Several weeks back there was some discussion on a recent brand that was showing up on various boards, this one included.
I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical. From what had been discussed on other boards, and my personal experience with ordering from Chinese websites, I had some reservations.
I decided that I would take a risk and place an order on their website and see what came of it.
I placed the order at the end of December 2020, and the pipe arrived today. The nomenclature described a “Stainless Steel mounted Army Olive Series” bent brandy shaped pipe.
The finish is smooth, with a matte surface. The hardware is mounted nicely; it appears that it is aluminum as opposed to stainless steel. There was some whitish oxidation on the metal.
The drilling is very good. The draft hole meets the floor of the bowl centered and at an appropriate level. The stem is drilled out for a 9mm filter, and appears to be some type of plastic rather than acrylic. The draw is open and acceptable.
I buffed and waxed the stummel to reveal a better look at the grain structure. While the grain is not showing a lot of patterning, it is on par with a pipe of that price point. There were a few spots with fills that revealed themselves after waxing, however the dark nature of the stain more or less hides these unless your looking closely.
I am pleased that I received it, and overall with the workmanship.
I have spent twice as much or more on some pipes that have had issues in the past. This one is well executed and should smoke very well. At $43 shipped, it comes in just under a Morgan Bones.
For a budget pipe it was money well spent. I doubt I would place more orders, simply because I really don’t need to order more pipes. But my curiosity has been satisfied...
I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical. From what had been discussed on other boards, and my personal experience with ordering from Chinese websites, I had some reservations.
I decided that I would take a risk and place an order on their website and see what came of it.
I placed the order at the end of December 2020, and the pipe arrived today. The nomenclature described a “Stainless Steel mounted Army Olive Series” bent brandy shaped pipe.
The finish is smooth, with a matte surface. The hardware is mounted nicely; it appears that it is aluminum as opposed to stainless steel. There was some whitish oxidation on the metal.
The drilling is very good. The draft hole meets the floor of the bowl centered and at an appropriate level. The stem is drilled out for a 9mm filter, and appears to be some type of plastic rather than acrylic. The draw is open and acceptable.
I buffed and waxed the stummel to reveal a better look at the grain structure. While the grain is not showing a lot of patterning, it is on par with a pipe of that price point. There were a few spots with fills that revealed themselves after waxing, however the dark nature of the stain more or less hides these unless your looking closely.
I am pleased that I received it, and overall with the workmanship.
I have spent twice as much or more on some pipes that have had issues in the past. This one is well executed and should smoke very well. At $43 shipped, it comes in just under a Morgan Bones.
For a budget pipe it was money well spent. I doubt I would place more orders, simply because I really don’t need to order more pipes. But my curiosity has been satisfied...
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