There should be some advantages to factory manufacture. Not to stretch the point, but most aircraft is made in factories, and this provides some exactness and precision in the product. You start with industrial design rather than artistic originality, but the repetitious processes should provide some uniformity and success in terms of quality control. Artisan pipe carvers can usually match or top this effect, but not in the quantity and at the price provided by factory pipes. I like factory pipes for often having high quality for lower prices and often for excellence in industrial design. I don't prefer them to handmade pipes by individual carvers, but I see there is a balance between the two, not absolute superiority on either side. I'd enjoy a hand-built car, but I can't afford one, and if I could, I would be greatly displeased by the maintenance costs. Not so many maintenance costs for pipes, but the difference in original price is often significant. Dunhill does not pass along that price advantage and in fact often exceeds artisan prices.
