Ben Wade Pipes?

[verporchting]

I spent a couple of good hours perusing the pipedia link, thanks!
That answers many of the questions that were rattling around in my head, and the pipes that I've seen were Duncan Era pipes, just like Jesse said. Seems from what I read they were decent (??) but there is a whiff of suspicion about how "natural" the blasts are - perhaps helped along somewhat by artistic license and some rustication prior to the blasting process?
They might still fit the bill for me, just not sure. Anyone have any thoughts about the Duncan Era pipes? Good drilling? Briar quality? The blasts certainly have seemed attractive, but that means nothing if they don't perform.
While I was on the site I read up on some other Brit Wood, so it was time well spent. I'm not really looking for a collector piece, more a rock solid performer that has a nice blast and will keep a smile on my face for a long time.

 

[verporchting]

Duane, I gave serious consideration to that Digby but the flatness of the saddle stem has me a little concerned. From past experience I've learned that very flat stems don't work for me. I've traded a few pipes that were nice smokers but had a flat thin stem and were just off-putting. It's hard to say without handling the pipe, but ... hmmm, I'm thinking not. Appreciate the heads up though! Alaskanpiper, go get it!!!! That blast is quite appealing.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I love a thin stem, but despise straight pipes.

 

[nunnster]

I love my Ben Wade, but they have been around a long time and as I understand it have gone through many different changes and makes. The one I own from my research is from the 60s that I got as an estate that was in rough shape. But now It's my second or third favorite pipe and it gets use every other day or so.

 

[bron340]

This is my Ben Wade. It is a Lane, but it has beautiful grain and smokes very well.

 

[mso489]

I owned one, a blast billiard panel, that I traded off. It had a bright high gloss finish over the blast that never changed, and always looked "too new." Not a bad smoker, but looked plastic after a while. A current small Ben Wade billiard of fairly recent purchase, about five years ago, is a smooth matte finish and more to my liking. Prime examples probably are found among estate pipes.

 

[verporchting]

MSO, I've got a reliable Rossi Vittoria like that. I like the rustication, it smokes fantastic and the style, shape and drilling are all exactly spot on - and it only cost about $47 or so, but ... dammit all, the high gloss finish makes it look plastic. I smoke it all the time, if my mitts are grubby I grab that pipe, and generally I treat it like a rented mule but it still insists on being bright and shiny. There are pipes that you want shiny and they immediately get dull, but this damn thing stubbornly refuses to lose the shine. What is the purposes of a SHINY rusticated pipe??? I'm thinking about Duane's suggestion of using a cloth with acetone on and rubbing some shine off it, but ... but, what if I hate it?
Might still do it anyway. We'll see. Mabye.