A Rumination on Thinning the Herd of your Pipes

[Briar Lee]

Title- see rule 9: Important words to be captitalized!

On my sixtieth birthday, I considered that I might have too many pipes.

I tried counting them, but I have pipes in my home, office, and at my farm and in all vehicles and pipes in storage, pipes hiding everyplace.

And you can’t count corncobs. Who’d buy a used $10 new corncob?

After some agonizing deliberation I culled out about 150 good pipes I didn’t think I’d miss, started selling them on eBay with a dozen good photographs of each, and bye and bye I’d earned over three thousand dollars on my pay pal account selling pipes. I had a basket left of reject pipes that had flaws I’d feel cheated if I’d bought them, and after a bit of hesitation I threw away that bunch in the trash.

I had exactly one return, a Kaywoodie 500 Dublin the buyer claimed was a bad smoker. I tried it and sure enough I was a mediocre smoker, so I refunded him and then smoked that Kaywoodie until it’s a lot better smoker now.

Here’s my sad story.

In the last three years, I’ve “reinvested” that three thousand on more, better pipes and spent more money, 20 or 30 dollars there and again, until I think I have more pipes now than I did then.

I’m smoking a favorite Dr Grabow Golden Duke screw stem quarter bent Bulldog that survived thinning the herd, and I’m glad it did.

I’d have spent that $20 or so it would have brought for another pipe, and this one smokes as well as the best pipe I own.

The new ones, are always a gamble.

When I was a kid I dreamed of having seven good pipes, one for every day of the week. A reasonable limit might be 31 pipes, one for every day of the month.

I might have ten times that many pipes.

The question is, should we smoke the pipes we have, or cull our pipes?

My Golden Duke Bulldog loves Haddo’s Delight, but so would anyone other good pipe.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I had to stop at “too many pipes.” It was obvious that I just wasn’t going to comprehend anything else. Ha ha!!

 

[ashdigger]

I thin the herd all the time. I definitely acquire pipes, but nowhere like in the past.

If I own a pipe that doesn’t get smoked it gets liquidated.

To me, pipes are functional art, and a also disposable as needed.

It’s always interesting to hear how people cycle through their collections.

 

[burleybreath]

The question is, should we smoke the pipes we have, or cull our pipes?

Cull and be happy, or smoke a few hundred and be happy--that is, if you actually smoke them. In my case, I have too many rack queens. They never get smoked. So what's the point of having them? Display? Anyone I show them to looks askance and slowly backs away. Life is hell in this first--soon to be third--world country. It's like having a monkey on your back. Decisions, decisions, and then they expect you to act. I say cull, but I've been telling myself that for years. I do give them a light dusting every couple of months.

 

[Briar Lee]

I’m waiting on the arrival of this Lee medium billiard. It’s an unsophisticated seller, but this looks like an early three star, or maybe better Lee, with its stinger intact. Total price $25, shipped.

I own maybe ten, fifteen, or maybe more Lee three star medium billiards, from natural to that dark walnut stain like this one.

When I’m through cleaning this one up, I could take a dozen really good photos of that pipe and describe it so that another Lee pipe junkie like me would pay $25 plus shipping so fast I’d wish I’d not listed it.

They don’t eat nothing.

Don’t take up much room, either.

There’s no depreciation in value.

And my wife can’t tell one from the other.

And in spite of the doubters I can testify, that every Lee pipe is going to be an excellent smoker and all taste slightly different, or at least I’ve convinced myself of it.

Now, if that was a Kaywoodie, it would be something of a gamble if it was going to be an excellent smoker.

It probably would be, but it might become a cull waiting to be thinned out.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I've went through a few iterations of culling the herd to the point I'm really satisfied. Some of it was about upgrading to higher end pipes but it was also about upgrading the smoking quality. At this point, I have around 40 to 50 pipes I like and all smoke really nice. I have 25 or so that are good smokers and decent pipes that likely wouldn't sell for enough on eBay to make it worth the hassle of dealing with eBay, packaging and running to the post office. There's probably half a dozen that are high end I'd like to move but simply am not motivated to clean, polish, take photos, weigh, measure, list on eBay, etc..

 

[mso489]

Buying pipes can be a bad habit. It feels good in the moment -- shopping, shipping, arriving, admiring, breaking in. After twenty or thirty, it's all repetition. I've culled several times. You did extremely well investing time and energy and getting thousands back, a very rare accomplishment. I've only gotten store credit from SP, on a small lot of pipes for credit toward one I want. I've sent pipes to the then active duty service people in Afghanistan. I've given a few to a friend, a reformed Lucky Strike smoker who said he wanted them for decor. I cull carefully, and I don't miss any that have been traded, donated, or gifted. I try to refrain from buying pipes, but once or twice a year I'll find one I "can't live without," so I'll probably cull again. To the best of my recollection, I've never just thrown a pipe in the trash. I've never culled a gift pipe. I have the first five or six pipes I ever bought.

 

[jguss]

It's like having a monkey on your back.

Exactly

 

[lawdawg]

Gotta throw out those crappy artisan pipes and make way for the mass produced mid-century American pipes with stingers

 

[cigrmaster]

I recently culled my herd and it feels good. I was up to 90 something pipes and there were a bunch I wasn't smoking. I sold off over 50 and now I own nothing but American artisan pipes that all smoke great. I now have room for another 20 something pipes. My racks are a 36 count and a 15 count. I put all my round 6 carry racks down in a draw I have no intentions of going over 51 pipes. I now have the space to add nothing but great smokers like the rest of my collection. I am in no hurry and will have fun filling my racks again.

