A little background first (If you don't know me by now...).
As mentioned in part one*, I found my way to Etsy and thought to myself, as J.R. Hartley once mused "I think I'm going to enjoy this". What really caught my eye was a seller named Club Esquire based in Australia and the Ascorti KS Business briar they were practically giving away at £61 ($77). Coming from the other side of the world, I was happy to pay £14 ($20) for shipping and despite the additional £20 customs I was slapped with, it was still worth every penny.
*[ Rising through the ranks (Pipe Collection) ]
First, the photos:
View attachment 5065
View attachment 5066
View attachment 5067View attachment 5068
The Seller
I can't say enough good things about Club Esquire. I have never received anything so well packaged and presented, in equal measures. I joked that it felt like Christmas morning unwrapping the many layers of padding, and it felt like Boxing Day by the time I reached the crispy centre - it couldn't have been better protected and the final layer was of a soft thin cloth because truly this diamond deserved nothing less.
Also included was a business card and two colour print outs providing detailed information on caring for the new pipe and preparing it for its maiden voyage as well as a full priming on pipe smoking for any who may be new to the game, delving into the pros and cons of various cleaning methods and smoking techniques. These people went above and beyond and the effort alone left me committed to giving them my patronage despite their shop being as far away from me as physically possible.
The Pipe
But the pipe is why you're here, and my first impressions were of marvel and awe. The prehistoric dinosaur egg looking bowl was far bigger than I had envisioned it to be and my photos still don't do it full justice—it is a thing of beauty and immediately I understood why pipe collectors feel as they do about master craftsmanship and the artistry of pipe making.
The stem, conversely, was sleek, modern and reminiscent of a shiny glossy black Italian sports car. The contrast of the two delighted me and holding it in my hand, I was amazed by how light it was - it couldn't be further from the cumbersome walnut Zorr that had introduced me to the world of pipe smoking just four weeks earlier.
I've looked up this pipe online, finding its other bent shanked egg shaped brothers (for almost double the price) and can say with gratitude that the piece I'm fortunate enough to own is by far the more pleasing in its shape, so I'm very very happy with this acquisition.
The Smoke
But that would all be superficial if it didn't deliver in its primary function. Unsurprisingly, it smoked like a dream. Within the first few draws, I tasted flavour from my Kendal Coniston Aromatic that had barely been present in prior smokes, and the airflow was just phenomenal. I'm struggling to find a suitable comparison, but I imagine it's like going from a cheap £20 vacuum cleaner to a Dyson - or from a Ford Escort to a Ferrari...perhaps I'm getting carried away, I'm not a car guy after all (and I'm happy with a Numatic 'Henry').
For something so simple as what is essentially an acrylic tube, there really is a world of difference in the draw; it's effortless and 'open' in the best possible way and my other pipes, even my Duncan's Caldbeck, feel like a piece of wood when compared.
The Conclusion
So now I know why people put down good money for great pipes. I understood the artistic and craftwork aspect but I wasn't prepared for such a leap in performance, and it's hard to go back to the others now that I've been spoilt. What both daunts and excites me is the knowledge that even this is not a 'high end' pipe; retailing for around £90 ($115), there are many two or three times its price that I can no longer dismiss as a rich man's folly.
I could quite happily retire from my search at this point, driven now only by my desire for a virgin Turkish block meerschaum for both the heralded unique characteristics of the material, and the immensely appealing colouration process that is its own personal journey. Still, I hope some day to have the disposable income required to see how lofty the mountain top truly can be - because if this isn't it then what remains must be truly astounding.
I can happily say that I'm satisfied with this Italian stunner, though, and all else will be pure fancy. I'm so glad I went through with this purchase, the sort that can't be pragmatically justified, as it has been nothing but sheer pleasure.
Thank you as always for reading, or looking at the pictures as the case may be ; )
-LD
As mentioned in part one*, I found my way to Etsy and thought to myself, as J.R. Hartley once mused "I think I'm going to enjoy this". What really caught my eye was a seller named Club Esquire based in Australia and the Ascorti KS Business briar they were practically giving away at £61 ($77). Coming from the other side of the world, I was happy to pay £14 ($20) for shipping and despite the additional £20 customs I was slapped with, it was still worth every penny.
*[ Rising through the ranks (Pipe Collection) ]
First, the photos:
View attachment 5065
View attachment 5066
View attachment 5067View attachment 5068
The Seller
I can't say enough good things about Club Esquire. I have never received anything so well packaged and presented, in equal measures. I joked that it felt like Christmas morning unwrapping the many layers of padding, and it felt like Boxing Day by the time I reached the crispy centre - it couldn't have been better protected and the final layer was of a soft thin cloth because truly this diamond deserved nothing less.
Also included was a business card and two colour print outs providing detailed information on caring for the new pipe and preparing it for its maiden voyage as well as a full priming on pipe smoking for any who may be new to the game, delving into the pros and cons of various cleaning methods and smoking techniques. These people went above and beyond and the effort alone left me committed to giving them my patronage despite their shop being as far away from me as physically possible.
The Pipe
But the pipe is why you're here, and my first impressions were of marvel and awe. The prehistoric dinosaur egg looking bowl was far bigger than I had envisioned it to be and my photos still don't do it full justice—it is a thing of beauty and immediately I understood why pipe collectors feel as they do about master craftsmanship and the artistry of pipe making.
The stem, conversely, was sleek, modern and reminiscent of a shiny glossy black Italian sports car. The contrast of the two delighted me and holding it in my hand, I was amazed by how light it was - it couldn't be further from the cumbersome walnut Zorr that had introduced me to the world of pipe smoking just four weeks earlier.
I've looked up this pipe online, finding its other bent shanked egg shaped brothers (for almost double the price) and can say with gratitude that the piece I'm fortunate enough to own is by far the more pleasing in its shape, so I'm very very happy with this acquisition.
The Smoke
But that would all be superficial if it didn't deliver in its primary function. Unsurprisingly, it smoked like a dream. Within the first few draws, I tasted flavour from my Kendal Coniston Aromatic that had barely been present in prior smokes, and the airflow was just phenomenal. I'm struggling to find a suitable comparison, but I imagine it's like going from a cheap £20 vacuum cleaner to a Dyson - or from a Ford Escort to a Ferrari...perhaps I'm getting carried away, I'm not a car guy after all (and I'm happy with a Numatic 'Henry').
For something so simple as what is essentially an acrylic tube, there really is a world of difference in the draw; it's effortless and 'open' in the best possible way and my other pipes, even my Duncan's Caldbeck, feel like a piece of wood when compared.
The Conclusion
So now I know why people put down good money for great pipes. I understood the artistic and craftwork aspect but I wasn't prepared for such a leap in performance, and it's hard to go back to the others now that I've been spoilt. What both daunts and excites me is the knowledge that even this is not a 'high end' pipe; retailing for around £90 ($115), there are many two or three times its price that I can no longer dismiss as a rich man's folly.
I could quite happily retire from my search at this point, driven now only by my desire for a virgin Turkish block meerschaum for both the heralded unique characteristics of the material, and the immensely appealing colouration process that is its own personal journey. Still, I hope some day to have the disposable income required to see how lofty the mountain top truly can be - because if this isn't it then what remains must be truly astounding.
I can happily say that I'm satisfied with this Italian stunner, though, and all else will be pure fancy. I'm so glad I went through with this purchase, the sort that can't be pragmatically justified, as it has been nothing but sheer pleasure.
Thank you as always for reading, or looking at the pictures as the case may be ; )
-LD