James Davis pipes? and some additional questions

[liquidedna]

Hi everyone!
I'm new to the forums but have been a long time lurker
I have a couple Savinellis and I am very happy with them. Then again, I've only smoked a few pipes over the years and they were definitely lower quality. So I love the Savinellis but would like to branch out and try something else. I came across James Davis pipes in Etsy and was wondering if anyone has one. I've done a forum and web search and I've found no info.
So if you're the owner of a James Davis pipe, I'd love to hear your impressions of his work.
If you have a suggestion for a follow up to a Savinelli that's in the $100 or so price range (or less for that matter), I would welcome the feedback.
And as I bring up price, what are your thoughts on buying lower cost pipes? I guess what I'm getting at is, do you think it is important to get a pipe "context" by trying pipes from various price points?
Many thanks,

Mark

 

[papipeguy]

I don't Know anything about this maker. The pipes look very attractive but my Scooby sense is raised at the prices. Less than $100 for a hand made pipe even by a new guy seems way low to me. I hope I'm wrong about that but I could not find anything about him save his FB page and Etsy.

As for other moderately priced pipes I'd look at Stanwell, Nording, Butz-Chacom just to name a few..

I hope other here are familiar with Mr. Davis' work.

BTY way, welcome to the forum.

 

[liquidedna]

Yes. That's why I was hoping to hear from someone who actually has one of his pipes. From the reading I've been doing it seems the quality of the briar is a very large factor in the end product. I'm no expert on the wood so I'm hard pressed to know good from bad. Maybe I can convince him to send me a "sample" pipe to try

Thanks for replying.

 

[michaelmirza]

I say go for it. The pictures are gorgeous, especially that olivewood poker! More importantly the customer reviews on his Etsy are gleaming. I think $100 only sounds cheap compared to some other high-ends makers, but it's far from budget. My spider-sense says yes, especially because he's got a sale going and because he's a Christian (personal bias showing).

 

[liquidedna]

Hello Michael. I think you make a good point about cost. The more well known makers can charge $300+ on name alone so is it you're paying more for the name? Thanks for your point of view!

 

[michaelmirza]

Sure thing! If you want a little more of a behind-the-scenes view, you could check out his Instagram: @jamesdavispipes

 

[sablebrush52]

One of my favorite carvers is Arly Curtz. Never had a bad pipe off of him, and nobody who has bought one of his pipes from my recommendation has had any complaint. I first spotted him on the Pint and Pipe site, back when they cared about online pipe sales.
It was a rusticated squashed tomato and it was listed at $99. At that price I was willing to take a chance. Turned out to be a great pipe. I've bought other pipes of his, all under $100, used for $50. All great smokers. Maybe not the most stylish carving, or the prettiest briar, but you can't smoke looks. His prices have gone up, as they should. Not all new carvers are gouging out of the gate. They're building a following as they learn their craft.

 

[papipeguy]

I was chatting with some guys in a chat room last night and Curly Top Pipes came up in our discussion. Seems the maker is about 90 minutes from me and has been making pipes for quite some time. Much like Mr. Davis' pipes the Curly Tops look to be a real bargain.

So, to sable's point, not all makers go out of the gate with extreme pricing.
http://www.curlytoppipeco.com/#!premium-traditional-pipes/caei

 

[liquidedna]

Hi guys.

I just wanted to update this thread because I did purchase a pipe from James Davis. It's an olive wood dublin with a vulcanite stem. The pipe was $100 and came with a kit that included a tamper, a small leather sheet for packing and a leather pipe rest (very nice).
It is a very nice smoke and has an easy draw. It fits well in hand and has a fine finish. When I get some pics, I'll post them.
Thank you for the good advice on buying from lesser known pipe makers. There are some good ones out there if you do a bit of searching. And I would include James with the others you all mentioned.

 

[geirove]

They look nice.

I bought a pipe off ebay, for about 100USD. It was from a very young maker, who had just started. Great smoker, good pipe!
Maybe you are buying a 100 dollar pipe from the next Rad Davis, Former Nielsen or Lee Von Erck. You never know

They all start somewhere