Anyone Have A Good / Great Experience with an AliExpress Pipe?

[mikethompson]

Cheap Chinese pipes are almost universally derided as being far more inferior than the cheapest briars from known makers. Sometimes we will get new members here who are just starting with the pipe, and when they mention that they bought a cheap Chinese pipe from eBay or aliexpress, they are immediately told to get a real briar pipe or a cob.

I don't have one, and don't really plan on getting one, but has anyone ever bought one and it turned out to be halfway decent?

 

[ssjones]

Unfortunately lord only knows what materials they are using (guessing a very plasticky stem). I personally wouldn't risk such a purchase. I have purchased from AliExpress before, they sell knock-off everythings. Shipping takes about a month.

 

[greeneyes]

What you're asking is a complicated question. The diversity of economy Chinese pipes on the market is large. I've read several good experiences from people about Road Town and others from their mysterious source. The Haojie and Futeng pipes look unsmokable. The curved horn pipes with metal insert bowl look to me like they're really just cigarette holders. If you search the archives here I reckon more than a few examples will pop up.

 

[mawnansmiff]

Mike, I would seriously doubt they are made from briar. Plus as Al pointed out, the stems are most likely some nasty plastic material that once heated could well give of noxious fumes.

Chinese products are world known for their cheapness of quality and their disregard for health and safety regulations. There are few exceptions (I have a superb Chinese made biological microscope) but on the whole they are cheap for a reason.

Regards,

Jay.?

 

[mikethompson]

I personally wouldn't risk such a purchase.

Neither would I

What you're asking is a complicated question. The diversity of economy Chinese pipes on the market is large.

There was a video floating around a while ago from a pipe carver in China and his work was amazing. But I am asking specifically about the cheap pipes like the one I pictured. They should be bad, they have to be bad, but I wonder if anyone has bought one and it turned out it was fairly decent.

Mike, I would seriously doubt they are made from briar

oh, I would assume they aren't despite what they are labelled.

 

[Tommy Boy]

Plus the 4oz lead based stems are a little heavy for clenching but soft on the teeth. Everything has a trade off i guess.

 

[mso489]

I know some of the Chinese artisans are talented and use proper materials. For more than a decade, the Chinese have exported excellent stainless steel kitchen utensils and cookware to the U.S. at far below U.S.-made prices. That's an issue, but that's not the subject here. When it comes to pipes, the factory made export cheapie, I wouldn't risk it. There may be some factory pipes made in China that are quite good, but the exports I would suspect of being made in the cheapest way with no regard to the safety of materials -- plastic stem material, bowl material (unlikely to be briar), and maybe especially finish. You can get a good Dr. Grabow, made in the U.S., for about $35, or $40 with an acrylic stem, and half that or less for an estate. Start there.

 

[kg.legat0]

Not totally related, but I got a Chinese-made Roadtown pipe off of eBay that is a great smoker and is made of good materials. There are a number of positive reviews of them around ...I don't smoke mine super often but it's not because of the quality ...I think I paid like $19 with shipping and everything.

 

[mso489]

There are various inexpensive beechwood and pear pipes made elsewhere that I might trust before Chinese pipes. I don't think it is prejudicial to say that various Chinese products have been seriously problematic in terms of safety and toxins. The skepticism is earned. And believe me, I own plenty of Chinese products and admittedly most are well made.

 

[mikethompson]

And believe me, I own plenty of Chinese products and admittedly most are well made.

the bulk of items in anyone's house is probably made in China at this point. The variation of what is made there is staggering.

Anyone care to buy one of these pipes and test it out?

 

[tomatamot]

There are various inexpensive beechwood and pear pipes made elsewhere that I might trust before Chinese pipes. I don't think it is prejudicial to say that various Chinese products have been seriously problematic in terms of safety and toxins. The skepticism is earned. And believe me, I own plenty of Chinese products and admittedly most are well made.

All what I want to say is that I own a bunch of very fine Chinese smoking pipes. Bought about 4 years ago. Gave a few to a friend and he still enjoys these pipes.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I was under the impression that China had some very talented pipemakers. But, I am guessing that if it is from AliExpress, then it is not the same things. But, maybe grouping all of the cheap crappy pipes under the term "Chinese Pipes," is not being fair to the Chinese pipemakers that have been learning from some of the Danish masters.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Not to belabor my point, but to just add examples... Category:China - Pipedia - https://pipedia.org/wiki/Category:China

 

[davek]

As has been said, there is great variability in products from China. There is great variability in products from Ali Express. I've gotten some good knives from them, and I've gotten crap. You have to know what to order.

All that said, I think I was gifted that very pipe. I have no idea what it was made of and I did not like the taste. By ladyfriend got if for me and I had to smoke it a few times before it faded away.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

What are those Corona looking things? I feel threatened!!

 

[BROBS]

What are those Corona looking things? I feel threatened!!

View attachment 41121

I think they expect you to shove those in the bottom of the pipe to prevent dottle.

 

[davek]

What are those Corona looking things? I feel threatened!!

Those are for for certain blends cased with pine resin and skunk tongue

 

[canucklehead]

Cheap Chinese pipes are almost universally derided as being far more inferior than the cheapest briars from known makers. Sometimes we will get new members here who are just starting with the pipe, and when they mention that they bought a cheap Chinese pipe from eBay or aliexpress, they are immediately told to get a real briar pipe or a cob.

I don't have one, and don't really plan on getting one, but has anyone ever bought one and it turned out to be halfway decent?

I got almost this exact set (from the same company) for my Birthday from my mother in law. I sanded and scrubbed out the blue-grey bowl coating and cleaned the internals (they were full of mystery dust). The wood is very dense and heavy, it is definitely not the advertised "pear wood." Wrong color and grain structure under the coating. I gave the chamber a light coating with a swab of diluted honey and an activated charcoal capsule. The stem is very plastic. It clenched easily, good balance for its weight, and smoked great, until about half way down when everything got hot, and it smelled and tasted a bit bad, like smouldering cardboard and communism. I dumped the rest of the bowl.

I think with a little more protective cake it would be a decent smoker, at least I hope it will, as I will be expected to smoke it at least a few times around her haha.

 

[olkofri]

I think with a little more protective cake it would be a decent smoker, at least I hope it will, as I will be expected to smoke it at least a few times around her haha.

Just place it atop the centre of a counter of bookcase and leave it there perpetually unsmoked. If she asks tell her you appreciate the gift so much you've relegated to display-only status.

 

[olkofri]

I was under the impression that China had some very talented pipemakers. But, I am guessing that if it is from AliExpress, then it is not the same things. But, maybe grouping all of the cheap crappy pipes under the term "Chinese Pipes," is not being fair to the Chinese pipemakers that have been learning from some of the Danish masters.

Years ago, when talking to a local business manager/owner about encroaching Chinese products, she said "there's good Chinese, and there's bad Chinese". I agree. When they want to make quality items, they do. It was documented that the same factory making cheap crap for the photography market was the very same factory that, in another section, built top notch items for the likes of Profoto and other prestigious brands.

It's not that Chinese are incompetent: the issue is dumping: flooding the market with dirt cheap goods, even if they lose money on the manufacturing, in order to wipe out the competition and make everyone beholden and dependent on China. Such manufacturing requires them to slash costs in terms of materials and so, God knows what they're using in their production: they're not beyond using materials that are bogus, faulty, subpar, or toxic: it all has happened.