My take;
Sit on your budget for a month and watch it grow. Meanwhile scour the secondary market for a Deluxe pipe made before 1990 or any pre-republic Pete. As a whole the pre-republic made pipes are simply made to a much higher standard, even the run of the mill pipes. Every Deluxe that has crossed my path made before '90 has been made with at least as much care and attention to detail as just about any artisan made pipe in my chest.
That attention to detail is a large part of what makes a quality pipe and is the easiest part to finagle. The briar seems to be the big question mark and even the biggest of the big pipe-lords do occasionally let slip a first rate pipe from a turd rate block of briar.
Or you could just ignore all this and buy a 999 or an 80's in whatever finish meets your budget cuz those shapes are baller
Sit on your budget for a month and watch it grow. Meanwhile scour the secondary market for a Deluxe pipe made before 1990 or any pre-republic Pete. As a whole the pre-republic made pipes are simply made to a much higher standard, even the run of the mill pipes. Every Deluxe that has crossed my path made before '90 has been made with at least as much care and attention to detail as just about any artisan made pipe in my chest.
That attention to detail is a large part of what makes a quality pipe and is the easiest part to finagle. The briar seems to be the big question mark and even the biggest of the big pipe-lords do occasionally let slip a first rate pipe from a turd rate block of briar.
Or you could just ignore all this and buy a 999 or an 80's in whatever finish meets your budget cuz those shapes are baller