Choosing Wisely

[judcole]

I had to think for a bit about how to respond to this statement.

If you were blindfolded, and didn't know the name of the pipe you were smoking, all the horse shit with prestige and product status would be eliminated, and a Grabow would likely be preferred over a Dunhill, etc.

I have been hanging around internet pipe groups for about 8 years now, I have seen much discussion of the merits of various brands. I have seen people swear by Dunhill/Peterson, etc., and other folks claim they were overrated. But I have never seen anyone claim that you couldn't tell a Dunhill from a Dr. Grabow in a blind smoke test before. That's a new one on me.

 

[withnail]

As others have said, some cheap pipes smoke very well indeed. As the price goes up, a company has more to loose by letting bad pipes carry their name. Whilst you can never be 100% sure how a pipe will smoke just by looking, there are some things you can look for. Gurgle can be caused by the air hole not being right at the bottom of the bowl as well as a sudden obstruction in the pathway from bowl to mouth. These a two things you can look for in a prospective bargain priced pipe.

 

[carlomarx]

Thanks,everyone! What everyone has said confirms what I've felt in my gut, that there is no objective, 100% sure way of knowing beforehand but that the odds improve with higher end pipes.

Be it rifles, fishing rods, books or bourbon, one should enjoy and use what feels best and works for them. The same applies to pipes and tobacco.

The question came up in my mind the other night while I was enjoying some Boswell's North Woods, and I was reminiscing about my first pipe, a no name pipe I purchased at Hearns drug store in 1967. It was the best smoking pipe I've owned.

So, I thought I'd ask the forum members for their thoughts and I wasn't disapointed. I truly enjoy and appreciate the collegiality on this site.

I've reached the point in my life when I'm begining to indulge my self and I believe the time for a quality pipe has arrived.

This is the second time around as a pipe smoker and for the first time I'm really begining to enjoy the incredible variety of tobacco. So I particuarlly enjoy the tobacco reviews!

I live in a college town, and when I moved here 25 years ago there were two pipe shops but thanks to changing trends and political correctness they are no more. So much for the iconic pipe smoking professor! Fortunately, I live two hours from Boswell's and I visit their store several times a year. By the way, they are wonderful, their service, like their tobacco and pipes is excellent.

Thans again, I hope to be here often, learning and offering what advice and opinions I can.

Carlomarx

 

[chopz]

i bought 2 boswell pipes recently and at a good price. i'm of the opinion you can't go wrong with them.

 

[shaintiques]

If they smoke, it has to be good!