How do You Decide on New Pipe Purchases?

[mahew]

I think the more pertinent question is how to control certain acquisition disorders. If the pipe holds any sort of appeal, I can’t help myself. I must….buy….them all!

That said, I prefer bent pipes and look for a grain pattern that appeals to me. I like to have a wide variety of choices in shape, size, color, finish, etc. Which means I have a lot of pipes. I couldn’t say for certain how many, I am sort of afraid to know that number. It might dissuade me from adding to my collection.

 

[shanez]

I can’t help myself.

Right?

They're like homeless animals. I just want to bring them home and give them a place to live.

 

[Philosopiper]

Having relatively few non-cobs so far, I just want to expand my collection to include all the basic categories of pipe that are interesting to me. On the horizon for now are a nice sandblasted and a meerschaum.

 

[MacMarty89]

I decide on a pipe purchase when the following criteria are met (in this order):

1. Come back to it several times (it has a ‘spark’);
2. Has the proper dimensions;
3. It shouldn’t be too heavy;
4. The price is acceptable.

 

[sablebrush52]

Everyone does it a bit differently. Like a lot of other pipe smokers I started out by trying out a few different shapes , makes, and materials to see what stuck. Later I got interested in Barling pipes and their history and that became a core holding. I also liked pre war Sasieni pipes and collected some of those.

At the same time I became interested in several Artisan carvers and bought some of their pipes. With artisan carvers, I was interested in those who developed a distinctive personal style that appealed to me, like Lee Von Erck and Scottie Piersel. I ignored carvers who were derivative, those who produced what I call "left over Danish".

I've never been struck by the "more is better" theory of collecting, whether it be pipes. first editions or signed limited editions of SciFi, DVD's, or classical CDs. I alwys hit a point where I have "enough" and that appears to be much more limited in scope than many others.

At this stage in life, I'm more interested in downsizing than adding. But along the way I followed my instincts and if the result was a happy one I delved deeper into that particular area.

The only way to find what you really like is to eliminate the alternatives through experience.

 

[kcghost]

At my age my pipe buying days are about but it would love to get a Doug Finley autho or prince about 5 and a half inches long, black and blasted.

 

[tklee]

The look first, the size, then quality, then price.

 

[cigrmaster]

I prefer to buy commissioned pipes and my last 13 have been so.
I have a strict set of numbers that I stick to, I want my pipes to be group 4-5 as that size smokes my flakes the best for me.
If I am not buying a commission I get the exact numbers from the seller.
and if they all measure up then I decide if I like the look of the pipe. I like certain shapes and all the pipes have to pass a pipe cleaner with ease.
I don't chase grain anymore and prefer a nicely done sand blast. I am also a freak about stems so they have to be made with only German vulcanite and they have to be the right size and comfortable to clench.

Since I have no b/m to buy pipes from I have to go online and ask the right questions before purchasing.

 

[badbeard]

If it's under 75 bucks, I will pretty much impulse buy whatever tickles the pickle.. No requirements, I am way to moody for that.
Higher $$ than that, I have to go find the keeper of the box where my balls reside and shower her with compliments and flattery. Sometimes she gives me the key to the box and I get to have balls for a little while. When that doesn't work, I buy it anyway and sleep on the couch for a little while instead. Being a part time eunuch isn't so bad.

 

[drastic_quench]

I have around a dozen briars, two meerschaums, and a morta on the way from Italy. When I am eyeing a new pipe, I remind myself of that but also how perfectly well my pile of $11 Missouri Meerschaum corn cob Generals smoke! When that strategy usually works, I spend the money on more pounds of tinned tobacco.

 

[anotherbob]

Honestly it just doesn't happen that often. Usually I decide I want a pipe first and what qualities I want that pipe to have. Look around and then pick one that strikes my fancy. The last thing I look at is price. And if I think nah not worth that much I go to the next one down the list.

 

[sardonicus87]

I don't look at maker/brand, I look at whatever I think is aesthetically pleasing to me that falls within my personal "necessary" parameters: has an acrylic stem, doesn't have a p-lip, isn't a "system", isn't a 9mm filter (6mm or no filter only), has minimum chamber diameter of .80".

Those are really all my considerations.

