.

Our world is not a place of equilibrium or any form of justice that seems fair. Suffering and harm surrounds us. I have no issues with those who would surround themselves with beauty, but I do take issue when they forget that the costs of those pursuits often is at the expense of others whose world experiences become less opportune as a result.

Balance must be a choice.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

I love cobs for certain blends. It's hard to find a better pipe than a cob for a burley blend or an aromatic. Beyond that, I don't think we can say they are objectively superior to briar, meerschaum, morta, or any other pipe material. They are certainly objectively more absorbent than briar, but I don't think they can outright win in any other characteristic comparison except cost.

There's a bit of mental gymnastics going on here, Cobs are objectively superior in design, as explained in my second post which you clipped out of context.

I wouldn't smoke a cob anywhere that I wouldn't wear my chore boots.



You hold the pipe in your hand and feel it. You look it and see the grain, stain, and other aspects of its finishing. All those things (and more) will affect your experience in smoking it.

I've got a New England Firearms single shot 20 gauge shotgun that is a great gun for carrying around the woods hunting small game. It points intuitively, it's robustly built, inexpensive, and light weight. However, there is a reason that shotgun-hunting enthusiasts are walking around with Brownings and Benellis, and it's not because they'll bag you more game than the NEF single shot - they won't, but that's besides the point.

And the second half we all agree on, this point was redundant.
People buy Briars to fulfill egotistical desires, not to improve the function of smoking tobacco.
Placebo can be strong so there's no denying perception can equal reality in some circumstances, but if you know the objective standards then Cobs are wholly superior.

Now that you've been enlightened you should enjoy smoking Cobs more than Briars.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Are you set on keeping this going ad naseum? Or until it becomes amusing or quaint? Or are you bored and just want to be contentious? Or something else?

 

[Chasing Embers]

I tried using Google translate but all it did was make screaming noises and then smoke started rising from my workstation.

Use farmersonly.com's translator.

 

[lawdawg]

There's a bit of mental gymnastics going on here,

Pot, meet kettle I'm somewhat surprised at your response , especially considering that I really like cobs. I'm even smoking one in my profile pic.

Cobs are objectively superior in design, as explained in my second post which you clipped out of context.


And the second half we all agree on, this point was redundant.
People buy Briars to fulfill egotistical desires, not to improve the function of smoking tobacco.
Placebo can be strong so there's no denying perception can equal reality in some circumstances, but if you know the objective standards then Cobs are wholly superior.

Now that you've been enlightened you should enjoy smoking Cobs more than Briars.

My briars are almost all seconds or basket pipes (and nearly all estate pipes). I certainly did not get them to flatter myself. I have them because they improve the smoking experience for the blends I smoke in them. There are blends I like in briar, but not in a cob. The reverse is true as well. Lots of people who like different pipe materials feel the same.

That aside, my comparison of higher-end pipes to shotguns is that a lot of enthusiast hunters get more personal enjoyment out of handling a better-made gun rather than one that is purely functional because it improves their subjective experience. They don't do it to show off or build themselves up. They do it for the tactile sensation. Some guns are functional tools. Others are also a functional tool, and are also a pleasure to use.

Likewise, smoking is ultimately a sensory experience, and other improved sensations, like the finishing of the pipe, the feel of the button, the overall look of the pipe, and so on can improve the experience. I do have some pipes that are nicer than others, and I can see the perks of the "nicer" pipes when I smoke them.

No handcrafted stem can match the quality of design in the airway of the injection molded 80 cent Missouri Meerschaum plastic stem.
We can scientifically measure aerodynamics, just because no-one has ever compared stems in a wind tunnel doesn't mean we can't figure out which is best just looking at the design principles.
And after your pipe is caked the bowl material is irrelevant to the smoking experience.

Sometimes technology makes the cheapest option the best option.

You might prioritize aspects other than smoking quality, sometimes I still do, but in the end you can't taste aesthetic preferences.

I think this is your second post referred to above. So you like big open draws. I like wide draws too, but I know there are some who prefer a narrower draw. It's just a matter of preference. More airflow does not equate to objectively better smoking.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

Pot, meet kettle I'm somewhat surprised at your response , especially considering that I really like cobs. I'm even smoking one in my profile pic.



My briars are almost all seconds or basket pipes (and nearly all estate pipes). I certainly did not get them to flatter myself. I have them because they improve the smoking experience for the blends I smoke in them. There are blends I like in briar, but not in a cob. The reverse is true as well. Lots of people who like different pipe materials feel the same.

That aside, my comparison of higher-end pipes to shotguns is that a lot of enthusiast hunters get more personal enjoyment out of handling a better-made gun rather than one that is purely functional because it improves their subjective experience. They don't do it to show off or build themselves up. They do it for the tactile sensation. Some guns are functional tools. Others are also a functional tool, and are also a pleasure to use.

Likewise, smoking is ultimately a sensory experience, and other improved sensations, like the finishing of the pipe, the feel of the button, the overall look of the pipe, and so on can improve the experience. I do have some pipes that are nicer than others, and I can see the perks of the "nicer" pipes when I smoke them.



I think this is your second post referred to above. So you like big open draws. I like wide draws too, but I know there are some who prefer a narrower draw. It's just a matter of preference. More airflow does not equate to objectively better smoking.

Technically you were just trying use a "Complex Question" fallacy.