Briar Prices, How Stable?

[mso489]

Stanwell cited the decline in pipe sales as a central factor in their moving pipe manufacture

from Denmark to Italy. Has the decline in pipe sales decreased the price of good briar? Or

did it simply reduce the number of people who harvest it, with the price staying approximately

stable? Was there ever a precipitous dip in pipe prices? If so, I've never heard about it and have

certainly never noticed it. Conceivably, the market should have dipped at some point for a

hay day of low pipe prices, but I've never experienced it, nor heard of it.

 

[zack24]

During our trip to Italy in September, we spent the evening with a 3rd generation cutter whose family has made millions in the pipe business over the past 80 years or so. He said the biggest problem was finding guys willing to trek into the hills and chop the briar out of the ground. A tough, dirty job...Briar definitely is not getting cheaper- most of his best blocks are going to Japan or Russia at premium prices. The family used to have 30 guys actually making pipes- down to four today, but he sells a bunch of briar....