After that, my next consideration would be price. All three of my pipes were bought as new with the most expensive being $130. I've seen others I like and would get if I could afford to drop $300 on a single pipe, but I can't right now.

 

[AppalachianPipe92]

Now that meer prices have shot up, I only by J. Everett and Bruce Weaver pieces.

J. Everett is the man. Fantastic work

 

[pappymac]

Usually it's by whim.
If it grabs my attention, I am more likely to by it. My collection is the definition of eclectic.

 

[mso489]

I like a pipe with a story. It still has to be visually appealing and smoke really well. But when a pipe has a history -- as a gift, the prize in a contest, an extended hunt for the pipe, etc. -- the story really enhances the pipe experience. My sister, who travels quite often, has brought back or sent back various pipes, including a 14 inch clay from The Netherlands, and somehow shipped it on to N.C. from Illinois without it breaking. Now that is a pipe with a saga.

Likewise, my wife has been highly intuitive with gift pipes, giving me my first churchwarden and my first Hungarian/Oom-Paul, both great pipes. A Forums member sent me some tobacco I had said I liked, that he really didn't, and threw in a Ferndown bent billiard for good measure. I had to go back to the box packing when he asked me about the pipe ... much to my amazement. Pipes are stories.

 

[crusader]

Most of the time I am on the look out for 1950's / prewar stuff. I have a couple of Petes and a couple of Grabow and Kaywoodie's that are just awesome performers. I also like to think about the stories they could tell.

Otherwise I like them all and want one of everything. I really need to learn to narrow life down.

 

[K.E. Powell]

My collection is fairly modest (about 13 pipes as of now), but it's hard to resist certain things. I'm not persnickety about it by and large, but I've gotten to the point where I definitely know what I like and what I don't. I don't have strict criteria, but a pipe purchase usually follows these guidelines, a decalogue of sorts:

1. Less than $200, unless I can get a good deal or have some serious cash saved up (yea, fat chance).

2. No filters. Period. I don't budge on this one.

3. No avant-garde shapes. Goofy looking elephant ears, freehands, and just any pipe that doesn't look like I could put it in a decent pouch gets passed on.

4. I do enjoy cobs and meerschaums, but briar is king for me and make up the bulk of my purchases.

5. Color. I'm a sucker for colorful stems in particular. I don't care if it is vulcanite or acrylic, and plain black stems are fine, but playful coloration can be a good way to sucker me into getting a pipe I otherwise would pass on.

6. No nose-warmers and/or overly short stems. I find them uncomfortable and ugly.

7. I like a pipe with some size to it. It doesn't have to be massive, but I find something with at least "medium" proportions just smokes better. Allows the tobacco to open up and gives me more to smoke!

8. A pipe that can straddle the line between tradition and being unique is a winner in my eyes. I prefer traditional shapes and grain patterns, but I like when a manufacturer or artisan adds a little something that makes it stand out just a tad.

9. My home town has no shortage of crappy vape stores manned by clerks who smell vaguely of cat pee, but nary a proper B&M is to be found. So, when I shop online, I try to do so with a provider with a good reputation and return policy.

10. Finally, there are some brands that I find I have some loyalty to. I've been on a Peterson kick lately, for example. I try to not be a fanboy of any one brand, but hey, if I have more than one pipe by the same brand that smoke well, that makes it more likely I will purchase from that stock.

 

[JimPM]

I look at my current collection which is sorted by genre and see where an addition might make sense. I have very specific preferences to basic geometry depending upon the blend that I intend to smoke out of it. Then it comes down to brand and style. I lean towards specific brands but do pick up quite a few estates that may fit the envelope I'm looking for. Recently picked up a Bing as that was one I was targeting for a while for my VAs, needed to add another one to that particular set.

 

[ashdigger]

Ouija Board

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I have more pipes than I need and I'm satisfied with the ones I have. From the cheapest to the higher end, they all smoke exceptional. At least to me. Consequently, for me to consider purchasing a new pipe, it first has to knock my socks off aesthetically. Then it has to check off all my boxes. Cleanly and easily passes a pipe cleaner,.75" to. 82" bore, less than 2 ounces, wide and thin bit with a near perfect fit and finish. If that all comes together, I hit the buy button.