Brands and Shapes-Why Do You Like Them?

[mikeysmokes]

Hey all,

Just wondering what brands and shapes people like and why. Does it help enhance flavor? Is the smoke cooler as a result of shape?
Again, relatively new, but for instance is there much that separates Savinelli, Peterson and Stanwell? I mention these three because they seem to be staples and probably make up a good deal of collections.
If you were buying a pipe between $100-$150, what're you looking at?
Edited by jvnshr: Title capitalization (please check Rule #9)

 

[seacaptain]

I'm a big Savinelli fan and I don't think you'll find anyone on the forum that would have anything negative to say about them.
Peterson - you'll get mixed reviews. They had a quality control problem there for awhile. Not sure if it's still much of a problem or not. I owned one a few years ago and didn't like it.
Stanwell - no personal experience, so I'll leave that to others.
What I will say is for $100-$150, you can get an awesome Savinelli and you won't be disappointed. I prefer pipes with wide shallow bowls because I like 20 minute smokes, and that would be Savinelli 305, 315 and 316 shapes.

 

[flakyjakey]

Hi Mikey,
My battalion is dominated by old British pipes (including pre-rep Petersons) - Barlings, Comoys, Dunhills &c.
Except for my Stanwells - I have ten different shapes from the 50's era (easy to spot by the absence of a crown on the "S" logo). These are great pipes; perfectly engineered and incredibly light in weight, none of mine weighing more than an ounce. You can pick up a good estate 50's Stanwell for around $100.

 

[newbroom]

My pipes have been mostly estate pipes of a variety of brands and cobs.

I like smoking older briar pipes, and have several American made old briars, many of them Grabows.

Burley blends in cobs seem to always work.

Conical bowls lend themselves to flakes that have minimal preparation, simple fold and stuff.

I've got Peterson, Stanwell, and Savinelli, along with Dunhill, Comoys, Barling, Butz Choquin, Ascorti, Lorenzo and more, and have never come close to spending even $100 on a pipe.

If I were to buy a new pipe from one of the three vendors OP mentioned, I think it would be a Savinelli.

 

[tschiraldi]

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I'm a big Savinelli fan and I don't think you'll find anyone on the forum that would have anything negative to say about them.

The only Savinelli pipes I would consider owning are the non-filtered pipes. I have had a few made for the 6mm Balsa inserts and absolutely hate them! They get clogged up at the worst times, when you can't fiddle with changing them out! Many will say "use the adapter or just smoke it without them", but this changes the draw...think wind tunnel. Current production Petersons suck IMHO.

Stanwell, on the other hand are really solid pipes and are an excellent value... non-filtered of course. Great designs and good QC.

 

[aldecaker]

Brands?
I like Savinelli with the 6mm balsa system because they smoke a dryer blend well with no balsa inserted, and they smoke a wetter blend well with the balsa inserted. Plus, they're a well-made pipe all around.
I like Missouri Meerschaum cobs because cobs just give me a great smoke, and MM is the only real name in the game anymore.
I like Grabows for two reasons. One is pure nostalgia for a great old American product that was my first pipe- a Savoy from back when Grabows were a lot prettier than they are today. The other reason is that Savinelli balsa thing; they take a 6mm just like my Savs.
Shapes? I just really like the way bulldogs look. No other reason.

 

[johnsteam86]

I love the Savinelli's and have yet been able to try the other ones mentioned. Most of my collection is MM and a one that I have made myself but not finished yet. For the price range depending on where you buy you can get a really good one of your shape and liking really easy.
As for shapes that is a really hard question because there are so many shapes and so little ashtray space. If I had to narrow it down to two I would probably say the Billiard and the poker. The billiard in that classic bent style gives a Jeffersonian feel in your hand that can transport you through time when the work day was about 5 hours with a 3 hour lunch in between. The poker set sails your mind with your peg legged friend looking for the next tin around the bend. Either way time slows itself to the gentle cadence and thoughts become more clear with each passing puff of smoke that leaves to become a piece of complete thought.
The only way to find which one you would really like is to go out and try them for yourself. Estate pipes is a good start because you can get a really, really good deal on a high end pipe. That's about all I can think of right now.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I really admire the old Stanwells, and some pretty famous pipemakers have been involved with their earlier production pipes. So, if history matters to you, you might take a look at some of the older estate Stanwells.
Savinellis are a solid choice. I don't use the filter, nor the inserts, but I like the open easy-going draw. You just might find cleaning them a pain.
Petersons... my dad always said that when you can't think of anything good to say, just keep your mouth shut. He also told me not to smoke, so I'll just say that I would avoid those... but, we have many members here who seem to really like those things. So... go figure.
I would suggest looking through estate pipes. If you are just getting into this, and the idea of fiddling with a pipe to clean it up or make it smoke well doesn't appeal to you, we have several excellent vendors that sponsor this site, and they will solidly stand behind their product.

