Should you smoke them? In my opinion, perhaps when the time is right. The high end pipes for any of us might be defined as expensive or otherwise special. Some feel ok that these might be special occasion pipes. Others seize the day....admirable. Perhaps you have an extrodinary commission, and you are waiting until your ship comes in...or another special occasion... to enjoy it as a reward. Don't sweat it. Smoke the pipe when the occasion calls for it. Perhaps the ship will be a small one, smaller than you expected or wished for. Carpe diem. Reward yourself when you feel you should. Or if you have a terribly long string of rainy days, sell it to help make ends meet. Or, gift it to a special person. Precious things deserve special treatment. It's also ok to collect and not smoke the pipe (or pipes), although I personally feel that one day the instrument(s) should be properly played. But I must say that some pipes are works of art to me and it does take some strong compulsion, at least to this periodically thrifty Yankee, to light them on fire.
I have over a dozen pipes like this, unsmoked. One will be gifted to my son when he graduates college next week.... virtually due to the pandemic. He will choose when to enjoy it someday. I'll also give him a pipe that he can put to immediate use....a very good one, and a special one, but not perhaps the same "special" one. Your call pal, no wrong answers.
