Are You Brand Conscious?

[sparrowhawk]

I think this might be something new for discussion, as obvious as it is, but do you gravitate towards a certain maker or brand of pipe? And why? For myself, anyone who has read my posts knows I favor Peterson. I got started with Peterson with the Dracula series, and whenever I went back for another pipe, I found Peterson usually had what I wanted. Plus, they are Irish and prices seemed reasonable, and of course they were great smokers, despite what I've heard about quality. I've never had a problem with a Peterson. How about you?

 

[rfernand]

Ditto, the bulk of my pipes are Peterson. But a few pipes I just loved at first sight, and didn't care for the brand.

 

[sparrowhawk]

Same here. If a pipe "speaks" to you, then you get it. Like a well shaped Nording, for example.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

Nording and Peterson are what I look at most often when browsing pipes. I have multiples of each of those, yet only a few of other brands or makers. I would at some point like to acquire a few more Savinellis or maybe some Danish made Stanwells among a few others.

 

[warren]

I tend to favor Peterson as they tend to favor me. I do not buy a pipe except in person from a reputable vendor so I've only purchased two pipes in 50 years which I was not happy with. Peterson happens to have a couple of shapes I prefer so they get the majority of my business, maybe one pipe every couple of years when in Dublin. Dunhill has only one shape I covet and I've not found one in any stores I frequent. IRC has one in stock, hopefully it will be there in May and I can look it over, a 2421 Amber Root. It has possibilities.
That said, my Milvilles are great smokers and I try to find one I like when I make a trip to London. One of the members here created an exquisite pipe which is the only one I've ever contemplated purchasing unfondled. Sadly for me it was already promised.
I go into shops expecting not to purchase and sometimes am pleasantly surprised to find one which catches my eye and then passes inspection.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Weavers, Danish Wades, and Holms pieces are my most smoked due to their interesting design and craftsmanship. I actively search for these primarily when the urge for a new pipe bites.

 

[sablebrush52]

Barlings are my main, though not only, area of focus. Nobody made a better pipe, few have equaled them, and I love the history and passion behind the brand. Buying them new isn't possible as the family made pipes have been out of production for well over 50 years. I have been fortunate to find a half dozen or so unsmoked pieces, several of which I fired up.
But I also love Paul Tatum's work, Walt Cannoy, Tony Fillenwarth, Trever Talbert, Lee Von Erck, Ryan Alden, Arly Curtz, Kaywoodie, and a variety of other makes.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

First I went for German pipes and then for British, I'm not sure if nationality falls under the same category as "branding" but it's certainly not functional (except that Ashton and Ferndown are at the top of their craft in some respects, not all but some).

It would have been less work if I had bought Italian from start to finish, but I enjoy tinkering with my pipes so it's hard to say if any brand would have actually satisfied me entirely.
I think Vauen is still my favourite brand, they have awesome Churchwardens and make a lot of really creative stuff (and priced reasonably if you're shopping in Euros).

 

[ray47]

I've purchased 3 Petersons and I wasn't pleased with the workmanship (poor drilling). I favor Savinelli, Falcons & cobs.

 

[jkrug]

I don't intentionally favour a particular brand but oddly enough I have more Peterson's in the pipe cabinet than any other brand. 9 out of about 35 I believe. ::

 

[thesinistral]

I have an sentimental affinity for Nording as it was my first pipe (and a great smoker), Ser Jacopo, and Moretti. I like many of these company's designs and all have smoked well. I even have a Mauro Armellini pot that smokes and holds well above its grade.

 

[lifesizehobbit]

Like jkrug, I don't particularly look for a brand, but I have more Boswell's in my modest collection than anything else. I tend to buy a pipe that "speaks" to me without regard to brand. Could be factory or could be artisan.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Nope, I scratch the factory/artisan names off all of my pipes and rebrand them with names of reindeer, elves, and dwarves. They all smoke much better with new names.

 

[robwoodall]

I've had a lot of bad luck buying pipes online. Partially because of not actually knowing what I wanted from a pipe, and partially from being cheap and always buying whatever was on sale at the time.
The first pipe I bought that really met all my needs was a Savinelli. Because of that, I've bought only Savinelli for the past several months. I have 5 currently.
I'm sure that there are many, many pipes that are as good as, or better than Savinelli, but I don't know that until I try them, and I can't try them until I buy them.
I feel like I have "enough" pipes, but I'll eventually feel the need to buy another one. I'm pretty sure that I'll look at all the options, obsess over this or that pipe, particularly the Peterson Dracula line but, when the time comes...
I'll probably buy another Savinelli.

