My suggestion would be to pick up 2 MM Spools. I like bent pipes, and the Great Dane Spool nearly always smokes to the bottom of the bowl, and is always dry.
Best inexpensive pipe?
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I am a huge fan of cobs and Dr. Grabows.
HOWEVER, don't overlook the option of a clay pipe! Clays are cheap, but if treated carefully, can last a very long time. They add an earthy flavor to your tobacco, and tame the bite in virginias. And, they color somewhat like how a meerschaum does when smoked enough. Maintenance is minimal - if they get full of crud over time, let them sit in the embers of a fire for a while.
HOWEVER, don't overlook the option of a clay pipe! Clays are cheap, but if treated carefully, can last a very long time. They add an earthy flavor to your tobacco, and tame the bite in virginias. And, they color somewhat like how a meerschaum does when smoked enough. Maintenance is minimal - if they get full of crud over time, let them sit in the embers of a fire for a while.
Arinbjorn and I have to agree the clay is a great pipe for the price you cant beat em I love mine always a dry smoke with a great flavor not a great clencher but it can be done for short times if you have never smoked one you need to give one a try
I have heard good things about Lepeltier Pipes although they cost more than $20. They still seem reasonable.
Say, has anyone mentioned cobs yet? :D
Say, has anyone mentioned cobs yet? :D
Missouri Meerschaum Great Dane Egg. It's about $8 and I love mine. That'll leave you a few bucks for an unclearthur stem.
Wessex North Sea pipes cost about 65.00 bucks but should cost more . A lot of Bang for the buck to be had there .
I got into pipe smoking, knowing that what I really reaLLY wanted was a Meerschaum. My dad had one, my best friend has one and they have always held a little bit of magic for me. Everything from the wild carvings, be it skulls or faces or the form of a nude woman down to the simple smooth billiard or apple shape I found mesmerizing. I didn't have much money to spend, not even knowing if I would take to smoking a pipe. I enjoyed a good cigar once in awhile and the occasional Nat Sherman Cigarette back in the day, but a pipe? My knowledge=0 in pipes. So I researched the Meerschaum sites and realized a good one could really be an investment. I also realized there were people out ther selling total garbage, nearly at the same prices as the quality stuff.
This was gonna take awhile. So I decided I'd grab a cheap pipe and some OTC baccy, just to get the process of filling a pipe and smoking it correctly so I didn't wreck my Meer when I did get it.
Enter this forum: I read up on estate pipes and looked for things that might indicate a used pipe had problems. I was on the fence about a cob but wanted to spend about $10-15 so my available cash didn;t cut into the money I was saving for a Meer.
I went on Ebay and found an unnamed English briar for $12.50, I think. The seller had lots of pix and good descriptions of the pipe, its quirks, usage and dimensions. I landed the bid and went and bought some Captain Black White. I knew I liked the smell of that blend and not much else.
I had researched some brands and found a Paykoc Imports Meer (Straight Billiard with a carved grape leaf pattern)on line and the bidding was low. I threw out a bid for 10.99 after asking the seller about the dimensions. By the time My briar got there I had won the Meer. I knew it was a gamble, but I still had plans to buy a brand new one anyway.
Enter this forum again. As I waited for my first PAD purchase, I perused the videos on how to pack and smoke the pipe. After my first smoke with the billiard, I knew I was a pipe smoker.
When the Meer got there I was first elated and then disappointed. The pipe was dirty. Noat as in well smoked dirty, but "I think I'll change the oil on my car and then fumble all over my pipe with dirty fingers. Also the mortise and tenon were shot and held together with some pieces of paper.
Enter this forum yet again: I figured out that the mortise was still good but had been superglued to the tenon and the previous owner just used the threads in the shank that were designed to secure the mortise to unscrew the pipe. I got some alcohol and treated it until the glue dissolved and I was able to separate the 2 parts.
As it turns out the tenon was OK, but I had to get a new mortise. So quess what? I asked members of the forum and got a link to the site that sold that stuff. The new mortise was about $3. I got it home, hooked it up and after referencing this forum YET AGAIN I was able to widen the tenon so that it fit snug. I cleaned the whole pipe with lemon juice and then beeswaxed the Hell out of it, applying coats, buffing and applying more.
