Do You Smoke A Thousand Dollar Pipe?

[bnichols23]

Ah-HHHAAAA,mws, so *you're* the one who outbid me on that one! } No worries; I wouldn't mind having another Dunhill*, but only for what I figure them to be worth to me. When that one crossed the threshold I bowed myself out.
* -- Sad Tale Dept.: My only other D. was a lovely birdseye Group 4 Root Briar I bought in London in '74. Sadly, I had it in an ashtray on the counter when I was working at Tinder Box in '75; I bent down to get a bulk bag, & didn't notice for about 15 minutes that it was gone. I'm over it now, but it was a loss at the time, not for the money so much as for the fact that it was a memento of the trip. That's life, unfortunately, & my own dumb fault, so....

 

[warren]

Greed: a healthy attribute to be cultivated. One can have sufficient moneys but, one can never have too much moneys. The trick is to keep greed from being a negative force. There is no point to going into business without profit being the goal. Always charge what the market will bear and not a penny more. As long as people are buying, you haven't hit the wall. Oh, and it helps to be selling something people will want or need, wares or services.
If you ever get to the point where you feel you have too much money, start giving it away to worthy causes. Never publicize your donations because some people/customers/friends/family, will not like your charity of choice. And, some family members will resent you giving away their inheritance. Those you write out of the will so they have to keep working. Ingrates!

 

[wyfbane]

I have a lot of pipes. I smoke most. Those that I have gotten new or unsmoked I am in no hurry to desecrate. If I am in the mood I will smoke them, but meh.
My most valuable pipes are still estates, so I have smoked them. If I got a Nordh and it was unsmoked, I am not sure I would smoke it.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

I'm just going to say what I always say. If it's got two holes drilled in it, and a stem, it's meant to be smoked. If I'm ever in position where I can spend 10,000 plus on a pipe, you can bet I'm going to put fire to that thing.

 

[mwsmoker]

@bnichols, if you’re talking about the shell billiard that went for just over $400, yes that was me. I can’t buy a brand new Dunhill for that little, so getting an unsmoked patent-era for that price seemed like a steal. Sorry for competing with another forum pal. I’ll let you get the next one. ;-)

 

[Chasing Embers]

If I'm ever in position where I can spend 10,000 plus on a pipe, you can bet I'm going to put fire to that thing.

:clap:

 

[jpmcwjr]

Why do some folks always squeal "greed" when talking about a business? Sure, some folks are greedy, and some businesses are run that way, but the good folks outnumber the pricks.

 

[artificialme]

Just like I said in another thread, smoke it in a closed closet without no air vent to avoid other curiosity from the other :rofl:

 

[sablebrush52]

I always find these types of thread interesting to read. Invariably there's the view expressed that any pipe costing $1000 or more is some sort of ripoff, or the statement that if "X" bought an unsmoked Nordh for $10,000 he would fire it up in a second, as well as "it's a piece of wood with two holes in it and that's all there is to it" and so forth. I still remember a guy, a few years back, who went mental -- as though his very manhood was at stake -- because I said that I have a couple of unsmoked antique pipes that were going to stay unsmoked, at least, by me.
So would I ever smoke a $1000 pipe? Sure, why not? I already have. Most of my pipes are very modest in price. I was lucky to buy what I did for what I paid. Others will have far more glorious collections. I'm happy with what I have. And I have a few rarities, some images of which I've shared. Some of those I smoke, some I don't.
I suppose, if I bought a $25,000 unsmoked Nordh, that I would have to give some thought to that first match, as that would be one hell of an expensive match, about $12,500. That's why I will never buy an unsmoked Nordh. And as a point of fact, I'll never buy a smoked one. Too expensive for me. I can think of far better ways to piss away the money.
Might think a little differently about a Sixten Ivarsson pipe, after all, Sixten was the most influential carver of the 20th century. It would be analogous to owning a J S Bach manuscript. But I probably still wouldn't be willing to pay market rates for one of his pipes.
Yet I've dropped some serious coin on some very old pipes that I will never smoke and that's because I have an interest in the history of pipes and enjoy that nearly as much as I enjoy a good smoke. I enjoy owning a pipe that's like a time machine, exactly what it was over 100 years ago. I have no need to smoke it, quite the opposite. Besides I have plenty of great old pipes to smoke. There is no shortage of used pipes. My decision has nothing to do with the cost. It is strictly about the condition.
And for those of you who fantasize about firing up some ancient pipe for the first time, think again. Chances are, unless you really know what you're doing, all you will do is crack it, sometimes on the first bowl.