Check out https://www.blueroombriars.com/

http://www.pipestud.com/

http://mkelaw-pipes.com/

http://smokingpipes.com/
those guys have the best selections that I know of and the pipe should come ready to smoke. More bang for your buck.
As to brand loyalty. I am not loyal to any brand, but I have a few independent pipemakers that I absolutely love their work. But, I collect only bulldogs and dublin shaped pipes, because for me, those two shapes allow the artisan to play with the proportions, dimensions, and come up with some beautiful functional art and still keep it within the classification. I have other shapes, but mostly because I picked them up before I knew what I wanted.

But, other than Petersons, any brand or pipe shape should give you a good smoke. I still look for variety in all of my new pipes to keep giving me new experiences in smoking.
You didn't mention them, but Chacom makes a damn fine pipe for the price.

 

[midwestpipesmoker70]

As far as shapes making a difference, I find that the short or stubby pipes such as the stubby poker smokes virginina blends too hot for my taste. I like a longer stem curved or straight, to allow for a cooler smoke which make blends heavier in Virginia and orientals really pop with flavor. I smoke mostly blends with latakia in short pipes as I don't notice the loss of flavor as much nor the feeling of a hot smoke. Just my opinion. I don't smoke aromatics much but when I do I prefer a longer pipe to again give just a little bit of time for the smoke to cool and flavors to hit my tongue.

 

[coyja]

I like Savinelli with the 6mm balsa system because they smoke a dryer blend well with no balsa inserted, and they smoke a wetter blend well with the balsa inserted. Plus, they're a well-made pipe all around.
I like Missouri Meerschaum cobs because cobs just give me a great smoke, and MM is the only real name in the game anymore.
I like Grabows for two reasons. One is pure nostalgia for a great old American product that was my first pipe- a Savoy from back when Grabows were a lot prettier than they are today. The other reason is that Savinelli balsa thing; they take a 6mm just like my Savs.

LOL, ditto to all of this! (My first Grabow was a Duke, though!)

 

[midwestpipesmoker70]

And don't forget to add bowl size into the equation. With time and experimentation you will figure out what works for you.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Well, early on, you may want to just vary your sizes to see what size it is that you prefer, like rig sizes on cigars. You just have to try them. I have found that wider bowls do not necessarily mean a longer smoke. Sometime a wider pipe can smoke faster than a more narrow one. If you think of it as width x's depth ratios, then you will better figure out a time it takes to smoke, although not necessarily a direct mathematical equation. a .95" wide by 1.2" deep pipe may smoke faster than a .7" wide by 1.5" deep pipe, however, I have quite a few stacks and stovepipe pipes that are around 3" or more deep, but they don't seem to smoke an enormously longer amount of time.
So, just try different chamber dimensions with different types of blends, and note which ones appeal to you. Your experiences may not be the same as others on this forum. So, YMMV.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Yes, varied sizes. And not necessarily to end up choosing one. I have dozens of different sizes, and am glad for it. The only bowls I don't like are pots.

 

[mso489]

Those are three good brands, but there are many. You do have to learn the different ones and avoid pipes that are shoddy. Shop a lot, at your leisure, and buy relatively few. Shopping slowly also gives you time to encounter some really good sales and discounts. Recently pipesandcigars offered brush brown Stanwell pipes in various shapes for $39.99. With some patience and learned know-how, you can buy good smoking pipes at really moderate prices. French pipes are often good bargains dollar for dollar, franc for franc. Nothing replaces slow patient study of online retailers and, if possible, pipe shops and pipe shows, and highly selective purchases, one at a time if you can summon the self-discipline; buying one pipe will make you consider and compare and bring the choice down to a well honed point.