Long story-short, I ended up with an awesome Meerschaum for
This was gonna take awhile. So I decided I'd grab a cheap pipe and some OTC baccy, just to get the process of filling a pipe and smoking it correctly so I didn't wreck my Meer when I did get it.
Enter this forum: I read up on estate pipes and looked for things that might indicate a used pipe had problems. I was on the fence about a cob but wanted to spend about $10-15 so my available cash didn;t cut into the money I was saving for a Meer.
I went on Ebay and found an unnamed English briar for $12.50, I think. The seller had lots of pix and good descriptions of the pipe, its quirks, usage and dimensions. I landed the bid and went and bought some Captain Black White. I knew I liked the smell of that blend and not much else.
I had researched some brands and found a Paykoc Imports Meer (Straight Billiard with a carved grape leaf pattern)on line and the bidding was low. I threw out a bid for 10.99 after asking the seller about the dimensions. By the time My briar got there I had won the Meer. I knew it was a gamble, but I still had plans to buy a brand new one anyway.
Enter this forum again. As I waited for my first PAD purchase, I perused the videos on how to pack and smoke the pipe. After my first smoke with the billiard, I knew I was a pipe smoker.
When the Meer got there I was first elated and then disappointed. The pipe was dirty. Noat as in well smoked dirty, but "I think I'll change the oil on my car and then fumble all over my pipe with dirty fingers. Also the mortise and tenon were shot and held together with some pieces of paper.
Enter this forum yet again: I figured out that the mortise was still good but had been superglued to the tenon and the previous owner just used the threads in the shank that were designed to secure the mortise to unscrew the pipe. I got some alcohol and treated it until the glue dissolved and I was able to separate the 2 parts.
As it turns out the tenon was OK, but I had to get a new mortise. So quess what? I asked members of the forum and got a link to the site that sold that stuff. The new mortise was about $3. I got it home, hooked it up and after referencing this forum YET AGAIN I was able to widen the tenon so that it fit snug. I cleaned the whole pipe with lemon juice and then beeswaxed the Hell out of it, applying coats, buffing and applying more.
Long story-short, I ended up with an awesome Meerschaum for
Some of the eBay estate pipes can be had for very little money. But, you have to dig and be lucky to find them.
Dr. Grabow is the most readily available down at your local drugstore. But I'll tell you, for 25 bucks, I managed to score a Caminetto, two Comoys amd a GBD Rockroot when I went to the West Coast Pipe Show. If you can find your way to a pipe show, there are some smoking deals to be had.
In the last month, I bought two Italian pipes for $12 each at an antique store. One was a Savinelli Hand Made half bent that is a huge fistful! The other is a Brebbia half bent of more normal proportions. Both were in excellent condition and just needed a cleaning and polishing. Interesting to me was that Brebbia and Savanelli were made by cousins who started out together, then spit into the two brands in the 50's. If you look around you, deals are there. Otherwise, I go with the cob boys. Better to have three cobs than one Grabow, in my humble opinion.
As your original post was about new pipes, you can cross Wally Frank off your list. They went out of business years ago.
I'm no Kaywoodie expert (and trust me, they're out there) but I'd consider their current pipes to be roughly comparable to Dr. Grabows. Servicable, but nothing to write home about (just my opinion).
If you do a search on "pipe factory seconds" you can probably find a list of the brands that the big makers use for their pipes which don't quite make the grade. Not exactly "rejects", but they may have surface flaws which do not affect the way they smoke. I know Peterson uses the names "Irish Seconds" and "Erin" (among others) for their seconds. Do some checking.
I'm no Kaywoodie expert (and trust me, they're out there) but I'd consider their current pipes to be roughly comparable to Dr. Grabows. Servicable, but nothing to write home about (just my opinion).
If you do a search on "pipe factory seconds" you can probably find a list of the brands that the big makers use for their pipes which don't quite make the grade. Not exactly "rejects", but they may have surface flaws which do not affect the way they smoke. I know Peterson uses the names "Irish Seconds" and "Erin" (among others) for their seconds. Do some checking.
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