Considering wading into the estate game...looking for advice

[andya27]

So far I've purchased primarily new pipes. And then I read about all the great deals some folks find out in the wild.
Unless it's an unsmoked estate pipe, there's always the risk that there may be some issues with the pipe, which is why I've been cautious about estates.
There is a pipe that I like the looks of, and I am told it has "minor charring in the chamber." The seller is a reputable person, so I'm confident that the description is accurate. And so I guess my questions would be - is this one to definitely stay away from? Or can it still be a good smoker with minor charring?

 

[pruss]

I agree with Newbie. If you can't get a clear definition of what the vendor means by "charring in the chamber" then run for the hills.
Without proper identification this could be anything from cake build up to a burnout.
As far as wading into the "estate game" in general, if you aren't able to (or interested in) clean up (sanitize, surface clean and remove oxidization) estate pipes then I would encourage you to purchase from reputable estate vendors who sell cleaned and sanitized pipes that are ready to smoke. There are a number of site sponsors and other vendors who specialize in estate pipes.
Have fun, and good luck with the hunt.
-- Pat

 

[andya27]

The seller is one of our sponsoring vendors. I'd feel a bit awkward posting a photo of the pipe in this thread.
I guess my question would be better stated - is charring of any amount, be it minor or not, going to make the pipe a bad smoker?
I suspect that being a fairly new smoker, I've charred my share of chambers on some of my pipes without even knowing it.

 

[pruss]

The seller is one of our sponsoring vendors.

Then if this is the case, I'd encourage you to reach out to them directly either via PM here, or through their email/website. I haven't met a vendor yet, through this site, that wasn't a stand-up shoot-straight kinda vendor. Also, I don't know any of the vendors here who would knowingly move a pipe that had a fatal flaw like a burnout.
$0.05 in the bucket.
-- Pat

 

[xrundog]

If a pipe has been smoked at all, it has charring in the chamber. The whole point of buying an estate (for me anyway) is to get a nice pipe in good condition at a great price. And it doesn't have to be broken in! It should be charred or carbonized. However you want to say it. But not caked.
I sell mine described as "normal charring from use".
The only way for it not to be charred would be to drill the chamber out larger. In my opinion that changes a fundamental characteristic of the pipe.
Charred but clean is perfectly okay.

 

[andya27]

You know, there are so many pipes out there, I think the bowl charring one is out of consideration. I found others I prefer more.
Thing is, I'm waffling. Do I buy a new Castello...or an estate Dunhill...
I always purchase from one of our sponsoring vendors. And there's one vendor that I do most of my buying from. They've never steered me wrong yet. The fellow I typically talk with isn't in until Monday, so I'll wait until then.
I had posted several days ago that I'm moving up from the $100 pipe range to around $400. That puts me into a new Castello Sea Rock or Old Antiquari, or a lower end estate Dunhill with limited mileage on it. This vendor has some of both that would fit the bill quite nicely. I just have to make up my mind.

 

[andya27]

Andy--get the new Castello.

That is my plan. I've removed all the estates from my wish list and left around four new Castellos in there. I'm waiting for Black Friday to see if there will be any tobacco specials or other incentives.

 

[cmdrmcbragg]

I have owned only a couple new pipes and one unsmoked estate. Everything else I smoke have been estates that I have ran countless Everclear soaked pipe cleaners through, filled the bowls with salt and Everclear, given the stems Oxyclean baths, sanded and polished them back to black and hand rubbed paragon wax all over the briar to give it that healthy shine again.
Estates are where it's at if you want some good smokers for a much better price than the brand new pipes you have to break in. I always look for estates before buying new.

 

[dottiewarden]

By nature, an Estate, smoked or unsmoked, is not necessarily a good pipe or a good deal, and even buying new on line has its inherent risks. The trick is to shop around and if buying on line, buy from a reputable dealer.
For Estates I like the Antique shops as often they have pipes that they inadvertently picked up along the way with no real knowledge of what they have, thus some great deals can be had, all with the advantage of physically inspecting the pipes. For new pipes I also prefer to see the pipe before buying, but that's not always possible.
All of the pipes new or used that I've bought so far have been quite good smokers, so I'm not overly worried due to no bad experiences, although that is subject to change.
The used pipes I have bought through this forum have turned out to be great pipes at decent prices and I doubt anyone who's been around a while on this site would risk selling bad pipes: Word travels fast and they would soon be out of business.
Whether buying new or used on line, simply get educated, ask all the right questions and stick with known dealers.
I will never rule out a slightly used pipe in excellent condition, especially at a great price!
Good luck on building your collection.

