Becoming More and More Interested in Estates than New Pipes

[crk69]

I like estates more than new pipes... There just doesn't seem to be that many pipes that appeal to me from the newer lines. I prefer the freehands from the 70's and 80's, and have several other pipes like peterson's and lorenzo's from that same era. I do have several new pipes as well, but just love the estates and cured briars..

 

[sjpipesmoker]

I Like estate, like Ghost said, the restoring and the hunting them down is what I like. I guess I'm waiting for the "Big Score"!
I'm a bargain type of person, I figure why buy a new pipe for 80-100 when i can get 2 decent estates for that price?

 

[mlyvers]

i also enjoy estate pipes. i like charatans make.. i have refurblish 5 charatan pipes, i like the work that goes into those refurbs. i have a supreme s100 fh i paid 30 dollars for. tim west told me it is worth 500-1000 dollars. i plan to continue buying charatan estate pipes, and would like to have an estate dunhill to refurb someday. there is notthing wrong with new pipes, i like them as well.
take care.
mike.

 

[photoman13]

Estate restoration is usually just a good cleaning. I think a lot of people are scared away by the term restoration. Most of the stuff you probably already have around the house. 2 things that are not normal housecleaning supplies are micromesh and carnuba wax. Walker Briar Works sells a carnuba mix that doesn't require a buffer and it looks great.

 

[fnord]

Oh man, this is a thread near and dear to my heart.
I'm the least mechanical person I know but I do know how to read and follow instructions and there's so many great guides available on the net to walk you through the cleaning processes. The only supplies I've had to purchase were micromesh pads, carnuba, non-iodized salt and the incredibly deadly Everclear.
With a nod to Harris, the great English names are all available for a song and you're buying burners from companies that bought old wood to begin with and then aged it for another 25 to 50 years. Or, go find a Jost or a Fred Diebel burner - two amazing but long gone Missouri pipemakers - and enjoy some century old Algerian briar. They're easy on the wallet, at maybe 15 bucks a pop, but long on satisfaction.