Bruyere St. Claude Pipes
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For those who haven't discovered small pipes and their benefits, this is a good opportunity. Small pipes don't replace medium, large and extra large ones, but they serve a great purpose, and can delivered extended smokes with flake and plug, shorter smokes before/after meals or during work breaks, or before or after smokes in larger pipes. Pipe smokers do well to have a few small pipes on hand for their many useful purposes. For sampling of new blends or sampling at pipes shows, small pipes are ideal.
Pipe Alert! tbrad' on his thread about these pipes reports that his apple version ($50) overheated and the varnish on the bowl bubbled. He's going to sand it down and see if it will smoke, but this is not a good sign. I was warming to one of the larger $45 billiards (relatively larger, they are all small) but I think I will not get one now. Many or most of the pipes may be good, but it's hard to tell. This one's cooking its finish is not a hopeful sign.
I finally got around to smoking the SCB billiard I ordered. I'm not experiencing the varnish issue and the pipe seems to smoke reasonably well in all respects, including draw. The bowl does get quite hot but certainly not out of the ordinary for what appears to a typical Gr. 3 billiard. The only squawk is that the button is tiny, about a quarter of an inch wide. Too small for a Softy so I used a piece of silicon tubing which works okay but not great.
Couldn't resist any more and ordered one of these. If nothing else the age is pretty cool, wait and see I guess.
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I can't say enough good things about mine. A little 5" Extra Billiard with an Off-white horn stem.
No worries about the draw here. WIDE open. I smoked some Anniversary Kake last night for the maiden voyage and it was as sweet and delicious from the first puff.
The only pipe I've ever had deliver more in the initial smoke was my David Jones door stop I bought from him a few years ago. Massive Pipe. Great smokes every time.
No worries about the draw here. WIDE open. I smoked some Anniversary Kake last night for the maiden voyage and it was as sweet and delicious from the first puff.
The only pipe I've ever had deliver more in the initial smoke was my David Jones door stop I bought from him a few years ago. Massive Pipe. Great smokes every time.
OK I bought one. Let me say this is a fine pipe for the dough and it smokes well and looks very cool. It is very light and mine has a wide open draw.
having said that...
1. There is some nice grain on the pipe including a bit of birdseye which pleases me to no end. It does have four very obvious fills, but what did I expect for $55.
2. I don't know a horn stem from a hole in the ground but if I had to guess I would say the stem is plastic, not bone or animal part. It is an old timey stem, ovular at the button which is kind of cool.
3. I am a bit concerned because the mortise is lined with cork. Very cool but I am worried about it wearing out. Clean often? Never take it apart?
4. If I had to guess at the date I would say the pipe is from the 1960's, just based on appearance, but what do I know. If anyone else bought one of these and thinks different, feel free to call me an idiot.
I opened a tin of escudo for this pipe and it did really well. I may dedicate the pipe to escudo, it seems to look like an escudo pipe.
having said that...
1. There is some nice grain on the pipe including a bit of birdseye which pleases me to no end. It does have four very obvious fills, but what did I expect for $55.
2. I don't know a horn stem from a hole in the ground but if I had to guess I would say the stem is plastic, not bone or animal part. It is an old timey stem, ovular at the button which is kind of cool.
3. I am a bit concerned because the mortise is lined with cork. Very cool but I am worried about it wearing out. Clean often? Never take it apart?
4. If I had to guess at the date I would say the pipe is from the 1960's, just based on appearance, but what do I know. If anyone else bought one of these and thinks different, feel free to call me an idiot.
I opened a tin of escudo for this pipe and it did really well. I may dedicate the pipe to escudo, it seems to look like an escudo pipe.
Most of these have been a success story, and I'm glad to hear it. They sure look nifty. I'm intrigued at the way smokingpipes.com has phased them onto the website. I wonder how many there are. It's intelligent not to dump them all at once, but unveil them 20 or 30 at a time. These folks know retail. Congrats to everyone who has had a successful experience, which is almost everyone. One or two bad finishes that bubbled, but otherwise, a great revival of pipes from the past, unsmoked.
I am pleased with mine. There was a very thin (and aged?) finish on the exterior, including the rim. Wore off in places with no abuse, so I took some Everclear and paper towel and removed most of the finish. (will get the harder spots in time.) Looks better. Smokes fine anyway, and the briar is smoother with the finish removed.
From my experience with horn stems is they seem very much like acrylic/plastic this first time I saw them, horn polishes up wicked shiny....enjoy!!
I have no complaints about mine other than the button is a little small to support a 7" long pipe comfortably. It's a winner on all other counts.
Received mine, Sisters ! A small fill in one, a very small nick/dent in the other but no complaints. I haven't tried them yet, I think I'll save them for the next trip to the lake.
Is the stem really discolored, or is it the lighting?
I found I liked mine better after I removed the thin layer of varnish or shellac.
I found I liked mine better after I removed the thin layer of varnish or shellac.
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