Do You Have A Set Criteria For Choosing A Pipe?

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cigrmaster

Lifer
May 26, 2012
20,249
57,280
66
Sarasota Florida
I have a strict criteria for choosing my pipes. I want my pipes to be a certain length, a certain bowl height, a certain inside bowl width, a certain bowl depth and a certain weight. I will not buy a pipe that does not meet all of these criteria. I am also very picky as to how the stem is made out of high quality German vulcanite. Does anyone also have these exact criteria for choosing their pipes or are you more willy nilly in your choices?
 
That sounds a lot like the things I want to know about a pipe before I buy, except that chamber sizes can vary, depending on what sort of tobacco I am looking to use it for. Right now, I am finding bowl dimensions of .9" x 1.2" rather hard to find in a pipe shape that I collect, being dublins and bulldogs. But, sometimes I will scale outside the realm of those two shapes if the design appeals to me.

I also prefer blasts, but if the grain is exceptional, I will consider it.

Weight has to be under 2 oz, but if the pipe looks balanced, I will waver on that.

I like to be able to see the button also. I prefer a tapered stem with a very thin tip with a fat button, preferable with the draft bing rounded at the ends, and not just machined with a simple bur.

I tend to break the pipe apart and look at drilling, and recently I have been being picky about the tenon end being as flush as possible without a funnel cut into it, and I want the draft to be either set a mm or two higher than the bottom or just to the side of the bottom, never dead bottom, so that if a little droplet of water should form, it has somewhere for gravity to pull it and it doesn't just set there and make gurgling noises.

Length can vary, but less than five inches, and it goes to the back of the line for consideration.

This is all just me. I have over 120 pipes, so I am not just looking for a smoker. I have all I really "need" and if I am adding one to my collection, I have room to be picky as hell.
 
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whsergent

Can't Leave
Jan 8, 2020
385
1,295
I have a strict criteria for choosing my pipes. I want my pipes to be a certain length, a certain bowl height, a certain inside bowl width, a certain bowl depth and a certain weight. I will not buy a pipe that does not meet all of these criteria. I am also very picky as to how the stem is made out of high quality German vulcanite. Does anyone also have these exact criteria for choosing their pipes or are you more willy nilly in your choices?
Im picky. I like straight billiards or canadians, blasts a little more than smooth finishes and chambers right around 1.5 inches in depth and around .75 inches in diameter.
I also tend to like traditional english design, tho i do have a couple of italian pipes that are kind of wild.
 
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mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
Like sable', I have to want that pipe. Before I want it, I want all the specifications, and it annoys when retailers don't have all the details -- diameter of chamber, depth, length of pipe, weight, materials. I even want them to give me their interpretation of the shape, in case I'm seeing an apple in an author, etc. I don't always get all the information I'd like, but the more the better. It is the total computation of the package in relation to the visual appeal, and the fact that it fills some niche I don't already have, which become progressively harder with my number of pipes. I'm big on variety, whether it is nation of manufacture, size, shape, materials. So I'm not honing more and more to a narrow description. Luckily, my wife gave me both my first churchwarden and Oom-Paul, to expand my variety. So I have a range of criteria, or a set, that applies to many different pipes.
 

seldom

Lifer
Mar 11, 2018
1,035
940
My budget is a primary consideration. I'm unable to afford very expensive pipes at this stage. If I acquire another pipe I prefer it not be a repeat of something I already have; it must be different in some way. I also prefer medium to small sized pipes.
 
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rushx9

Lifer
Jul 10, 2019
2,299
17,244
42
Shelby, NC
I'm a fan of all shapes, sizes, and shades, as long as they're appealing in some way and perform well... same as ladies~. As long as they don't burn me! Or try to take all my $$$... I prefer cheap but nice pipes, same as dates! I could keep going with the analogy but I think I've made my point!
 

warren

Lifer
Sep 13, 2013
11,700
16,209
Foothills of the Chugach Range, AK
'm a fan of all shapes, sizes, and shades, as long as they're appealing in some way and perform well... same as ladies~. As long as they don't burn me! Or try to take all my $$$... I prefer cheap but nice pipes, same as dates! I could keep going with the analogy but I think I've made my point!
I find it fascinating that you can tell the smoking properties before purchase. How a pipe smokes determines if I keep a purchase. I've never been able to detect good smoking properties prior to purchase.

I was, in my dating years able to tell whether a woman would be a great date before buying dinner. That was fairly easy. Smoking properties prior to purchase? I can't do that. What is your secret?
 
Jan 28, 2018
12,955
134,673
67
Sarasota, FL
I have general parameters but can deviate slightly if I love the pipe. Less than 60 grams. Bowl id less than .80 ". 5 3/4" or less in length. Wide, thin mouthpiece to accommodate clinching. Absolutely has to cleanly pass a pipe cleaner, this isn't negotiable.
 
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I find it fascinating that you can tell the smoking properties before purchase. How a pipe smokes determines if I keep a purchase. I've never been able to detect good smoking properties prior to purchase.

I was, in my dating years able to tell whether a woman would be a great date before buying dinner. That was fairly easy. Smoking properties prior to purchase? I can't do that. What is your secret?

I use the same criteria for pipes that I did dating... if it smokes, it probably puts out. puffy
 
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rushx9

Lifer
Jul 10, 2019
2,299
17,244
42
Shelby, NC
I find it fascinating that you can tell the smoking properties before purchase. How a pipe smokes determines if I keep a purchase. I've never been able to detect good smoking properties prior to purchase.

I was, in my dating years able to tell whether a woman would be a great date before buying dinner. That was fairly easy. Smoking properties prior to purchase? I can't do that. What is your secret?
Just trying to be funny with the analogy. You can just call me ol' willy nilly
 
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