Do You Smoke A Thousand Dollar Pipe?

[carolinachurchwarden]

So I was browsing SP's site as I usually do in the afternoons to see what's new or anything that strikes my fancy and I fell across this English Estates: Dunhill Bruyere Christmas 'Three French Hens' (4202) (327/500) (1995) (Unsmoked):

After I picked my chin up off the table and wiping drool from my chin, I started to wonder, "do you actually smoke these things, or do they just sit in a refined room of your fine estate somewhere as a show/conversation piece?" Personally if I have that much money to spend on pipes, I might buy two, one to sit out, the other to smoke. Seriously though, I couldn't imagine owning a pipe that's meant for smoking and not...you know...smoke it....
Then this led me to wondering if any of you have any pipes like this and what do you do with them. Do they sit and look beautiful on a mantle somewhere, a home library, a pipe den, or do you actually smoke with it? Does it only come out on special occasions? IF you don't own something like this, what would you do with it, smoke it, or display it only?

 

[bassbug]

There was a recent thread on a $6700 pipe.
If you only display a $1K pipe, I don't even want to think how you treat one for $6700.

 

[bnichols23]

>>"couldn't imagine owning a pipe that's meant for smoking and not" --- My thoughts exactly. If I were filthy rich, maybe. I ain't. If I buy it, I'm a-gonna smoke it. Done.

 

[warren]

What I spend on a pipe is strictly my business. I will say, if I buy a pipe it is to smoke it.

 

[carolinachurchwarden]

Oh absolutley, Warren, you spend what you want on what you want, I was just curious if you did own something you considered to be on the upscale end, whether or not you'd still smoke it. I'm with you fellas, if I bought a pipe, no matter what, I'd smoke it. It's all relative in the end, because what I might consider upscale and might purchase, could be some other guys version of a cob due to how much money he has (over-exaggeration as it may be).

 

[mwsmoker]

I smoke all my pipes. Just picked up an unsmoked patent-era Dunhill the other day. It’s not staying unsmoked.

 

[opus777]

about half I smoke and half are for collection. same with tobacco.

 

[franklyn22]

That's why I like buying high end estate pipes. That way, I won't feel guilty about smoking it. In the past, I have owned Dunhill Christmas pipes and other such commerative or special edition types and I never smoked those. I just liked having them for some reason even though I did not put them on display or anything like that.

 

[drwatson]

Everyone is different, I have a few that are unsmoked and on display. This specific pipe I personally would not smoke. But I also have a sword collection too! But I'm not grabbing them and running off into battle with them either.

 

[mso489]

That's a spectacular pipe. It still doesn't explain Dunhill's pricing. For half that, $500, you get an entirely standard Dunhill, handsome but nothing unusual for the brand.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Yep, and they are smoked regularly.

 

[mikethompson]

I'm certainly not in the income bracket for a 'high end pipe', but I like my pipes all the same. I'm not sure I'd spend $1k on a pipe even if I did have the means.

 

[jaytex1969]

I have one unfired rifle, an antique safe queen. It's.........

The rest get fired.
I've not yet reached that level of pipe ownership. I have numerous unsmoked pipes in the "strategic reserve" box, but not for reasons of value. Just the practicality of preparedness. I don't think anything in that box exceeds $50 in value.

 

[npod]

Yes

 

[dottiewarden]

No, but only because I don't have one.

 

[mrenglish]

Oh yes, if I spent that much on a pipe it would get smoked. I won't spend that much on a pipe though. :wink:

 

[thomasw]

What is expensive is relative. I do own pipes that I thought were expensive, but, as I bought them, worth it for my purposes. I smoke any pipe I buy. I think it is wise to take joy in the fruits of one's work; my quality fly fishing equipment, pipes and camera equipment are evidence of this in my life.

 

[saltedplug]

I say buy that $6,700.00 XuHai and smoke it. I never bought a pipe I didn't smoke, but lacking sufficient clams, that habit never came up against any pipe more costly than $275.00, which I smoked.
Frankly I find the exorbitant prices of some pipes distasteful and their sellers full of hype, especially some of smokingpipes pipe descriptions. For instance there's beautiful Jeff Gracik currently for about $1350.00. In the background material on the maker the writer organizes his details not around Gracik's pipes but around selling his pipes. He manages to link Gracik to the Ivarssons, Tonni Nielsen, and to the "master" Todd Johnson and the "wizard" Jody Davis." He goes on to link San Diego's salubrious weather to Gracik's work, etc. etc. What possible connection could there be between weather and pipe making, especially as pipes come from all parts off the world?
smokingpipes has been and continues to be an excellent place to do business, but they are not shy about dollars. More, I would say that they practice greed; but why single them out as so does everybody else? Though capitalism is grounded in greed, and can be summarized by the word "more," and with more there is always yet more, because I like them and want them to be better. Clearly that notion needs to change.

 

[npod]

Damn Salt. You need to start smoking again my friend.

 

[Chasing Embers]

If I could afford a Bo Nordh, you can bet it would go in my shirt pocket and go to work with me. All of my pipes are babied, but are also instruments of enjoyment.