Budget Pipes?

[mephistopheles]

Gentlemen,
I'll cut to the chase, I need a new pipe. Recommendations are greatly appreciated. Please keep in mind that I'm a college student so my budget is limited. I'd like to spend no more than $30 clams if possible.
I hear great things about cobs. I hear great things about briars. What direction should I go? Missouri Meerschaum and Mr. Brog are what I've been primarily browsing.

 

[mcitinner1]

http://www.pipesandcigars.com/samplers/77028/corn-in-the-usa-i-gift-set/#p-114041

http://www.pipesandcigars.com/samplers/77048/corn-in-the-usa-ii-gift-set/#p-140355
Here's a couple of affordable options.

 

[phil67]

Good recommendation. Most definitely go for the MM cobs rather than a cheap briar. Then, save some money on the side to see how it goes and opt for a decent price briar.

 

[danielplainview]

Dr Grabow pipes are the bang for your buck. Consistently great smokers that will last a lifetime.

 

[mso489]

Please look at the following: Chapuis-Comoy at tobaccopipes.com in the $30=$40 range, in briar, no filter,

fine French briars well drilled and ready to last decades. Small pipes perfect for flake blends, EWA's, at

Iwanries.com, all in briar, in the $35-$45 range. Walnut stained briar pipes at the end of the Butz-Chocum

offerings, not stamped, but good pipes, I think, at $44, at Cup'o'Joes.com. Any of these will match up

with a group of three or four cobs for a good newbie rotation. You'll be glad you looked.

 

[instymp]

+1 MSO, in the short long run, briars last a long time and $$ saved.

 

[mephistopheles]

Gentlemen,
I checked out the pipes recommended. There are certainly some interesting pieces out there in my range.
Speaking of cobs, what Missouri Meerschaum offerings are considered to be the best?
Speaking of briars, how do Dr. Grabow pipes compare to Chapuis-Comoy?

 

[i8ball]

briars for sure, not saying cobs are bad but from personal experince more care for them and break a lot easyer. i can forget my briar is in my pocket and not worry about banging into a door or something cant do that with my cobs.

 

[jeepnewbie]

Asking briars vs cobs, or low price briars in this place will get you a lot of random opinions. You have guys that love MM and swear by them, then you have some that swear by briar, then others that kinda shun buying any briar below certain price ranges 30, 50, 100, etc. I've tried a few except nothing I own is over 300 price range.
Go with what you like, is the best advice I have ever heard on this forum. I forgot who said it, as this question has been asked multiple times.
MM gives you great affordability and have really great pipes. Briar pipes have such a huge variety, the main thing to stay away from is cheap knock offs with metal bowls, paint all over the pipe, and other useless things trying to make it look nice. I own a few basket pipes that were less than 30 bone spent nothing below the 20 range (shun me if you must), how ever they smoke great. I own a few Dr. Grabow pipes and it was my first pipe ever, and they smoke great. I own a couple that cost more than 100, and a calabash, and a couple meerschaums that cost quite a bit, I love them all. As far as which one to get? Get the one you like and can afford.
I own one Comoy and it was a antique store find, and I love it. As far as Mr. Brog I have yet to try one of those but hard some good things on them. Good luck and let us know what you go for!

 

[papajoe]

Mr. Brog's pipe are in this range. They are made off pear wood but are great to smoke. I like them better then the Briar I got.

 

[petes03]

Check out some Nording "Eriksen" pipes. The Eriksen line usually runs between $40-50, and are (IMO) some of the best pipes you can get for less than $100.

Don't rule out a Dr. Grabow either, especially if you can find one in their Royalton line.

 

[newbroom]

You need a NEW pipe. What is your experience thus far? Your old pipe and tobacco choices, for instance?

What is your primary objective in smoking a pipe?

Cobs are not only inexpensive but almost foolproof and and I think the learning curve with them is more gentle.

The easiest and least expensive rotation would be comprised of cobs.

Get a bag 'o seconds for less than $40.00 delivered, and you'll have 10 cobs. MM's website has them.

 

[mso489]

To compare Chapuis-Comoy to Dr. Grabow, they are both good pipes, and I have both, a Dr. Grabow Royalton bulldog, and

a Chapius zulu. I would recommend the Chapuis only because it is a filterless pipe, so there is nothing extra to buy, and

you will get a more complete idea of the flavor of the tobacco blends you sample. You can smoke the Dr. Grabow without its

filter, but the draw will be very open and it makes it a little more difficult to get the hang of smoking technique. But many

start with Dr. Grabow and like them fine. One other piece of advice: A number of low price pipes are made of Brylon, a synthetic

briar substitute. Don't start with one of these. Most people don't like them. They smoke hot and are not typical pipes at all.

