How Many Pipes Do You Try Before Giving up on a Brand

[PaulTheScandinavian]

Well, based on my average experience those low- mid range Petersons which are sold and imported to the U.S(note:I only have been dealing with smokingpipes.com)are superior to those similar sold in the Eu, perhaps at the factory they picking the better ones pieces for import, who knows? As to Stanwell (Italy) or Savinelli I never had encountered with no quality issues, but yes those Savinelli 6mm obligatory balsa filters are something boring,(for added info-opposite to todays practice,in my past some 20 year ago I have had Savinelli Pipes which all came unfiltered 3mm,weird thing isn't it?)

 

[mso489]

I've had good luck with Petersons and all six or so of mine are good smokers with no quality problems. However, in your place, I wouldn't go back to any brand that has disappointed you. You might get an actual stinker, or you might just not like the brand for many personal reasons. There are so many good brands, why repeat a potentially bad experience? I've had a good experience with Stanwell (all Italian made), Nording, Savinelli, BC, Chacom, and Johs. I have a Bari, Ferdown, and Ser Jacopo that are all excellent. Some Savinelli series, and their lower end brand Rossi, have non-filter pipes -- Oscar Lucite, unfinished pipes, others. See if you can sort out what you like and don't, and compare those carefully with specifications on pipes, to see what fills the bill, and as the man said in an earlier post, if you can handle the pipes in person, that helps. And if you can take your time, go away and come back, to be sure you like a pipe, that would also help, if it is possible. Good luck. I think taking your time with pipe purchases, and thinking about it for a week or two usually gets the best results.

 

[bassbug]

I only own 3 Petes, but they span a lot of years. A pre republic 307, a 70's 314 and a brand new 303 (that came branded as "Sherlock Holmes" with the same Zippo lighter stamped with the Sherlock Holmes image) bought about 6 months ago. Every single one of them is a great smoker, but I must admit the pre-republic is a notch above the other two.
I would not hesitate to add more.

 

[dochudson]

Can't blame Ford if you buy a small red car.. Because you don't like red cars or small cars.
BTW, I didn't know they packaged $200+ Sherlock Holmes pipes with Zippo's.

 

[dochudson]

Double tap deleted.

 

[saltedplug]

A guy on another board used to drive my crazy with reviews based on his initial smoke of a blend. Although it's certainly legitimate to review anything at any point, my practice would involve ten or more smokes so that I had more experience upon which to write the review.
Fluctuations with mood very much affect my palate, so the OP's question about the number of pipes in which the blend is smoked I find not to purpose. In my opinion, and this is just my opinion, YMMV, is that if the drilling is good, the way a pipe smokes is a much smaller variable than it is commonly held to be. What I taste, and this just my opinion, is, in the end, determined by what I can taste; that is, if my taste buds and semantic memory to which the current smoke is compared to past smokes are in any way off, then I will taste less. I smoke Dark Flake in four different pipes, and what I taste does not vary pipe to pipe but does based upon the day and the time of day.
My palate is always best before I eat in the morning. In this regard it is as if my palate wants to remember the tastes I experienced with the food and is none too quick to taste the tobacco.
How many times have you read guys claim that a pipe is a "good smoker?" To me, this is meaningless as I've yet to smoke a pipe that was not. We like pipes for shape, finish and fit, in that order. But to me, the 150 pipes I've smoked have all, more or less, smoked the same. Smoking technique and how present I am for the smoke, but most of all my palate, matter far more to me than the pipe.

 

[thomasw]

I stay away from pipe brands (or eras or lines of those brands) with which I have encountered less than satisfactory smoking qualities. Newer Dunhill and Peterson pipes have caused me enough disappointment that I won't bother with them. There are so many wonderful new and old pipes at various price points; adapt the lame pipes or sell them and just move to joy-bringing pipes

 

[dmcmtk]

...but I must admit the pre-republic is a notch above the other two.

Gotta love those old Pete's! Smoking a 260 pre-Republic 1945-47 P-lip billiard right now!

 

[bassbug]

BTW, I didn't know they packaged $200+ Sherlock Holmes pipes with Zippo's.

They're not Sherlock Holmes pipes
The "packaging" says SH but in fact, all you get is a 303 system standard and a zippo lighter. The nickel band is also stamped "Zippo" along with the usual "K&P petersons"
The only reason I picked it up is that I was looking for a 303 and found a local guy that bought one and never touched it because his wife forbade it..best $50 I ever spent

 

[weezell]

Please also let me note that I have no beef with Pete's. I own a couple older ones and they are fine pipes...

 

[dochudson]

Not sure how many OPs we have in this post but..

I have two already: Dracula Bulldog and Sherlock Holmes.

I was simply questioning (already knowing the answer) the OP but sometimes I get the feeling the same persons seem to use multiple screen names.

 

[auburnfan]

Definitely not about brand...but, Castello and dunhill have never done me wrong. On the less expensive I have yet to find a savenelli or chaucom that I didn't like, and I frequently love a good cob. I usually find that for me when I dislike a pipe, it is because of the way I smoke it, as opposed to the pipe itself. Each pipe is different, and needs to be treated different....just like a woman.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

+1 for MSO489,I have nothing to more add this adequate advise,only wanna remind of the existence of well known French brands with which I have had no issues,I love those older Petersons ( and partly these newer ones-even better if you have possibility to inspected them in person prior to buy)Finally year ago or so I got me this model 321 Savinelli dolomite,and lately I'm starting to like it,I feel this has a good medium size bowl and it ain't that clumsy&big than its counterpart the model 320Author.

 

[cortezattic]

I select pipes based on the appeal of their shape, finish, and importantly, bowl dimensions.
If the first pipe of a particular brand pleases me then I'll buy a second pipe of that brand. After that I usually move on to explore other brands -- there being so many!
Only Savinelli and GBD have seduced me more than 3 or 4 times. I hasten to add that Ardor, Castello and Rinaldo would get more of my business if they were more affordable.

 

[mawnansmiff]

"Of the handful of Petes I have, two of them needed 50 bowls before they settled in, and the other 6-8 did not."
All I can say John is either you have huge hands or you smoke unusually small pipes :nana:
Regards,
Jay.

 

[fitzy]

Two is my max and then I move on.
I've got two Pete's. One I've been smoking for about 20 years and is a good pipe. The other a recent acquisition. Clearly the pipe was made for a filter but the stem they matched with it isn't for a filter. So there's a large gap between the back of the mortise and the end of the tenon. I wouldn't expect that kind of construction from a $200+ pipe from any manufacturer.
I won't buy another new Pete again.