 

[didimauw]

I've been working on culling my pipes recently too. Ive been refining my collection. I am down to 9, that fill my round rack now, and my unsmoked Tinsky commission makes ten.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I threw away that bunch in the trash.

That's what happens to all of the ones I no longer find favorable.

 

[Briar Lee]

Speaking of your fabulous mid century factory smokers, selected by the long dead hand of the Lee briar wizard on one of his clandestine deals with a trusted Kaywoodie supplier,,,

This turned out to be, a late four star screw stem (you can only see ghosts of the rubbed off stars) small pot shape.

The man named Lee, if he was really Lee, had to make the stingers a thousand different little ways. This one has a unique stinger with a swell in the middle and a notch on the end.

Whatever a Flame Grain or three star cost the day this pipe was made, this one sold for 50% more, and was worth it.

The briar quality never diminished at Lee above two stars. They went from seven pointed inlaid to five pointed inlaid stars and then five pointed stamped stars with gold foil that rubs off, and finally to a push stem, but every pipe Lee made is an excellent smoker,,,,to the last one.


My youngest son just walked by and said wow that smells good.

If he and the other kids don’t want this little four star Lee, he’ll get at least $25 from somebody who does.

 

[Ahi Ka]

I enjoy the ebb and flow of refining a collection. Besides a couple of pipes I keep for sentimental reasons, or a few oddities which are made by my favourite marquee, I’m trying my best to keep my collection as close to my rotation as possible. I have rack space for 48, and then don’t mind the look of some organised clutter around them, or a few in a box awaiting restoration. I guess my number is 60

 

[telescopes]

Speaking of your fabulous mid century factory smokers, selected by the long dead hand of the Lee briar wizard on one of his clandestine deals with a trusted Kaywoodie supplier,,,

This turned out to be, a late four star screw stem (you can only see ghosts of the rubbed off stars) small pot shape.

The man named Lee, if he was really Lee, had to make the stingers a thousand different little ways. This one has a unique stinger with a swell in the middle and a notch on the end.

View attachment 97122Whatever a Flame Grain or three star cost the day this pipe was made, this one sold for 50% more, and was worth it.

The briar quality never diminished at Lee above two stars. They went from seven pointed inlaid to five pointed inlaid stars and then five pointed stamped stars with gold foil that rubs off, and finally to a push stem, but every pipe Lee made is an excellent smoker,,,,to the last one.

View attachment 97124View attachment 97125View attachment 97126View attachment 97127View attachment 97128View attachment 97129
My youngest son just walked by and said wow that smells good.

If he and the other kids don’t want this little four star Lee, he’ll get at least $25 from somebody who does.

Do you wear Stetson Hats? If you do, are you someone who pays attention to the number of Xs on the hat in terms of the amount of Beaver Felt used in making the hat?

The Xs are fairly meaningless. But, not of course, to the weight of your wallet.

 

[telescopes]

That said, I totally appreciate your devotion to this line of pipes and commend your enthusiasm for it. I salute you, sir, for bringing to our attention, this very undeserving line of deserving pipe.

 

[cigrmaster]

Lee, that is a really interesting collection. I have never heard of that line of pipes. I hope you enjoy re doing your collection. I haven't done mine since 2012-2013. I already know that I am buying a bunch of pipes from my new favorite artisan. I figure another dozen or so will be a good start.

 

[Briar Lee]

I accumulate pipes, I do not collect pipes.

A collector has some goal, purpose, and method for his collection.

The mail also brought a huge jumbo Marksman billiard that’s a setter (would be hard to keep it clenched as big as it is) that’s pristine. Total cost $35. Shown with jumbo Jack’s Pipes artisan pipe, and Dr Grabow Golden Duke bulldog for size comparison.

Will my new Jumbo Marxman be a great smoker? Probably.

But if not that’s surely $35 with of big pipe, you know?

 

[hauntedmyst]

Just sell most of them off since you undoubtedly won’t miss them. At the end of the day, they are just things. I’m no less happy with 20 pipes than I was with 50. I think collections become more of a burden than a blessing. They are fun to build but as time moves on it’s just a bunch of mostly unused crap in boxes that if sold off would free up space, pay down bills, fund the thrill of the hunt for new ones or feed the many starving children across the planet.

 

[warren]

The Xs are fairly meaningless

X's have meaning for some manufactures. They do have meaning under the Stetson label. I'm only concerned with percentages. My hat's. both of them, 100% beaver. That's how this particular maker grades, percent of rabbit felt and percent of beaver. Rabbits look crappy when in the rain. Beavers look sleek so, only beaver for my hats when I order a new one. They last thirty years, easy. I'll probably not have to order another. I've had this particular maker build five hats for me over years.

A decent Stetson well cost well over a thousand bucks. I've never spent more than $800.00 for a 100% beaver. My hats take a beating, as do my pipes.

Back to the OP, I toss pipes as I find replacements. I haven't found a pipe which caught my eye in five years now. I've got to get out more. Only infrequently will I have more than two dozen, not counting the cobs of course. Cobs of for bad weather, rough out of doors work and fishing.