Chacom Hate?

[Mantis_Shankman]

It seems like my little corner of the pipe smoking world is a bit of a “Cult of Personality” around two Pipesmokers who both have negative opinions of Chacom. Because of this many of the members of my Pipe club avoid them, or think that they are not good pipes.
The owner of my local Pipe shop also complains that “They don’t sell that well and are never in stock”
I assumed that this was a broader pattern, and not just a local thing. It’s good to see that it isn’t, because I tend to get really great Ebay deals on Chacoms, and for this reason I have added a few more to my collection recently.
It could also be anti-French bigotry

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Chacoms are very affordable. I can easily see someone disparaging them because they are cheap. Personally, I don't brag about cheap things either. But, on this forum, we have quite a few penny pinchers, who brag about corn cobs, and thrifty bags of dime store tobaccos. So... ha ha

 

[Briar Tuck]

Chacoms are very affordable. I can easily see someone disparaging them because they are cheap. Personally, I don't brag about cheap things either. But, on this forum, we have quite a few penny pinchers, who brag about corn cobs, and thrifty bags of dime store tobaccos. So... ha ha

You forgot to add Dollar Tree Croc lighters. I've been using mine a lot lately, not to brag.

 

[Zero]

I forgot about their Churchill line, handsome I think. If I ever pick up another Chacom or 2 or 3, it will be from this line.

 

[Singularis]

Chacom is probably near the top or at least in the middle of the list of 18 pipe brands that I hope to own some day. I have no idea what that list of 18 brands also includes -- though Castello, Ashton, Dunhill, BBB, Barling, Eltang, Musico, Ropp, and Maestro Geppetto are probably all in there with Chacom.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

View attachment 208208I am pretty sure he is referring to these. I don’t have any of the lacquered ones either. But I must admit, it does seem like a thick coating… this wouldn’t be my cup of tea.

In the past I have had a pair of heavy lacquered Chacoms, although those represented classic shapes ,both smoked relatively hot and were fitted with acrylic stems as well, also I like the fact that quite a many of French-made pipes still have uncoated chambers,nowadays the majority of Chacom seem to have acrylic stems while the sub-brand of Chacom , the Jeantet all comes with the cheapish Ebonite stems ,same as Ropp and Genods

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

View attachment 208208I am pretty sure he is referring to these. I don’t have any of the lacquered ones either. But I must admit, it does seem like a thick coating… this wouldn’t be my cup of tea.

Lovely stem on it, tho.

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

I like the look of their morta Pipe Of The Year 2019

​

 

[mikethompson]

So the "Why Do People Hate Chacom Pipes" thread has turned into the "Why I Love My Chacom Pipe" thread.

I don't have one, but they have always appealed to me.

 

[renfield]

A Chacom was amongst the first few pipes I bought decades ago. It still gets smoked occasionally. No complaints about my Chacom but I’m widely known to have incomprehensibly poor taste.

 

[telescopes]

Chacolm pipes are just fine. If one is going to dismiss them, then one might as well as dismiss Peterson, Savinelli, and all of the other middle level pipe makers while they are at it.

I have never, until this thread, heard anyone hate on Chacolm. It must be a regional thing started by a couple of French Hating bourbon drinkers. LOL.

 

[mortonbriar]

I smoked mine this week, it is a great pipe.

Where are you meeting these haters?

Oh boy, it was a Comoy's I smoked...I don't think I own a Chacom. Please disregard my flippant addition to what was otherwise a sound piece of statistical analysis.

 

[anotherbob]

sounds to me like one of those Jeff is the expert and he hates them they must be bad. And mixture 79 is a great blend.

 

[Winnipeger]

I used to own this pipe:

I liked it a lot. It's the only pipe I ever lost. Left it on the roof of my car and drove off down the highway.

I think about it wistfully some days, like when I'm reminded of it by threads like this one.

 

[rmbittner]

I used to own this pipe:
View attachment 208348
I liked it a lot. It's the only pipe I ever lost. Left it on the roof of my car and drove off down the highway.

I think about it wistfully some days, like when I'm reminded of it by threads like this one.

Headline: “Pipesmokers Hate Chacom: ‘They’re too easy to lose!’”

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I used to own this pipe:
View attachment 208348
I liked it a lot. It's the only pipe I ever lost. Left it on the roof of my car and drove off down the highway.

I think about it wistfully some days, like when I'm reminded of it by threads like this one.

I really like that pipe... a nice tulip shape on the bowl, the canted forward, the reverse taper up the shank, nice lines... I'm sorry you lost it.


Has anyone else noticed that the new Radices seem to lean more towards the chunky, blockish, sort of modern look? He has always had some of his pipes being artsy, but most of his line up was traditional. Now, less traditional, and more slumpy, blockish, chonk chonk...

 

[Winnipeger]

I really like that pipe... a nice tulip shape on the bowl, the canted forward, the reverse taper up the shank, nice lines... I'm sorry you lost it.

This was an unsmoked estate 2016 pipe of the year. It was actually exactly what I was looking for at the time, in terms of shaping, chamber dimensions, finish, right down to the Cumberland (Vulcanite) stem. I looked at it for about 2 seconds before hitting "buy now." Great feel in hand. I have yet to find a suitable replacement for it. I think my dogs were acting up and I got distracted trying to load them in the car and forgot I had put the pipe down on the roof, instead of putting it in my pocket.

To the OP, I wouldn't consider buying most Chacom pipes because they feature acrylic stems, and yes, the thick lacquer (on their cheaper products) is a turnoff. BUT, they have a wide range, and some beautiful classics. As with anything, you get what you pay for...but French pipes in general (including Chacom) are as good or bad as any other pipes. The difference is, high end French pipes often cost a fraction of what you'd pay for something comparable "Made in England". YMMV.

 

[The Clay King]

I too, would like to know where you’re meeting these Chacom haters.
I’m an Englishman & will have a crack at the French, every chance I get. Nothing whatsoever wrong with their pipes though, of which ‘Chacom’ is probably the most respected brand.

@simong So that's why you like to see me in the Redcoat uniform smoking a clay pipe then
@Ahi Ka has challenged me to an England vs New Zealand clay pipe smoke-off; redcoat vs All Black / Maori
I found this video of Sharpe hilarious; Sean Bean's from just up the road from me in Sheffield:

 

[Zeno Marx]

When I started smoking, the Dunhill/anglophile crowd was where I heard anti-Chacom talk. Loyalists are often full of s**t. At the time, I suspected it was borne out of some oddball, out of place and time loyalty to England and its history with France.

 

[logs]

Chacom made a ton of low grade pipes for B&M shops who would then stamp their names on the stems. Made them seem like hacks.