 

[irishearl]

I would disagree with the posters saying to stay clear of Peterson pipes. The Kinsale line can be had for $105-125 and feature those great Sherlock Holmes shapes. Have 3 and couldn't be more pleased, though I would encourage folks who buy these to stick with the rusticated finish as some years back did hear some anecdotes of a few smooth finish ones having their surfaces blister.

 

[mikeysmokes]

Gents, solid input all around.
Makes me happy I went with a Sav for my first premium pipe, as it were. It's a 106 Oceano to be exact.

As for shapes that is a really hard question because there are so many shapes and so little ashtray space. If I had to narrow it down to two I would probably say the Billiard and the poker. The billiard in that classic bent style gives a Jeffersonian feel in your hand that can transport you through time when the work day was about 5 hours with a 3 hour lunch in between. The poker set sails your mind with your peg legged friend looking for the next tin around the bend. Either way time slows itself to the gentle cadence and thoughts become more clear with each passing puff of smoke that leaves to become a piece of complete thought.

This is poetic right here. I dig it.
Cosmic, the history of it isn't a bad consideration either. I'd be interested to learn more about IDing older pipes and what to look for in estate pipes.
Different blends and how they smoke, also interesting to consider. Also when it comes to individual tastes. So far I have 7 pipes- 3 MM 3 basket and the Sav, which I've yet to smoke. Since it is my first "nicer" pipe, I haven't decided yet what to smoke out of it. As for shapes/sizes I somewhat like simple, compact designs. I like freehand, but I don't care for sizable pieces.
I've also seen mention of birth year pipes and I had questions on that, but not sure if I should start a separate thread.

 

[lifesizehobbit]

For $100-$150 - Savinelli is one of the best choices going. Their shaping and smokeability of their product is consistently excellent. If seriously considering a pipe in that range, think about spending a bit more and look at Boswell pipes; they load new offerings every Tuesday on their website and it tends to empty very quickly.
My pipe preferences somewhat dictate the brand choice for me. I tend to like shorter, stubbier and I guess you could say "masuline" or work horse shapes. For example, Savinelli's 320 Author, Peterson's XL21 or 150 Bulldogs. I have two Boswell nose warmers and three Rick Black morta pipes that fit my tastes.
The most fun of this hobby is that your tastes in pipes and tobacco's will most likely change and there are so many options. Never a dull moment.

 

[warren]

A possible new purchase must be bent to some degree or another, and a conventional bowl shape. Then it's all fit, feel, finish and heft. Once I get it outside the store, mouth feel and then a few bowls to determine if it will be in the rotation or the trash.
I can't offer a suggestion regarding inexpensive pipes. They just don't catch my eye any longer. If one did, I would have no problem buying it though. My latest purchases all seem to have a bit of silver which runs the cost up.

 

[cigrmaster]

In my opinion you made the smart move choosing Savinelli. I started my smoking career with one and I still own it over 20 years later. It showed me what a good pipe is supposed to smoke like. It gave me a frame of reference so that if I did pick a lousy pipe down the road I would know it.
Pick a blend and fire the Savinelli up. If it is a 6mm, I would smoke it without the filter and adapter. I have owned a few of those pipes and they all smoked great without filter and adapter. You just need to pack your pipe a little firmer. When packing your pipe check the draw before lighting up, I prefer there to be a little resistance. Good luck with your new Savinelli and enjoy the journey.
edit. I forgot about the shapes you asked about. I prefer Dublins, Apples, Billiards, Rhodesians, Lovats. I am all about traditional shapes. Most of my pipes fall into the group 4-5 size as I feel they smoke my flakes best. I smoke flakes 98 percent of the time. If you haven't tried one yet, give it a shot.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I prefer Dublins, Apples, Billiards, Rhodesians, Lovats. I am all about traditional shapes.

Same. With lots of bents among these (maybe 1/3 of my pile have a bend, sometimes only the stem.)
As to size, all over the place on some, but most hew to a medium-large size.