Greetings,
For the most part you get what you paid for but is it always going to be that way with a pipe ?
Examples:
Would i truly experience a much greater smoke with say
Peterson 68 Donegal Rocky 100.00
Savinelli 606KS Flambe 135.00
Savinelli Trevi Rustic 626
100.00
VS Say something like
LaRocca 35.00
Mr Blogs 55.00
and so on.
I have not ever bought a pipe of 100 pluss dollars and i sure do not want to regret doing so.
Thank You
It sorta depends on what matters to you with regard to pipes and tobaccos. At a basic price point the mechanics of most pipes is pretty much the same. Decent briar that might not have a lot in the way of grain, might have a few fills, or sandblasted to hide flaws. Stems are molded Vulcanite. There's little handwork because there's little margin in the price to allow for it. These can provide good performance from the standpoint of basic mechanics. They're tools.
Move up a bit and you get nicer looking wood, better fit and finish, more selection of materials, but not necessarily a noticeable difference in smoking properties.
Move up some more and you get higher quality, more durable materials, a hand cut and shaped stem, which can be more comfortable, or better at spreading out the smoke, some more individual style in shaping and some differences in performance, such as the engineering of the airway into the slot, that results in a silkier feel to the smoke.
Move up more and you get into more artistry in the design, impeccable fit and finish and high grade internals, polished surfaces, etc, etc.
If you are interested in vintage pipes of the finest quality in excellent condition, those will generally cost more, as they're are rarer.
If you appreciate the way pipes that are made by a particularly popular carver perform, you're going to be paying more for them.
People are motivated differently. Is a $20,000 Bo Nordh going to smoke 200 times better than a $100 dollar Savinelli, the answer obviously is no, unless you're a Nordh fanatic. But it will likely smoke somewhat better, will be less likely to impart flavors from the wood into the smoke, and will likely outlast the cheaper pipe, just not 200 times as much. That won't matter to someone who drops that kind of money on a pipe. They appreciate the beauty and perfection of Nordh's execution as well as the quality of the wood he chose and seasoned.
I own pipes from a wide variety of price points. One of my favorites, a Brebbia, cost me a whole $2 on eBay. That pipe practically smokes itself. And, I own pipes that cost several hundred times that amount that give me a wonderful smoke as well as a level of pleasure in owning a finely made smoking implement. Pipes are more than just tools to me.
