Big Dollar Pipes vs Lower Priced Pipes

[Chasing Embers]

Those 6 dollar bags of 10 year old pencil shavings.

Sounds like RYO but you can get good pipe tobacco around $20 per pound still.

 

[Cap]

Sounds like RYO but you can get good pipe tobacco around $20 per pound still.

True and yet i wouldn't have run that through my machine when i was Ryo.

Got a huge order coming from P&C and that will fix my tobacco issue.

 

[Chasing Embers]

from P&C

Good luck!

 

[Cap]

Good luck!

They getting bad?

 

[Chasing Embers]

They getting bad?

Been there. Damaged goods, missing or incomplete orders, bad customer service, etc. Some forum members have reported good results but the bad ones have been really bad. During their 2017 IPSD sale, I got double charged for an order that I never received nor was reimbursed payment.

 

[Cap]

Been there. Damaged goods, missing or incomplete orders, bad customer service, etc. Some forum members have reported good results but the bad ones have been really bad. During their 2017 IPSD sale, I got double charged for an order that I never received nor was reimbursed payment.

Now thats not good.
I changed my phone number and their system claimed i changed my account details and could no longer verify my age.

Customer service was great and i had paid for 2 day shipping so they upgraded me to one day and should be here this afternoon.

 

[OzPiper]

Nailed it !!
I was once happy and content living as #1.

I have been dwelling as the 2nd one for some time so much so my better half has been researching them.

Not sure i want to enter into the third stage -
And yes the example pipes for the higher priced ones are definitely yelling way to loud these days.
Lol - the reason for the post.

Thanks

Before you know it you will be eyeing a Dunhill and wondering why a white dot should add so much to the price.
Then wondering if you should scratch your itch and see what the fuss is all about

Welcome to price creep and the Law of Diminishing Returns

 

[WVOldFart]

It's all in how you look at things. Keep in mind that to many Savinelli and Peterson are just middle grade pipes. I have Savinelli and Peterson pipes and have been disappointed with some. I have 14 MOLINA pipes, all for under $75.00 and have been happy with all of them. To some, if you want a high quality pipe you should get an artison made pipe. The main thing is if it has a good draw, you like it's appearance and you can happily afford it. Then you have the right pipe.

 

[Papamique]

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.

+1 on every point. Well said, me thinks.

 

[Papamique]

Before you know it you will be eyeing a Dunhill and wondering why a white dot should add so much to the price.
Then wondering if you should scratch your itch and see what the fuss is all about

Welcome to price creep and the Law of Diminishing Returns

Or worse yet a castello or Becker.

 

[Cap]

It's all in how you look at things. Keep in mind that to many Savinelli and Peterson are just middle grade pipes. I have Savinelli and Peterson pipes and have been disappointed with some. I have 14 MOLINA pipes, all for under $75.00 and have been happy with all of them. To some, if you want a high quality pipe you should get an artison made pipe. The main thing is if it has a good draw, you like it's appearance and you can happily afford it. Then you have the right pipe.

Thank you Sir,
Very well said.

 

[mso489]

There are many rational reasons for spending at the top of your budget for a pipe or pipes. Artistry, craftsmanship, historical value, spectacular grain, extra comfortable bits, and several dozen other reasons.

However, that doesn't mean that you need an expensive pipe to enjoy the best of pipe smoking, in terms of fully enjoying whatever blends you choose to smoke, and enjoying visual, tactile, and smoking characteristics of your pipes.

Spending at the high end of your budget, or beyond your budget, is unnecessary. You just need to know enough to buy low or moderately priced pipes without getting poorly made pipes. With a little study and shopping, this isn't difficult.

So if you have a few thousand or more to spend on a magnificent historical masterpiece of a pipe, and that's your pleasure, by all means do so. But if you want the best possible smoke with only a modest or small investment in pipes, that is not only possible, but fairly easy.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

I'm a firm believer in what I call the "medium pimpin" approach to consumer goods. I usually aim for an intermediate grade item that is usually priced higher than entry-level goods, but not at the upper price tier. All other things being equal, this usually means I get the biggest bang for my buck: I get an item that performs fairly well and can even impress the uninitiated, but not put me at risk of being the object of either jealousy or ridicule for those are initiated. There are also diminishing returns the higher the price goes up. The difference between a $30 pipe and a $120 in terms of quality is noticeable. But is the $1000 artisan pipe ten times better to justify the ten times price over a $100 Peterson? Not to me, not typically. Sometimes I can get something high-end as a treat or when a bargain opens up. Sometimes I will get something cheap if it punches above its weight or I got extra money to burn.

I also find that if I'm willing to invest a little more into something, I'm more likely to attach value to it. In other words, if I'm serious about, say, learning to play a musical instrument, I look up intermediate quality instruments and go from there. I'm more likely to stick with it because I invested into it, and if I do bail out, it is easier to sell, trade, or gift these items than it would be something that is cheaply made and substandard.

Of course, price is rarely itself a guarantee of quality. There are cheap pipes that are not cheaply made. And there are very expensive ones that are not worth the price of admission. YMMV.

