Add Year to All Pipe Stamps

[mso489]

I think it's about time for my annual plea for adding the year of completion of crafting or manufacturing a pipe to the stamps on pipes. This would correctly identify the year for each pipe, and allow people to buy birth years pipes of many brands in the future, and also expand this to buying retirement-year, a child's birth year, an anniversary year, etc. The pipe maker Luciano did this on their pipes, and I thought it was most enlightened of them. Crafts people could etch the date on their pipes, as does my go-to N.C. carver Jerry Perry. It's an enhancement of pipe identification and lore, and isn't much of an investment. My congrats to those who have already followed this worthy path. Luciano and Jerry Perry did this before I ever talked about it, so all credit to them.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I think the problem with putting dates on any crafts made for retail is that after the first year, they would be come impossible to sale at all. Last year's style, no one else wanted it for a whole year, what's wrong with it? If they were all stamped with 2016, then in 2017, people would look at it and wonder why it hasn't sold, or else open up the opportunity for jackasses to start haggling. Same with factory pipes. Everyone would see a Savinelli Bing, made in 2008, and demand estate prices on a brand new pipe. Nope, nope, we will never see this. Dunhill could afford the mistake, as they charged the price of a dozen pipes for one single one, so if they had to toss a box of them in the garbage, no problem.

 

[mso489]

Interesting, Cosmic. For some reason, with pipes, I didn't think this would be an issue. But I can see it might. When I was buying Lucianos, I never once thought of it. If they'd sent me a three- or six-year-old stamped pipe, unsmoked and in new condition, it never would have crossed my mind. More age on the briar, so good. But I take your point. And it's too bad. I must have six or eight pipes by Jerry Perry, and all were bought in the year etched on the stem, but again, I wouldn't have reacted if a pipe had been a year or two old. Jerry sells twice a year, once at the State Fair in October, and again at the TAPS show in April, so I think he may somewhat sell out of that year's production. On the other hand, Peterson's St. Patrick's Day and Christmas pipes seem to hold their value sold two or three or more years out. I guess I am supposing, somewhat naively, that if this became a standard in pipe culture, people would accept it, and maybe even consider it a plus to buy an aged pipe, like wine. But alas, that may be pretty dreamy headed. I still think, if taken at face value on the pipes, it could be a good thing. I certainly appreciate it when it is done. So I won't retract my annual plea. Maybe others have ideas pro and con.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Some guys in this area look for any excuse to start driving down the price. I see them at The Briary. It's excruciating. You'd think there would be more honorable people in the pipe smoking hobby, but some guys have the perpetual goal of cutting the legs out from under everyone they come in contact with.

 

[mso489]

Cosmic, I don't like to talk about it much, but I don't understand how the prices on pipes are as good as they are. I shop hard and have a manic Scottish thrift, but I just don't haggle. I've gotten astonishing deals, and some gifts, right out of the blue, several of my most up-market pipes too.