Churchwarden recommendations?

[EveningSmoke03]

Hi. I'm looking for recommendations for a nice churchwarden for a friend's birthday present.

He's normally a cigar guy but wants to try out a pipe and asked for one for his birthday because he knows I'm into pipes and since it's a significant birthday I'm happy to get him one. He specifically requested a churchwarden (Lord of the Rings fan), however my only churchwarden is a clay and he's looking for briar so I'm at a little bit of a loss.

It doesn't need to be anything fancy since he's probably only gonna smoke it every now and then, but I'd like it to be at least fairly durable and not the cheap crappy Amazon ones. Normally I'd probably just get an estate but since he's a newer smoker and it's a birthday present I'm planning on buying new. His family is also part Italian and he spent some time in Italy last year so finding an Italian one would be an added bonus.

The budget is probably about $60, but I could probably stretch that to $75 if needed..

Any brand or store recommendations?

 

[Brad H]

Roma makes a cheap churchwarden. It’s been a bit since I bought it, thinking it was 60ish$ from P&C website. I am sure other companies have them, I’m not advocating P&C here

I would recommend getting a bent one over a strait stem. To me it’s easier to hold and smoke. For him it will give him more of the lord of the rings feeling.

 

[FLDRD]

Yeah, definitely a bent stem, as he may have enough issues trying to avoid the rim while lighting, and for me, the bend brings it into better view of the chamber.

 

[EveningSmoke03]

Roma makes a cheap churchwarden. It’s been a bit since I bought it, thinking it was 60ish$ from P&C website. I am sure other companies have them, I’m not advocating P&C here

I would recommend getting a bent one over a strait stem. To me it’s easier to hold and smoke. For him it will give him more of the lord of the rings feeling.

View attachment 435298

Having looked, the three I can find in price range and spec are either the Roma or Paykoc (I have one of their smaller meers and it's an ok smoke but have never smoked their Italian briars) or I looked and Iwan Ries has a line of Mitchell Thomas Italian churchwardens at that price point too that I'm also not familiar with.

Which would you choose?

 

[Brad H]

Having looked, the three I can find in price range and spec are either the Roma or Paykoc (I have one of their smaller meers and it's an ok smoke but have never smoked their Italian briars) or I looked and Iwan Ries has a line of Mitchell Thomas Italian churchwardens at that price point too that I'm also not familiar with.

Which would you choose?

I have 2 Paykoc churchwardens. Both are really great. I’d choose it over Roma. Downside of a churchwarden is it has more stem making it easier to break.

There are also demi-warden pipes. It’s a shorter pipe. They are nice as well.

 

[Dshift]

Butz choquin Balzac Series

 

[wyfbane]

I do not own a Paykoc briar, but have been quite pleased with their Meers for the pricepoint. No help with a Roma, either.

I would like to give you some kudos for giving your friend a nice gift like this and I hope he enjoys which ever pipe you decide on.

 

[BriaronBoerum]

Pipes and Cigars (ducks the storm of rotten fruit and insults thrown at me) is selling Stanwell Hans Christian Anderson churchwardens at a discount, and they come with a short stem, so you're kinda getting two pipes in one. I've only smoked mine twice, but it's a good, comfortable smoker so far.

 

[FLDRD]

Pipes and Cigars (ducks the storm of rotten fruit and insults thrown at me) is selling Stanwell Hans Christian Anderson churchwardens at a discount, and they come with a short stem, so you're kinda getting two pipes in one. I've only smoked mine twice, but it's a good, comfortable smoker so far.

I don't know about the brand, but a shorter stem as an option for a new smoker might be the best choice of all.
Yes, I know he wants a church warden, but then again, he's not yet experienced...

 

[telescopes]

Pipes and Cigars (ducks the storm of rotten fruit and insults thrown at me) is selling Stanwell Hans Christian Anderson churchwardens at a discount, and they come with a short stem, so you're kinda getting two pipes in one. I've only smoked mine twice, but it's a good, comfortable smoker so far.

That would be my recommendation as well.

 

[Dshift]

Here are some photos of the Butz Balzac, which I mentioned previously. They also come with two stems - one short and one extra long, just like the Stanwells. These are pretty rare, i think I have seen only two so far, but they are really cool, with their extra scaly and dragony design. Btw I sold this one in the first month of my pipe restoration journey... For 30€...

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

My #1 recommendation right now is the Ropp Gargantua pipes: https://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/new/Ropp/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=566229
(They do produce a bent model but it's not in stock right now.)
These are the only Churchwarden pipes that I know of with distal taper drilling in the stem, quite a feat for any Churchwarden let alone on a factory pipe, my complements to whoever set up the fabrication on these pipes, the most technically proficient Churchwarden on the market by a wide margin.

This doesn't make it a perfect stem, the button is quite thick (6.5mm) so that will be a turn off for many, but if you don't intend on clenching your Churchwarden then maybe that's not an issue.
The bowl on the Ropp Gargantua is also quite ample, wide and deep, very unlike your average Churchwarden where 90% of other Churchwarden pipes on the market tend to be narrow, shallow and dainty.


Another Churchwarden that impressed me was the Chacom Calabash Churchwarden: https://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/new/Chacom/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=676099
Nice acrylic stem and well put together, and overall this is actually the largest bowl of any factory made briar Churchwarden I've found.

On the spectrum of more ordinary Churchwardens I am also fond of the basic Savinelli 601 for having an above average acrylic stem: https://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/new/savinelli/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=702046
(and the bent stem 601 is in stock right now).

Past that the best budget briar Churchwarden I know of is the BPK Churchwarden from Danish Pipe Shop for around $50:

BPK Churchwarden, glat - The Danish Pipe Shop

Langpiber, churchwarden smoking pipes, long tobacco pipes, tv pipe, TV piben, læsepibe, udvalg af churchwarden piber i københavn danmark

www.danishpipeshop.com

And we must not forget about the MacArthur: MacArthur 5-Star Natural Straight Corn Cob Pipe - CornCobPipe.com - https://corncobpipe.com/product/macarthur-5-star-natural-corn-cob-pipe/
The $1 plastic stems from Missouri Meerschaum are still the best designed stems on the market bar none so you're getting arguably the best smoking experience in the world with the MacArthur Cob, assuming you're in the market for a Cob.
(Within the genre of Cobs there is also the Cobbit series which are very attractive Churchwarden pipes, but those pipes having a Vulcanite stem means the draw is much more restricted and I much prefer the MacArthur over the Cobbit.)