Estate Pipes Nice To Look At, But-

[Jwebb90]

Speaking of estate pipes with history. Last year I bought a collection of pipes from a local antique shop that belonged to a high profile Atlanta attorney that was convicted of murdering his wife. Certainly not the best history to be associated with a collection of pipes…

 

[Misanthrope]

I used to avoid estates because I didn't really want to pay money for and smoke somebody else's sloppy seconds, but 2 of my favorite pipes are a pair of estate Kirsten Ds. I didn't see that coming.

 

[pappymac]

Because of health issues I had to cut back on commissions and pipe making in general. Although I'm feeling much better now I'm still trying to pace myself so I can continue to meet the demand. I am taking more commissions now but, I'm being a little more picky as to what I choose to do. I hope all understand and thank you.

Glad to hear you're doing better. I've been thinking about adding a third RD pipe to my collection.

 

[pappymac]

The best argument I've heard for buying estate pipes is that no one demands brand new silverware and plates when they go to a restaurant. Or, demanding the dentist only uses brand new equipment for cleaning your teeth.

The key is cleaning and "sterilizing" the estate pipes.

 

[cshubhra]

I don’t know how much will help OP, but my pipe buying were in 3 phases.

Phase 1 - When I first experimented with pipes back in 2017, the goal was to buy a healthy rotation without a lot of financial commitment. (Also I earned a lot less then). So I bought 4 new Meerschaum, 1 new briar, 1 new Cob which was supplemented by 4-5 Estate Briars. So I got a healthy rotation, and did not hurt much financially when I paused smoking

Phase 2 - When I restarted pipe smoking in 2019 I was forming the beginning of a collection of British pipes (mostly). They had to be estates, as they were mostly not available new any more.

Phase 3 - I have been extremely choosy at this phase to fill gaps in my collection. While these gaps can be filled sometimes with a cheap pipe (I added a clay to my collection), most of these are what I consider as showstopper pipes. There are a few new ones but most at this stage are highly collectible and can only bought Estate. This possibly has cured me of PAD as well ?

 

[rdpowell]

Glad to hear you're doing better. I've been thinking about adding a third RD pipe to my collection.

Glad to hear you're feeling better, Ron! As much as we all love your pipes I'm sure you feeling poorly was a much bigger concern for us than your reduced output.

Thank you both and I hope to continue pleasing my old and new customers as time goes on.
Please feel free to contact me anytime.

 

[lawdawg]

I HATE owning things that I don't use. I'm sure we're all guilty of doing it, myself included, and more so than I would care to be the case. Lately I have been making a real effort to clear out my unused stuff. My wife and I took a truck load of stuff to the Goodwill last weekend, and it felt great.

I haven't bought a pipe in several years - the last pipe I bought was a Peterson 2018 Christmas pipe. I have a basic collection of "good smokers" that consists of run-of-the-mill factory pipes and a few cheapo basket pipes, and in truth I'm pretty happy with it. I have enough pipes to rotate, and I'm at a point where I don't want to add anything to my collection unless it's something I really want and intend to keep permanently.

Basically, I'd be interested in old British pipes and perhaps artisan pipes in more traditional shapes, yet I find myself never pulling the trigger on a pipe costing several hundred bucks, mainly just because there is this underlying feeling that my current collection gives me just about all the smoking enjoyment I could want. I'm sure I'll eventually open the flood gates and hopefully get something great enough that it makes me want to fill my collection with great pipes and let go of the average stuff.

 

[condorlover1]

Given my taste in pipes everything I own was owned by someone else once. The back story on some of the pipes can be interesting. Apart from the couple of historical pipes I own, some of the others have interesting snippets of history attached to them that I have gleaned from the sellers. Nothing really exciting but run the gamut from carpenters, stained glass window installers, steeple jacks and quite a few were cabinet makers. The one I am smoking now belonged to an engineer for the Great Western Railway.

 

[bayareabriar]

I’ve never spent over $100 for a pipe. That being said, I have spent several thousands of dollars at a time to get the price down to that number. I agree that quality pipes take precedence over certain ones.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Could you please expand on that?

