I am not trying to be a troll, or start a flame war, but here goes..
As a result of rendezvousing/historical reenacting, I have been exposed to clay pipes for many years; they are commonly available at any rendezvous or large living history event for under $15, and can are commonly smoked with regular tobacco or kinnikinnick, a type of Native American tobacco. They smoke well, and unless you drop them, will last as long as you. In the old days, when there were no pipe cleaners, clays were commonly tossed in a fire where the filth was burned off (and out of them) and they come out almost as clean and white as the day they were new. I've smoked 'em lots, with flakes, aromatics, plugs and ropes, and like the taste of a briar pipe better.
Cobs are nice, cheap pipes that smoke well, and I suppose there is a certain beauty in that, but in my opinion, they smoke no better than a meerschaum, and are nowhere near as lovely to behold. Their beauty, to me, is in their economy, and that's about it. Clay and stone pipes tend to smoke hot, but when properly handled, provide a smoke just as good as a cob, but to me, different. I like nice stuff, and as long as I can afford something nicer than a corncob pipe, that's what I will smoke.
