Savinelli bought Rossi pipes, and now most Rossi pipes are Savinelli shapes with slightly less elaborate finish, in mostly Savenelli shapes. They are durable quality pipes and start at about $45.
Beginner Pipes
- Thread starter cgarverick
- Start date
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My first thought when I read your post was, “Minis? Oy veh!” The medium and large cobs from MM are good quality. I have a basket of them that have withstood heavy use. Don’t be put off by the minis. Great advice from other posters re good quality affordable briars. Lots of very good smokers in the $40-50 range.
Dr. Grabow still makes a decent pipe, and there’s nothing like going to your neighborhood Walgreens to buy one. I encourage it; if they sell enough pipes, they may continue to carry them. You may want to pull out the filter before starting, though.
I‘ve gotten to have a little fun with ghosting. Tonquin, latakia, deer tongue, some aromatic flavorings ... I like all of the above, so I don’t mind if they inform the next smoke a little, sometimes, anyway. Last time I smoked some old Dunhill Flake that had a little 1792 haunting the bowl, I really enjoyed it. A couple bowls of something more flavor neutral will chase that ghost away, anyway.
I‘ve gotten to have a little fun with ghosting. Tonquin, latakia, deer tongue, some aromatic flavorings ... I like all of the above, so I don’t mind if they inform the next smoke a little, sometimes, anyway. Last time I smoked some old Dunhill Flake that had a little 1792 haunting the bowl, I really enjoyed it. A couple bowls of something more flavor neutral will chase that ghost away, anyway.
Oh, yeah ... for a few bucks more, you might find a Stanwell you‘ll really like. 
The first briar I bought was a Ropp Etudiant J08. I Think it was just under 40 dollars. Great little pipe for the money. I have a couple Rossi pipes as well and they're pretty nice too.
Lots of good advice here from the old timers. Personally, as a new smoker, I find myself following some of the advice here on top of trying everything I can!
So far here's my collection, next up is to add a Meer and a Churchwarden. I'm also on the hunt for a proper Peterson System Premier or Deluxe, whichever comes first!
I use the Cob to test new tobaccos and the Vittoria for flakes so far, out of all of them I smoke the T Christiano (Courtesy of a member on here) and the Brigham most often.
So far here's my collection, next up is to add a Meer and a Churchwarden. I'm also on the hunt for a proper Peterson System Premier or Deluxe, whichever comes first!
I use the Cob to test new tobaccos and the Vittoria for flakes so far, out of all of them I smoke the T Christiano (Courtesy of a member on here) and the Brigham most often.
MM cobs with a hardwood plug in the base are the way to go.
Both my Dr Grabow briars are good smokers. [My Dr Grabow Duke is a smaller pipe that's great for a quick smoke or for sampling a blend]
Both my Dr Grabow briars are good smokers. [My Dr Grabow Duke is a smaller pipe that's great for a quick smoke or for sampling a blend]
There is no such thing as a starter pipe. And briar pipe doesn't have to be expensive. Beside, who wants to dip their toes when you can take a dive and drown?
I have handfuls of cobs. The only "mushy" one I had actually had a flaw - the bottom was not hardwood, but had been plugged with a thin layer of plaster. First time I poked it with a pipe tool (gently, mind you), it sunk right through and put a hole in the bottom. SP replaced it right away when I called them. Now, I only buy the models with hardwood. I prefer the Country Gentleman model.
Our esteemed colleague. @alaskanpiper put together a great thread dedicated to good, relatively affordable pipes.
PSA (long): New Smokers: You Do Not Need An Expensive Pipe
I am very partial to the unfinished Savinelli Series III pipes. I bought one for my first briar, and I adore it. I smoke it nearly every day. You can score them for like $50-60 stateside, but site sponsor Bollito Pipe has them for like $28. Since the int'l shipping is a bit pricey, you might as well get 2 or 3 if you go that route. I would also recommend Rossi and (if you want to spend a bit more) Peterson System pipes.
I was real worried about ghosting, durability and burnout when I first got into briars, but really, I have not had any issues with that type of thing. They're meant for smoking, after all. Of course, there's nothing wrong with Cobs either. My favorite shape is the Diplomat 5th Ave.
Good luck!
PSA (long): New Smokers: You Do Not Need An Expensive Pipe
I am very partial to the unfinished Savinelli Series III pipes. I bought one for my first briar, and I adore it. I smoke it nearly every day. You can score them for like $50-60 stateside, but site sponsor Bollito Pipe has them for like $28. Since the int'l shipping is a bit pricey, you might as well get 2 or 3 if you go that route. I would also recommend Rossi and (if you want to spend a bit more) Peterson System pipes.
I was real worried about ghosting, durability and burnout when I first got into briars, but really, I have not had any issues with that type of thing. They're meant for smoking, after all. Of course, there's nothing wrong with Cobs either. My favorite shape is the Diplomat 5th Ave.
Good luck!
The best advice I got as a beginner(50yrs ago) was to buy seven medium sized cobs. MM used to offer a bag of ”seconds” very cheaply.
Anyway, you rotate theses pipes every day to keep them dry and sweet and as you acquire higher end briars you substitute them into the rotation. You need to avoid buying just one pipe and over smoking it.
Another vote for Rossi. Quality pipes at an affordable price. If cost is an issue, Smoking Pipes (site sponsor) always has a good selection of estate pipes.
Morgan Bones briar pipes are generally being hyped right now so take this with a grain of salt, but I think they offer an excellent "bang for the buck" and are friendly towards beginners. They are unfinished briar pipes with minor imperfections and generally small bowls at a price of around 50$. They are natural pipes and hence develop their distinctive colour with every bowl you smoke. Back when I started pipe smoking, people would advise me to go for pipes with huge bowls. Beginner mistakes (packing especially), as well as not being used to smoking for an hour, would always lead to me throwing aways lots of perfectly fine tobacco and never smoking the pipe top to bottom - pure frustration. It was only when I switched to smaller bowls that I could resolve my many problems by trial & error and would have satisfying but shorter smokes.
If you specifically want a longer smoking session, the Rossi 320 pipes have quite the following.
They are cheaper than Savinellis and are excellent smokers with a simpler finish. ?
Depending on where you are, it might also be worth looking into Savinelli Grezza (unfinished) pipes.
If you specifically want a longer smoking session, the Rossi 320 pipes have quite the following.
They are cheaper than Savinellis and are excellent smokers with a simpler finish. ?
Depending on where you are, it might also be worth looking into Savinelli Grezza (unfinished) pipes.
Try one cob. Some love them, others won't touch 'em.
Best bang for the buck is in "estate" pipes. Aka "used".
A large bowl has never been a problem for me. If I think I am going to have a short smoke, I load it halfway. If I load it fully, and have to cut it short, it keeps just fine for days. (Though the tobacco can't be soggy or it tastes like dreck.)
Happy piping!
Best bang for the buck is in "estate" pipes. Aka "used".
A large bowl has never been a problem for me. If I think I am going to have a short smoke, I load it halfway. If I load it fully, and have to cut it short, it keeps just fine for days. (Though the tobacco can't be soggy or it tastes like dreck.)
Happy piping!
If you can't afford a $250 pipe, you can't be a part of this pastime.
But seriously, I'm a fan of corncobs for people new to the hobby (like me). They work beautifully and are very inexpensive, so you can see if this is for you or not.
Some long time pipers won't use anything but a corncob.
But seriously, I'm a fan of corncobs for people new to the hobby (like me). They work beautifully and are very inexpensive, so you can see if this is for you or not.
Some long time pipers won't use anything but a corncob.