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marcel

Might Stick Around
Feb 25, 2015
72
0
Well that may be a bit facetious but I do think I've hit a wall or maybe one could call it a stage. I've amassed a collection of about 30 pipes, 9 Savinellis and 6 Stanwells and a few Vauens and Petersons, two nice Meerschaums, an Il Duca Morta and some other factory pipes.
The next step in the hobby would be looking at some of the more expensive factory pipes or buying an artisan pipe but my own preferences preclude a lot of those pipes. I prefer acrylic stems so I'm not big in the estate market. I prefer traditional shapes in traditional proportions, I think a Freehand pipe is like smoking out of a tree branch, so I've written off a lot artisan market but not entirely, a Mark Tinsky bent bulldog would be highly prized as would a few others. The upscale factory pipes tend to be hit or miss with me. I saw a Ser Jacopo I really wanted on a Printerest board but good luck finding one of those for sale somewhere. As the price for a pipe increases so does how picky I become about it.
To make an analogy to shooting, once one has picked off the easy targets, the targets now become much smaller and farther away, which is probably a good thing.

 

iamn8

Lifer
Sep 8, 2014
4,248
14
Moody, AL
I highly recommend, once you've picked off the low lying fruit, picking a favorite carver and commissioning your dream pipe.

 

xrundog

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 23, 2014
737
1
Ames, IA
No pipes to buy? 8O
I understand what you are saying although I can't agree. It's good you aren't interested in estates or antiques. I think I have around 80 pipes. I'm cutting back and selling some off. And I will sell 4 or 5 lesser pipes to buy one great one. I'm making slow headway because for me, there always seems to be another pipe I want. There are so many great choices!

 

effektor

Might Stick Around
Aug 4, 2013
50
0
I found that I keep smoking the same handful of pipes over and over again. The last few pipes that I bought, I smoked once or twice then went back to my old standbys. A few pipes I bought, smoked a few times then gave away all within a week's time. If I find a really nice example of a style I really like, I may pick one up, but I have no interest in acquiring more pipes just to have more. I'm fairly picky, so many styles just don't do it for me.

 

seacaptain

Lifer
Apr 24, 2015
1,829
7
I think a Freehand pipe is like smoking out of a tree branch
LOL :lol: I tend to agree.
I know what you mean though. I have 5 pipes and all are larger (150mm) sandblasted princes. Being that specific, it's almost impossible to find anything new unless I go with an estate, which I'm not quite ready to do.

 

wyfbane

Lifer
Apr 26, 2013
5,117
3,517
Tennessee
I have seen 4 Ser Jacopo ' s go under $100 in the last 3 days. I got 2 of them. One for $65. (Thank you Pipestud). Deals are out there. There are ALWAYS pipes to buy. You just need to resign yourself to eating a lot of ramen.

 

effektor

Might Stick Around
Aug 4, 2013
50
0
It isn't always about finding a deal or having the cash available. Sometimes there just isn't anything interesting, or even the interesting stuff turns out to be a short lived interest. Personally, I have no interest in free hands, and prefer smaller bowls. That means that most of what I stumble across really doesn't interest me.

 

lonestar

Lifer
Mar 22, 2011
2,854
161
Edgewood Texas
First thing that comes to mind on Classics with Acrylic is to keep an eye out for Mike Buteras work when it is available. He is a King of Classics, and only uses acrylic.

But then, the price tag may put you off that as a choice.

So maybe keep an eye out for the rare Italian factory pipe in a strictly classic shape. Or found an artist who makes classics you like and request an acrylic stem on commission. There are a lot of truly talented Americans making really great pipes in the same price range as the better Italian pipes these days. The attention to detail can really blow away what a factory offers for not much of a price difference.

Some guys wont work with acrylic, but most would.

 

lostandfound

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 30, 2011
924
44
...Sometimes there just isn't anything interesting...
Careful partner. Yer treadin' a thin line there.
Seriously though- I understand. I'm more of a tobacco guy myself. As long as I have enough decent pipes to be able to rest them a sufficient amount of time, I'm okay. I'll get my seven-day sets one day. Just not today... Or tomorrow.

 

bigpond

Lifer
Oct 14, 2014
2,019
13
My issue with estate pipes with acrylic stems is the airways tend to be all over the map. Very frequently they tend to be uncomfortably tight. If you've seen enough of Sav, and you don't want to reach for a Castello, maybe something like an Icarus would fit the bill. That said, you might find stepping up to a custom hand made pipe from a skilled artisan a lot less painful than you think. Ryan Alden makes some pretty awesome pipes for real world money.
Edit: and it has to be said 1 cheap peterson = 1.5 lbs of FVF.

 

huntertrw

Lifer
Jul 23, 2014
5,223
5,349
The Lower Forty of Hill Country
After surveying his empire didn't Alexander The Great weep because he thought that there were no more worlds to conquer? How little he actually knew...
It's a good thing that Alex was not also a pipe-smoker!

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
If you can hold that frame of mind, it's a good thing. A cessation in the buying mania gives you a chance to polish up your stable and finish breaking in your newer pipes. Soon enough you will hear the siren call, probably. Or maybe you can coast for a few months or years, which can be a good thing. I like to think I'm on a hiatus, with one of my retailers planning a sale, and my go-to pipe carver fixing to sell his wares at the state fair in October. Likely one of those or both will get my business. You do become more selective with more pipes in the stable. It's interesting to discover what a fine pipe that low-end push-bit Kawoodie Saxon really is, to my surprise. And that unfinished Sav panel that I bought for less than fifty at the pipe show. And so on. Sometimes the best shopping of all is on your pipe rack at home. Surprise surprise.

 

ssjones

Moderator
Staff member
May 11, 2011
18,322
11,087
Maryland
postimg.cc
I'm kind of in the same boat. Four years ago, I started a "Holy Grail List" that had 10 pipe on it of various manufacturers and models. It's grown to 20 now, but I only have four empty slots.

 
Jan 4, 2015
1,858
11
Massachusetts
I can always find something interesting out there. My problem is every pipe I own has some story attached so I just can't part with it. Space is becoming a problem but I'm not out of it yet. So the quest continues!!!

 

okiescout

Lifer
Jan 27, 2013
1,530
6
Xrundog, I agree with you completely.
Dave, that blast, at this point, is like waving cocaine in front of an addict :lol: Gorgeous!

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
If you have pipes that aren't getting smoked, you can always cull the herd and send them in for house credit to smokingpipes or pipesandcigars, toward something you might not buy otherwise, for price. I think the house credit is somewhat more than the cash for estate pipe. Or there is always ebay, if you have the know-how and stomach for it.

 
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