 

[cigrmaster]

I have gone through many stages of pipe collecting over the years, be it Danish, Italian or English. I have smoked a large number of very good pipes in that time. On August 5th 2012, I bought my fist Rad Davis pipe and my collection changed dramatically. Now all I buy are No American artisan pipes because I have found them to be the best smokers I have ever owned and they smoke my flakes really well.
The most by one artisan is Rad Davis at 19 pipes, next is Brian Ruthenberg at 8 and then a couple of Bruce Weavers, a couple Ryan Aldens and singles from a number of other artisans. In total I have 41 artisan pipes and my collection has never been in a better place. I am so picky nowadays and have a very strict criteria for buying a pipe. Size, weight, shape, type of stem material, quality of stem work. All of these things I will not sacrifice when buying a pipe. I will sacrifice looks before I sacrifice anything from my list as I cannot smoke the looks of a pipe. Just as I used to go after nothing but straight grains, I figured out I cannot smoke grain.

 

[shutterbugg]

Idrc about the brand as long as it smokes well. I've got a bunch of basket pipes that smoke as well as my Dunhills and Ser Jacs. One brand I'm partial against is Peterson. I had a bunch of system pipes, they were utter crap. Drilling off, ill-fitting stems, and though the moisture sump filled with gunk and stunk to high heaven even if I swabbed it out, the damn things all smoked wet and gurgled anyway. Only way I could smoke them was to pull the stems during the smoke and blow out the moisture. I have a regular Peterson without the system drilling which is a decent-smoking and looking pipe, but I've seen so many new ones with bad drilling and tons of fills.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Yeh, I am not brand conscious at all, well except the ones that I think suck, ha ha.

I have no preference for Coke over Pepsi, Ford over Chevy, Alabama over Aubrun. In many ways, they are all the same, and marketing just brainwashes us into thinking that they're different.

As far as artists, there has never been a band, artist, or actor that I have felt compelled to be loyal too. Sure, some I like, but in my experience in having met a few musicians and actors, in person, they are just regular people that I have nothing really important in which to converse with them about. I love some of Willie Nelson's music, but I wouldn't walk across the street to talk to him. I might to hear him sing, but I have nothing that I would want to say to them or vice versa.

 

[jaygreen55]

For the first 22 years I smoked a pipe I bought the vast majority of my pipes and almost all of my tobacco from Ed Burak's Connoisseur Pipe shop in NYC which was located 2 blocks from my office. In addition to being one of Americas's best pipe designers (he contracted out the actual carving) he was a master blender of tobaccos. His pipes were all unstained natural finishes and made from the finest Grecian plateau and occasionally Algerian briar and beautifully shaped and finished. Most smoked beautifully. Some were standard shapes but many were one of a kind unique designs. Over the years I probably bought around 100 pipes from him
In 1995 I quit smoking and only came back to it last year. I gave away a big part of my collection but kept many of my favorites. I was very disappointed to find out that Ed had closed his store in 2009 and retired. I guess its tough to pay Rockefeller Center rent for a small independent business selling a product that at least then was declining in popularity. His pipes do pop up on ebay from time to time (frequently unsmoked) and are worth buying if you get the chance
Right now I have 37 of his pipes in my collection. I also have 5 Don Carlos and 4 Elliot Nachwalters from his Pipeworks NYC

store. My favorite current American artisan is by Far Mark Tinsky

 

[prndl]

When the monkey starts its slow and certain crawl, I seem to glance at the Castello side of the world before any other.
After that, I'm open.

 

[mso489]

I have quite a few favored, if not favorite, brands. French brands as a group appeal to me for worthy workmanship and above price-point quality. I enjoy the usual Sav's, Stanwells, Petersons, Nordings, Johs, Luciano, Dr. Grabow, and Kaywoodie -- and others. I have one each well-loved Ser Jacopo and Ferndown. My go-to home-state carver is the inaccessible but ever skillful Jerry Perry of Colfax, N.C. He'll do pipe repairs via internet, but if you want a pipe of his, you have to go to the TAPS pipe show in April at the State Fairgrounds, or to the State Fair itself in October. He works in briar and Mountain Laurel. I have a wonderful Bari (defunct Danish brand) and many well-smoked MM and Old Dominion cobs.