Chronicling an AliExpress Pipe and Purchase for Science

[EvergreenPiper]

You get what you pay for. AliExpress has millions of good vendors and zillions of bad ones. You cannot just generalize them. I would suggest go thru the ratings and check how many they have sold. I will never buy from those sellers/products with less than 5 selling history with under 4.5 stars.

Sharing my experience here. I bought 12 pcs of pipe stands with shipping cost end up with less than $3.00/pcs!!! I compared to the one I purchased from Amazon at $9.99, they are exactly the same!!! Only difference is the shipmetn tooks 3 weeks vs. prime 2-day.

ideapipes Official Store - Amazing prodcuts with exclusive discounts on AliExpress

Discover the wide range of from AliExpress Top Seller ideapipes Official Store.Enjoy ✓Free Shipping Worldwide! ✓Limited Time Sale ✓Easy Return.

ideapipe.aliexpress.com

 

[Kottan]

I have been looking for a replacement s-pen for my new tablet. (My daughter borrowed mine right away). These things are pretty expensive and then I found one for $7.50.Just as I was about to start the buying process I read the magic words 'made in China' and 'Ali Baba'. The purchase did not materialize.

They are probably made in China anyway, as the tablet probably is, but I didn't feel like waiting so long for it and ending up humoring it like I did the two $1 high-end Chinese pipes I bought just out of curiosity.

 

[mikethompson]

You get what you pay for

Exactly. Like I said elsewhere in the thread, I bought my shortwave radio from an aliexpress vendor and it has been great.

 

[karam]

F me. I haven’t laughed like this in a long time. So much for getting the baby asleep in my arms.

SAME!

I am out on the balcony smoking some Peacehaven (mild but good) and chuckled through 16 pages of this thread. My wife wondered what’s so funny!
On a more serious note…WTF this “pipe”.

edit: unintended thread necromancy

 

[AlanH]

Late to the party but this was so funny ?

 

[puff_not_snuff]

You get what you pay for. AliExpress has millions of good vendors and zillions of bad ones. You cannot just generalize them. I would suggest go thru the ratings and check how many they have sold. I will never buy from those sellers/products with less than 5 selling history with under 4.5 stars.

Sharing my experience here. I bought 12 pcs of pipe stands with shipping cost end up with less than $3.00/pcs!!! I compared to the one I purchased from Amazon at $9.99, they are exactly the same!!! Only difference is the shipmetn tooks 3 weeks vs. prime 2-day.
View attachment 59774

ideapipes Official Store - Amazing prodcuts with exclusive discounts on AliExpress

Discover the wide range of from AliExpress Top Seller ideapipes Official Store.Enjoy ✓Free Shipping Worldwide! ✓Limited Time Sale ✓Easy Return.

ideapipe.aliexpress.com

View attachment 59770

Is the one on the left made with gynecologic equipment surplus?

 

[tklee]

I wouldn't trust something with that price too. But actually, when i started smoking pipe not long ago, i bought two pipes from a Chinese vendor whom they claimed they are the pipe maker through my local online shopping platform. One is made out of red sandalwood (red wood color), another one is made of ebony wood (black wood), just like what is described on the $3 pipe u bought. The red sandalwood sucked, the outer-coat layer appeared bubble after 2 round, and it cracked. But the black color one (which is made of ebony wood) lasts well, i'm using it until now. And of course, the ebony wood pipe is more expensive than the red sandalwood pipe. Like EvergreenPiper and some other friends here said, u actually get what u paid for
No harm trying some error, from these two cheap pipes, it pushed me to get a Dr. Plumb briar wood and a Peterson standard system after that :D No regrets trying out those two cheap pipes and then getting those two slightly expensive pipes :D
I just ordered another Briar wood Churchwarden pipe from another China vendor, and a meerschaum pipe from Etsy, let's see what's the outcome after getting it
Ahh, here is some info about ebony wood. Mmmm..... it's not as good as briar wood and pear wood, but good to know

Ebony - Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebony

 

[mso489]

China's reputation with consumer products from dog food to shoes is highly variable. People forget that China is the source of all those superbly made dirt cheap stainless steal kitchen utensils we've all bought at Walmart for decades, and similar niches of excellent manufactured items, not to mention digital chips and electronic gear and chips for our automobiles. But still, there's reason to be skeptical. Some of the products are dreadful, and some of the pipes are some of those. This isn't so much a product test as an entry in a lotto; the pipe could be worthless or shamelessly perfect--just no telling. I await results.

 

[BROBS]

Is the one on the left made with gynecologic equipment surplus?

It’s what the forceps are for

 

[mikethompson]

I await results

Wait no longer Tom!

This very scientific study ended about a year ago.

 

[motie2]

Just read all 16 pages.

Very impressed with the way y’all managed the discussion.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Thanks.

Zombie thread now closed.