A few Forums members like them for rough duty, like toting to fire damage clean-ups on the job and such. But it is a specialty

item, not a good pipe for beginners despite their low-low price, usually below twenty bucks. You will be alert to Brylon because

the bowls are really thin in the photos.

 

[mephistopheles]

My history with pipe smoking is rather limited.
I've tried three pipes, all Missouri Meerschaum and not cobs. My first pipe was a MM Ozark Mini which is a birch pipe. My second was a MM Hardwood Diplomat which had a maple bowl. I had put up another topic discussing how the Diplomat was extremely sour and so I pitched it because nothing I did could get that thing into proper shape. I had picked those up due to cost and for the sake of durability.
I've tried three tobaccos, all aromatics. My first tobacco was a Russ' Monthly Blend - Snow Drift from PipesandCigars. My second was Sutliff Frosty Mint and I've recently tried Lane 1Q (love that smore scent).
My objective in smoking a pipe is probably the same as everyone else. It's simply an enjoyable past time. For me it's part of establishing a period of calm. It's kind of my Zen time if that makes any sense. I've enjoyed the flavor and scent of the fresh tobacco that I've tried.
I'm essentially hitting the reset button on my smoking experience. New pipe, new tobacco. I wasn't aware of the proper storing method for aromatic tobacco (you know, jarring things up) and so what I have on hand has lost its flavor.
I recently found this topic:

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/storing-aromatics-how-long-can-they-last?replies=45#post-695763
The topic explains how "some" aromatics can lose flavor even when stored. Well, most of my stuff wasn't jarred for a few months and just sat on my desk in the baggies it came in. With the Sutliff tobacco the flavor was gone within a week and it just tastes kind of neutral. The Sutliff I've only had for about two weeks now and it's been rehdyrated and jarred but as I said, the flavor is just gone. I don't think there is any helping it. Everything else is in about the same shape - flavor lost.
My intention after I get a new pipe is to move on from aromatics for the most part. I'm curious about non-aromatics. The first tobacco that was recommended to me was called "Frog Morton's Cellar". I'm tempted to pick up the whole Frog Pack as a good way to experiment with a variety of non-aromatic blends. From what I was told the circular tins that it comes in can store the tobacco for years without issue. If this advice is sound then the tins eliminate the potential for my last botched storage attempt (or lack there of). Regardless, I learned my lesson and have Ball canning jars on hand moving forward.
I'm a fast learner and pipe smoking technique has come pretty naturally to me. I want to move forward with the techniques that I've used and streamlined with a high rate of success (smoking all the way to the bottom with limited relights and no/limited tongue bite).

 

[mephistopheles]

Gentlemen,
Thank you for all the advice! :mrgreen:
I've done a lot of shopping around and I seem to be leaning toward either a Chapuis-Comoy or an EWA pipe. For the price they seem to be really great. I also like that they don't take filters. That's just one less thing to worry about.
Here are links if anyone is interested in seeing what I'm browsing:

http://www.iwanries.com/ewa-C1860.cfm

http://www.tobaccopipes.com/chapuis-comoy-pipes/
Now I've just got to decide on a model. It's so hard! I'm definitely going with one of those brands though. That's a done deal. Any thoughts on how they compare are appreciated.
In addition to the above, I've been looking at clay pipes, but as a totally separate purchase once I come into more funds:

http://shop.pipeshoppe.com/product/shakespeare-sonnet-elizabethan-clay-pipe-buy-4/
How do you gents feel about them as budget pipes? From what I've read they are affordable, do not impart a flavor to the tobacco, are cleaned/purified by fire (Ooooh! :twisted, and the downsides are that they are fragile and some have smaller bowls due to tobacco being more expensive when they were more commonplace.

 

[mcitinner1]

I think you might like McClelland's 'Deep Hollow'. I've seen it called both an aromatic, AND a non aromatic. It
http://www.pipesandcigars.com/pipe-tobacco/39937/mcclelland-craftsbury-collection-deep-hollow/
has a nice tin note that is earthy to me.

 

[mso489]

meph', for a first pipe the Chapuis might be most useful and satisfying because they will run more medium size, then maybe

an Ewa later for a small pipe, for short smokes, flake tobacco, sampling, etc. But either one would work fine.

 

[7ach]

I do feel special whenever i get a new one

 

[bulldogbriar89]

mephistopheles i sent you a message

 

[phil67]

I would most definitely place the clay pipes on a side burner for now. Save your money for the more easily manageable pipes, be they briar or cobs for the time being. To be quite honest, I've never had a clay pipe, don't have the faintest interest in them and simply consider them as an 'historical curiosity'. That certainly doesn't make them bad, but keep your eye/money on the task at hand as it were. One step at a time... :wink: