Brylon?

[moldyoldy]

Any sane, objective opinions about Brylon? Seems like from what I've heard, it's a love/hate relationship, I've yet to have heard a happy median story.....Seems like there's some decent deals on these to be had on the 'bay...I have my two cheapie Missouri Meerschaum hardwoods, seemed like they'd be a good beginner pipe....I don't want to lay out a wad of cash on something I might not stick with, and usually my puffing is when I'm in my workshop or garden, so seemed like Brylon would be a nice little step up.....or are they really SO terrible, that in getting one, I'd kinda doom my pipe career, so to speak? :puffpipe:

 

[jacks6]

I'd stick with the MM's

 

[mso489]

I floated at least one Brylon thread a few years ago. For starters, remember you can get some good briar pipes fairly inexpensively; see the current Father's Day sale at pipes and cigars for example. Not a lot of money for some good real briar pipes. Now about Brylon. It's heavy for its size. It doesn't insulate so well so it tends to get hot to the touch. It is not pretty. It ages like a Rubbermaid bucket -- not badly, but not with any character either. One Forums member really liked his. He is/was a fire reclamation professional, and he liked the durable aspect of Brylon that could resist wear and tear and dirt and grease. So that's a recommendation. Brylon pipes are often about $20 new, or a few bucks more, so they should cost nearly nothing on ebay. Are Brylon pipes terrible? No. Are they a good inviting introduction to pipe smoking? Most would say not. If you must, give one a try and tell us all about it. It might be a point of pride for someone to only smoke Brylon. Not me.

 

[fishfly]

I have one brylon. For me, it's the perfect truck/fishing pipe. It doesn't seem any heavier than low price briars (yellow bowls, medicos) and as long as I don't push it too far, smokes fairly cool. It's got a durable acrylic stem, and can bounce around on the floor of my truck with no damage. I don't have to worry about scorching the rim with a Djeep while driving. I paid under $5 on e-bay, so it was cheaper than the Cob that shares the truck/boat with it. And I don't chew through the stem like I do on a cob. If I drop it overboard, I won't be devastated, but I might consider replacing it with another brylon.

 

[mcitinner1]

Like Mso said...example...
http://www.pipesandcigars.com/brands/1549/dr-grabow/?type=Pipes

 

[papipeguy]

I have a Brylon I bought about 40 years ago. It sits in a pipe stand to remind me of my folly.

 

[wilson]

I had one brylon many years ago. Never again. Never. Get a cob if you need to go low budget.

 

[newbroom]

There is comfort in traveling with a brylon pipe. They are rather impervious. They LOOK quite briarly.

As for imparting any flavor, they do not. Just the tobacco. So? Not all bad, right there.

Easy to maintain, check.

Durable, check

Affordable, check.

Smoked intelligently, these can be valuable assets. Same for "The Pipe".

I would NOT recommend them for newbies. In fact, maybe one reason it took me to the ripe old age of 66 to really appreciate pipe smoking was in part due to the heat factor I always activated as a novice over 40 yrs ago.

 

[mso489]

I have some low-end briar pipes that stand in place of a Brylon pipe and are more pleasing to the touch and eye, like a briar Yello-Bole, Kaywoodie Saxon, and Kaywoodie Ruff-Tone. For take-along, car, travel, etc., these are my go-to pipes. Losing them wouldn't be a financial hit, but in terms of sentiment, I'd miss any one of them a lot. I bought them new, in the range of $20-$25. 4noggins has some real briar Medico pipes that are thrifty-priced.
http://www.4noggins.com/medico-varsity-pipe.aspx

 

[greysmoke]

Mine was long since discarded. Very hot and very heavy.

 

[moldyoldy]

Saw a guy on eBay, who's up in Maine & sells reconditioned Kaywoodies, Medicos, etc....seems like he has pretty decent prices....Maybe once I master this thing, I'll look into it....

 

[condorlover1]

The Byron is the pipe worlds answer to IKEA. Ghastly, nasty and generally all round unpleasant things but great for use as a wedge or a hammer.

 

[mso489]

If you have more than six or eight briar, cob or Meerschaum pipes, I think a Brylon would be clutter and a redundancy, even as an oddity, unless you have some kind of especially dusty, greasy, muddy workplace where a briar or cob could not happily live. Then I think Brylon might fill the bill. How enough are sold to maintain the lines, this is a mystery. I'm guessing mostly new pipe smokers who are attracted to the very low price.

 

[moldyoldy]

"The Byron is the pipe worlds answer to IKEA. Ghastly, nasty and generally all round unpleasant things but great for use as a wedge or a hammer."....LMAO......

 

[snagstangl]

I have one. I smoke it sometimes. I think last time I smoked it I think it was paladin black cherry, first half of the bowl was fine, last half I dumped because I wanted something else. Just make sure you smoke...slow.... I also wouldn't pay more than 10 bucks for one. But again pretty indestructible, you could call it a technique tester. I also think it looks less ridiculous than a cob.

 

[moldyoldy]

"you could call it a technique tester. I also think it looks less ridiculous than a cob. ".......that's kinda my feelings, too....It'll force me to slow down, so maybe it'll actually help me. Also agree with the cob thing....yeah. I "get it", they're cheap beginner pipes & smoke cool, but I'd just feel like I fell off the set of "Hee-Haw"......

"How enough are sold to maintain the lines, this is a mystery. I'm guessing mostly new pipe smokers who are attracted to the very low price."......I was kinda wondering that, too......if they're so terrible, how are they still selling them after 50 years.....maybe it was just one hell of a production run, and they've been coasting on excess inventory since 1965...... :P

 

[cobguy]

Most of the replies have indicated that Brylon would be a bad choice and I echo that opinion.
For the price, you cannot beat the smoking qualities of a Cob ... let go of that worry about image and enjoy a good smoke. ::

 

[igloo]

Mine lives in my Plano tackle box it does not care if it gets wet .

 

[igloo]

http://www.thepipe.info/sitemap.html

 

[newbroom]

I didn't seek out my brylon, or my The Pipe. I bought them on ebay when I first started smoking pipes without knowing that they were not briar.

I felt ashamed, ignorant, and foolish.

Now, I try to assuage those feelings by touting the positive qualities I've found in these sturdy brutes.

I took solace from listening to this pipes magazine radio broadcast,

billy taylor