I'm Looking for 5 or 6 Pipe Brands to Trust, Need Help Please

[dukdalf]

+ 1 for cosmicfolklore. If you're out to 'collect' a set of decent quality daily smokers, my top six or seven would differ hardly from what you've read above: Savinelli, Brebbia, perhaps Mastro de Paja, Stanwell, Big Ben, and the French brands as Chacom and Butz all offer very good smokers at affordable prices. On top of that you may also want to check out some Eastern-European makers: Filar makes fine briars in Poland, Krska in the Czech republic with the latter being a bit more high-end. If it's return on investment you want, you'll need to upgrade your budget to allow for Dunhill and Upshall, for instance, or turn to the estate market.

 

[lochinvar]

For new pipes in that range:

Butz-Choquin

Savinelli

Stanwell

Chacom

Parker/Hardcastle
All will give a good smoke, a good value for your dollars. I just recently acquired my first BC and Chacom and they are great smokes, with the edge going to BC, its become a favorite. Savinelli is top notch has a pipe to offer for whatever amount you want to spend from $50 to $500.
If you want real value though, I would look to ebay for older Charatan (Lane era), GBD pipes, Comoy or Hardcastle pipes. They can be had in your price range and are ,to my mind, some of the best smokes you can get. My first Charatan was an x'ed model (as a side note, how pathetically childish was that of Dunhill), new and unsmoked for $70, and it is my number one Virginia smoker, ahead of many that cost five times that much. GBDs are all solidly executed pipes, and smoke great. I've had many Hardcastles over the years and many of them I prefer to the Dunhills in my collection, especially the older ones. I have owned a Comoy, but have smoked a few and many of my piping friends go into hysterics if anyone even whispers "Blue Riband."
The price of the estates is you may have to do extensive cleaning and de-ghosting, but I have always found that I received much more than what I paid for in them.

 

[floridapiper]

Thank you, everyone, for your advice! This is exactly what I was looking for. To respond to a few of you, I definately am looking to smoke these pipes for pleasure, not collect for monetary investment. Now I can take these names and narrow down my preference.
Thanks again!!!

 

[smokeybear]

Well good luck with your choice all of these were good options so you need not worry.

 

[plateauguy]

Welcome, Florida!
The one pipe that is very inexpensive and a great smoker is a Missouri Meerschaum cob. I can't believe that no one listed it! They are a reliable, forgiving smoke and everyone should have at least one. (I have 4 and reach for them quite often).
For a briar pipe, go to Tobaccopipes.com - they have a wide selection and pretty good prices. For an estate pipe that's an easy clean up, go Falcon, another forgiving, reliable smoke.
Enjoy the hunt!

 

[starcat]

I have Nording, GBD, and Stanwell. All which are outstanding in their own ways. I also has a very nice BC which displayed a defect and had to be returned.

A lot of people seem to be jumping up and down about Savanelli, but they are not impressing me personally. The BCs as well I think are overpriced for the weight and construction of what they are. Something about the italians and the French the way they approach marketing their product to Americans which does not suit me.

The Dutch and the English seem to make more sense from my way of looking.

I would stay totally away from Leonessa. Grabow is 100 times better than what I have bought from them.

 

[highlander]

Have you decided what you will get?

 

[blueeyedogre]

I'm gonna throw another brand in and add Brigham. Best pipes I've found for their price.

 

[floridapiper]

Well, I did get a Missouri Meerschaum corn cob on Monday. I went ahead and took some of their advice on adding that to my rotation. I figured it was a low investment and buys me a little time to save up for something as well as ponder my next real pipe aquisition.
Also it gets the 'new pipe jitters' out of me for a few weeks, so I won't rush to buy my next pipe and possibly make a poor decision. I'll take everything to heart.
I like the advice on English and Dutch pipes... I think I'm leaning that direction. Right now I'm leaning towards a Nording or a bulldog shape (which I do not have). I saw a nice Stanwell at Bennington's for $100 which I thought was nice, partly sandblasted, part smooth. But, So far I do not have any smooth surface pipes, so maybe I'll look for one with a nice grain and make it my next pipe.
Thanks, everyone for your support and great advice... it is priceless!!!
Pipe on!

 

[floridapiper]

Also my dad bought a Brigham for me for Christmas. It's smooth finish and apple shape is a welcome addition and variance to my collection! Looking forward to open it Christmas morning and breaking it in!! I will eventually look into the many other pipes that were recommended in the future. Now I am trying many types of tobacco, Sutliff aromatics and Macbaren's Scottish blend are amongst my next endeavors!
Pipe on my fellow Pipers!!! And merry Christmas!!!

 

[plateauguy]

I'm glad you like the MM cob.
I've narrowed down my purchases to Petersons, estate GBD pipes (Digby) and Comoy pipes (Everyman and Guildhall). I find them to be sound, reliable smokers.
Unless you enjoy the clean up of an estate (sometimes the price makes it worth it) buy an estate from one of our sponsors. Word to the wise, stay away from Shiny Pipes.

 

[andrew]

Go with estates, it's all I own except one Peterson I got for about 75% off the retail price at a store that was going out of business and couldn't pass up a deal like that. I don't really pay attention to brands, I just look at a pipe and if it speaks to me I get it. Also look into seconds of companies like dunhill, they're seconds are parker bruyere, stanwell seconds are Danish sovereign, etc.. You'll find them cheap on ebay and they're great.