 

[ChippewaAce]

I started with my Grandpa's and over the years bought some estates at antique shops, had a few made and given to me by family and friends but over the past year or so. Honestly, my MM cob is probably my most smoked pipe!

 

[cigrmaster]

Harris............ did you sell off all of those Willmers you had?

Yes I did. I found I was not smoking them much at all. I got tired of looking at them taking up space. I got rid of a bunch of other pipes as well. Keep an eye on Chance I am unloading a few Rads and other artisan pipes that I don't hardly ever smoke. I have 2 pipe racks. One is my Savinelli Burl wood rack that is an amazing piece of wood that carries 36 pipes. The other rack is an antique kind of rack with stained glass and that holds 15 pipes. The 15 pipe rack is empty and I also have some space in the 36 count. My goal is to eventually fill both and own only 51 pipes. I was at 90 something when I decided to redo my collection.

I took a hit on the Willmers. I probably lost a grand and that is cool, I wasn't expecting to make money on those. I did real well on some artisan pipes. I bought an early Michael Parks for around 140, and it sold for over 400.00. So when all was said and done, I might have broken even or lost a few hundred or so. That was 41 pipes in the first wave and I have another 15--20 on the second wave which are all artisan pipes that I bought for pretty good prices. I predict I will do pretty well on the artisan pipes in the second wave.

I am on the lookout for a birthyear Dunhill. Either my birthday 1957 or my sister who passed away some years ago so a 1956 for her birth year will also work.

 

[bayareabriar]

Could you please expand on that?

In reference to my post or someone else’s?

 

[DAR]

Interesting read about all of your preferences.
I smoke pipes.
Artisan smartisan.... ? Estate negate....... ? If the pipe is to my liking, clean, high quality, I will not care if it's artisan or estate. I will put it in my collection and it will get smoked. I've never commissioned a pipe because I have other priorities and the pipes already out there seem good enough for me. Factory made, hand made, made by the sea or of some whacky wood...... it's all interesting to me and worth a smoke.
Of course some pipes never smoke well for me or they just stop calling my name as I walk past the pipe racks. Those are sent packing and another pipe (estate, artisan, whatever) takes it's place.

 

[ChuckMijo]

If you are honestly just looking for a pipe to smoke, NOT a collector piece, then I would say buy a new Savinelli, Peterson, Genod. Etc…They can be had for a few bucks and are unsmoked.

 

[jpmcwjr]

In reference to my post or someone else’s?

Yours!

 

[bayareabriar]

Yours!

Well, I have had anywhere from 1 to over 1000 pipes at a time.

i have several higher end ones that I’ve bought in a large lot for $3500. 48 pipes. So, that’s less than 100 a pipe. These are pipes that would costs $800-900 (the ones I kept, not all of them) new. And would retail used for $250-450 and sell on eBay for $175-350.

Ive done this a few times

I just can’t spend a few hundred on one pipe when I can spend $600 on 40 pipes or $300 on 25 pipes and keep a few gems and sell the rest to break even or for profit.

nothing to earn a living, but definitely not spending money on pipes, just investing time in a hobby that is paying for itself

I’m left with high end pipes and extra cash. Basically I’m getting pipes for free minus my time.

 

[OzPiper]

nothing to earn a living, but definitely not spending money on pipes, just investing time in a hobby that is paying for itself

I’m left with high end pipes and extra cash. Basically I’m getting pipes for free minus my time.

If you have the time, (and ALL hobbies take up your free time) that's a good way to build up a collection of higher end pipes.

 

[beargreasediet]

I just can’t spend a few hundred on one pipe when I can spend $600 on 40 pipes or $300 on 25 pipes

Where are you finding these kinds of deals?

 

[jaytex1969]

Keep an eye on Chance I am unloading a few Rads and other artisan pipes that I don't hardly ever smoke.

If you decide to unload that orange Rad Dublin I'm always whining about, PLEASE move me to the top of the list!



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