High-end audio is fraught with the diminishing returns you describe—it can cost an arm and a leg to extract that nth degree of musical information from an LP or CD—but, sometimes that little bit of info that reveals an echo off of the rear wall of the recording space or delicate harmonic from a guitar string makes the listening session truly magical and worth every penny, dollar, or limb. I'm not sure the same could be said for a pipe, but, maybe, when the stars are aligned.

 

[anotherbob]

not really how pipe pricing works. It's at least as much about how the pipe looks, how few fills how the grain looks as it is about how it smokes.

 

[Searock Fan]

High-end audio is fraught with the diminishing returns you describe—it can cost an arm and a leg to extract that nth degree of musical information from an LP or CD—but, sometimes that little bit of info that reveals an echo off of the rear wall of the recording space or delicate harmonic from a guitar string makes the listening session truly magical and worth every penny, dollar, or limb. I'm not sure the same could be said for a pipe, but, maybe, when the stars are aligned.

When it comes to audio I know exactly what you mean!

 

[bullet08]

When it comes to audio I know exactly what you mean!

Shure earbuds and Sony MP3 player at cheap serves me fine. Can't imagine those $$$$ equipments.

 

[briarblues]

Topics / questions like this always make me smile. I'm probably going to get a mess of nasty emails or comments with my answer and more than likely make a few that know me have their chins hit the floor in disbelief.

#1 - can you get a great smoking pipe for a low spend? Yes.
#2 - does the more you spend = a better smoking pipe? Sometimes, not always

Let's be serious. Will a $500.00 pipe smoke 5 times better than a $100.00 pipe? The simple answer is no. Will it smoke 2 x better? Maybe for the first 10 - 25 bowls full. After that ...... well ..... I'd hate to live on the ledge that would be the difference.

I own a number of high dollar pipes. Castello Fiammata's and others. I also own mid priced pipes from Radice, Ashton, Phil Rivara, and others. Ok those that know me .. get ready .... I also own some current production Kaywoodies that retail for around $70.00.

For the first few bowls, the mid range and higher priced pipes did smoke better. The grain patterns were tighter and finer. Maybe the stems were slightly more polished and refined. However, after the 15 bowl full range, I'd be hard pressed to tell the difference between a Castello Collection Fiammata ( $970.00 SRP )( FWIW NOT what I paid ) and a Radice Silk Cut ( $220.00 SRP ), or a Kaywoodie Sabbiata ( SRP $70.00 ) !!!

IF the briar used is good, and the basic "engineering" is sound, AND the pipe smoker knows what they are doing, all pipes should smoke well, after a certain amount of time.

After a certain price plateau, you're paying for grain quality, pipe size, and carver / brands reputation and skill level.

For those that don't know me ..... I operate Briar Blues, an online pipe retailer for the past 25+ years. I am an authorized Castello, Radice, Le Nuvole, Ashton, Kaywoodie seller, plus a few others.

Forget worrying about how your pipe smokes compared to other brands or at other price levels. Love the pipes you own. Smoke them and treat them with respect. They'll do the same for you. Trust me, your pipes aren't concerned with how deep your pockets are. They just want your attention.

Regards
Mike

 

[danish]

High-end audio is fraught with the diminishing returns you describe—it can cost an arm and a leg to extract that nth degree of musical information from an LP or CD—but, sometimes that little bit of info that reveals an echo off of the rear wall of the recording space or delicate harmonic from a guitar string makes the listening session truly magical and worth every penny, dollar, or limb. I'm not sure the same could be said for a pipe, but, maybe, when the stars are aligned.

I remember, years ago, when I bought a 2nd hand high end, superb sounding, amplifier, most friends and family didn't notice. But one of my friends did and his first reaction when he borrowed it and we turned it on at his home was: 'shit, this is too good. I don't hope this is going to sound better, when warmed up'!...
When I received my first expensive pipe (a hardly smoked dunhill), I thought: 'why the heck can't the cheaper brands, like eg Stanwell and Savinelli, just copy this stemwork...It shouldn't be rocket science!'
And years after, I could still get all my money back. By reselling at market price. If I wished or needed to do so.

 

[OzPiper]

@Cap

I'm going out on a limb here and tell you to get the most expensive pipe that you can COMFORTABLY afford.

I'm at the stage of my life when the mortgage has been paid up and both my boys are in secure jobs. So I can afford a few indulgences.
I do have a few (for me) somewhat pricey pieces and more than a few EBay buys which cost less than $35.
Which smoke as well, and which I love as their more expensive rack mates.

As an aside. I enjoy cooking, though I'm by no means a good cook.
My kitchen skills are just a step above basic.
I have a "collection" of artisanal Japanese kitchen knives.
A set of K Mart knives would work as well.
But you should see the smile on my face every time I have one of those beautiful Japanese blades in hand.

A large part of the enjoyment in owning a fine piece of anything, be it a pipe or kitchen knife or musical instrument, is intangible.

 

[Searock Fan]

Shure earbuds and Sony MP3 player at cheap serves me fine. Can't imagine those $$$$ equipments.

That's just it.... you can't imagine. If you heard a really good set up, you wouldn't believe your ears.

The subject of audio has popped up before on this forum. Maybe we need a thread just for it?