 

[darthcider]

I'm waiting for my first estate to arrive, a Soborg hand carved, from eBay.

Can't wait to see what its really like in my hands.

 

[condorlover1]

Estate pipes are a very interesting proposition. By the very nature of the pipes I smoke all of them are antiques and estates. If the owner was still alive they would be in the 140 year old age bracket! I really cannot comment of briar pipes but certainly for meerschaums buying estate pipes have many advantages which I have commented in various threads on this forum over the last year. In essence you are buying a pipe that someone else has broken in for you through 20+ years of smoking. You are also gaining the advantage of a well 'cured' meerschaum that will not scratch as easily as a new pipe from Turkey with the added bonus of either an amber or 'amber-ine' mouth piece which if carefully looked after and not damaged with modern pipe cleaners will give years of service. I always amazed at the prices paid for estate briar pipes but I think this market is still developing like the cigar market did in the early 2000s.

 

[sablebrush52]

Since my focus is Barling pipes, estates are the only way to go. I have no issues with doing my own clean up, and find that my standard is a lot higher than others, including dealers from whom I've bought. So I expect to do clean up, whatever the source.
One thing that I NEVER do is buy from someone online who doesn't offer returns. If the pictures aren't sufficiently clear for me, I'll contact the seller to request specific shots and to ask other questions. If the seller is unwilling to respond then I move on. You need to have the pipe in your hands to really be able to come to a decision.
There's no shortage of pipes from which to choose.

 

[condorlover1]

I tend to agree with 'sablebrush52' on this one. I have stopped buying 'cutty' pipes with busted stems or buggered threads as you are looking at 9 months for a repair job as I always seem to have a box of pipes down at Tim Wests awaiting his expert ministrations. This is especially so with the Oi Vay crowd who can be a little economical with the truth at times!

 

[ssjones]

Good advice.
FWIW, I believe Mike is the only estate seller who ID's the type of tobacco used in the pipe. Interesting that he is a crowd of one since that is such a critical detail on if the pipe will be enjoyed. BB lists all critical dimensions and weights. His spec sheet is second to none.
For my personal pipes sold, I do list the blend(s) I smoke but I don't have the nose to ID random estates.
I place a high value on older, now unobtainable pipe brands and finishes. So, 95% of my collection are estates.
And as Mike mentions, you can build a collection for a fraction of the cost. Even greater value can be had if you are willing to do the clean-up/restoration yourself.
Buying estates from forum sponsors is a pretty safe way to go. Most, if not all, will take returns. For example, SmokingPipes seems to list "rim darkening" on nearly every pipe, even if they look unsmoked. I recently returned an Ashton to SP, a smooth as silk process (and rare).
For the uninitiated, Ebay is a bit like taking a trip to Vegas, with the mortgage payment in hand.

 

[saltedplug]

I would run from any estate that lists the chamber as in any way compromised. One vendor told me the pipe had a divot in the chamber. When I asked they replied that it was a small, circular depression. But no one knows what made that depression and whether or not that constitutes the beginning of an inevitable burnout. I declined the sale.
I'm big on estates; in fact, that's about all I smoke. Pipes last for decades. Why should I care that someone else smoked it for the first of them? But I have run into issues with estates, most recently some kind of black goo that gets sticky with heat inside the bowl of an estate Barling. I'm going to sand it out and should accomplish this tedious task by no more than the year 2020.
By and large I cannot afford new pipes. But even with new pipes I've run into issues, most recently an Ashton that had a bowl coating, and underneath that, stain; so it was probably dipped. On these topics I shall remain silent as I don't want to be violent in public, but if I could get my hands on them. . .The long and short of it is that I bought it three months ago, having sent it to one of the name repairmen, who although he graciously removed the coating, did not remove the stain. Not what I asked for, he said. He also did not do what I wanted with the three other pipes that I sent to him. About the only thing he did well is issue a speedy refund on request. I did get the vendor from whom I bought it to agree to remove the stain.