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

I buy pipes with the sole purpose of smoking them; however, if I did come to own that pipe I don't know if I could bring myself to smoke it. Someone buy the pipe for me, so we can find out! ::

 

[bnichols23]

Metalheady, I like your approach. }
>>"if you’re talking about the shell billiard " -- Yup, that was it. -laugh- And don't worry; if I'd'a really wanted it I'd'a stayed in. } Right you are; that was one of the best deal auctions I've seen yet. I wouldn't mind having another Dunhill, but TBH I don't recall my old one's having been that much better a smoke than any of my Caminettos, Savs, GBDs, Comoys, or Nordings. "Brand" works for me, but only on ones I know from experience provide a really superior smoke. And in most cases, that means one of those five.

 

[lordofthepiperings]

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

Of course they tie Gracik to the Ivarssons, Nielsen, Todd, and Jody because he learned from them or with them. Gracik went through an apprenticeship learning from masters or the journeymen of the trade. That's part of why the higher price is demanded, there was training involved. What would be outrageous to me is if they were putting up pipes from John Smith in Alabama who started making pipes in his garage last month and have a $1,500 price tag.
I actually have heard some people make note of the climate the pipe carver is from. If you're in a drier area like Arizona or Nevada it will dry out the briar quicker than if you're in a more humid area like Florida. Talking to various carvers from around the country they have confirmed that their climate does determine how long they wait until they actually carve the briar. They have also said the moisture level of the briar will effect how it's carved; that's why some carvers in more humid areas, like Lee Von Erk in Michigan, oil cure the briar. The oil curing draws more of the sap/moisture out of the briar allowing the carver to use it sooner.
SmokingPipes has pipes in all price ranges. They realize there are some collectors of Rossi, Ropp, Missouri Meerschaum and there are also some collectors of Lars Ivarsson, Todd Johnson, and Tom Eltang. The company is merely trying to serve all pipe collectors which is why they have a very wide range of prices. Personally I commend them for being so dedicated to the hobby in general and not just catering to collectors of high grades or to just collectors of entry level pipes.
As for the original topic, I'm not buying a pipe just to put it on the shelf and look at it.

 

[smittyd]

I did not pay that much for the truck i drive everyday, i could not imagine spending that on a pipe just to look at. Thats absolutely crazy :crazy:

 

[briarbuck]

(I could be wrong) but if I made a $1,000 pipe I would WANT it to be smoked. Not sitting in a case.

 

[mwsmoker]

@lordofthepiperings - Actually, no, capitalism is not based on greed. It’s based on the idea that the means of production are privately run, not run by the state. It’s based on willing buyers and willing sellers agreeing on fair value for goods and services without the intervention of the government. It’s popular to brand businesses and the people who run them as “greedy” today.
It’s always interesting to me that ridiculous prices are always easy to calculate as something like “x% more than I’m willing to pay.” Unless there’s a pipe selling mafia going door to door with guns forcing people to buy expensive pipes, I expect that the buyers and sellers have agreed that the prices are fair - not offensive, crazy, ridiculous.
@sablebrush52 - I don’t have any trouble understanding someone would enjoy collecting unsmoked pipes and keeping them that way. It’s not rare for people to collect things just for the joy of owning them. I only choose to own pipes that I’ll also smoke (regardless of cost), but am not offended or surprised by those who make different choices.
Thanks for sharing some of your rare and beautiful pipes with us!

 

[jpmcwjr]

I can see a collector spending several times that for a pipe and not smoking it. Diff strokes, diff folks. Those folks have way more disposable income than most of us.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Actually, no, capitalism is not based on greed. It’s based on the idea that the means of production are privately run, not run by the state. It’s based on willing buyers and willing sellers agreeing on fair value for goods and services without the intervention of the government. It’s popular to brand businesses and the people who run them as “greedy” today.

Thank you. I was writing/posting as you were, so didn't see this till after my post above. As I wrote above, there are some greedy folks in our midst, but it's not because of our method of conducting business. Pigs are universal. So are good folk, thank God.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

To some, a $100 Pipe is expensive. And, to others, they put $500 Michelin Super Pilot tires on their car... that’s $500 per tire. Nike makes a line of shoes that costs over $1800, and when they release their $500 line of shoes, I’ve seen a line of kids at the mall waiting to buy them. The names Coach, Nordstrom, and Kate Spade means nothing to most of us, but many women know them, and will line up at departments store to pre-order these (over) $1000 purses, some of them not even real leather. Kid’s shoes, tires for your Mazda, and women’s purses, are these things more dear to these people than a bit of pipe history is to us?

 

[smittyd]

Well said!

 

[bnichols23]

>>" Pigs are universal. So are good folk, thank God" -- jp, truer words I ain't heared speaked this month!