So who here is an avid collector of pipes by Jess Chonowitsch? What makes them so special that your heart races whenever you see one listed? And do you prefer his older pipes or his more recent pipes?
Jess Chonowitsch
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I have one newer Jess black sandblasted straight billiard. There's a subtle, but beautiful rich red understain that's visible in good light. The rim is smooth, with a dark, rich red stain. The red and black brindle taper stem is the most remarkable piece of Vulcanite I've seen. It glows and the color perfectly compliments the stain on the rim. The blast is a shallower Danish style and quite good, but not stellar.
I bought it from a very good friend who found the pipe a little too large for him. Or, at least that's the story he tells me. I think he may have been trying to get me addicted! This came about while smoking together shortly after last year's Chicago Show, where he bought it from Chance Whitamore of eBay Great Estates game. I was smitten by its classic lines and classy finish. Truly a PERFECT pipe. Although he paid more than double the price of any pipe I had ever bought, I told him that if he ever want to sell it, please offer it to me first. A few months later, after acquiring a couple more Jess pipes, he offered it to me for the trade-in value he would have gotten from his friends at smokingpipes. In other words, he took a loss. I leaped at the offer and am so glad I did. It is everything I imagined it to be, even after hearing my buddy sing the praises of the velvety draw and perfectly centered ember. It is perfectly engineered.
Despite my buddy's regular suggestions that I buy another, so far, I have been satisfied to own this one perfect Jess Chonowitsch. Other members of our club, CPCC, have dozens. Dozens! He's doing something right
I have a number of other pipes which I enjoy smoking just about as much, however. I own three Peter Heeschen pipes that don't look quite as nice as the Jess, but smoke equally well and have the most incredibly comfortable stems. A high grade Brad Pohlmann is right there too. Perhaps my best smoking pipe is a group 4 1927 Dunhill's Shell Briar billiard.
I'm not going to venture into the value debate. The one thing I'll point out is that Jess Chonowitsch pipes continue to grow in value, so since I got a great deal on this one, someday, I'll probably turn a profit on it. That is, unless I sell it back to my buddy for what I paid. He has the right of first refusal forever in my book.
I bought it from a very good friend who found the pipe a little too large for him. Or, at least that's the story he tells me. I think he may have been trying to get me addicted! This came about while smoking together shortly after last year's Chicago Show, where he bought it from Chance Whitamore of eBay Great Estates game. I was smitten by its classic lines and classy finish. Truly a PERFECT pipe. Although he paid more than double the price of any pipe I had ever bought, I told him that if he ever want to sell it, please offer it to me first. A few months later, after acquiring a couple more Jess pipes, he offered it to me for the trade-in value he would have gotten from his friends at smokingpipes. In other words, he took a loss. I leaped at the offer and am so glad I did. It is everything I imagined it to be, even after hearing my buddy sing the praises of the velvety draw and perfectly centered ember. It is perfectly engineered.
Despite my buddy's regular suggestions that I buy another, so far, I have been satisfied to own this one perfect Jess Chonowitsch. Other members of our club, CPCC, have dozens. Dozens! He's doing something right
I have a number of other pipes which I enjoy smoking just about as much, however. I own three Peter Heeschen pipes that don't look quite as nice as the Jess, but smoke equally well and have the most incredibly comfortable stems. A high grade Brad Pohlmann is right there too. Perhaps my best smoking pipe is a group 4 1927 Dunhill's Shell Briar billiard.
I'm not going to venture into the value debate. The one thing I'll point out is that Jess Chonowitsch pipes continue to grow in value, so since I got a great deal on this one, someday, I'll probably turn a profit on it. That is, unless I sell it back to my buddy for what I paid. He has the right of first refusal forever in my book.
Yeah, you guys go ahead and buy all of Jess' pipes, as I haven't seen one for less than two grand, with many in the mid to upper three thousands. Buy all of them; I can wait, and I've got to save up anyway. Some would say his prices are obscene, but I wouldn't. Some would say they make their gorge rising, but I wouldn't.
What a riot!
What a riot!
I’ve not smoked one, but I’ve handled several of Jess’ more recent pipes, both traditional and freehand. Aesthetically they are beyond any criticism. Absolutely gorgeous. I’m sure they smoke just as well. To the naysayers, I would say that the experience of owning a perfect pipe from a living legend is nothing to sneeze at. A great pipe can provide countless hours of satisfaction. I could think of countless less worthwhile ways to spend several thousands of dollars. If I ever have the financial means.
I'm sure he makes a gorgeous pipe and that undoubtedly he knows how to drill a straight line embellished with a half-dozen airway improvements from Bernoulli to Ferrari. No doubt. But it's still a block that cost no more than $100.00 and a piece of stem at no more than $10.00. He then maybe works the piece for 20 hours @ $100.00/hour. So that's $2110.00. Well maybe $3500.00 is not so bad, but to me, it just doesn't work.
It’s difficult to describe Jess Chonowitsch pipes in words or pictures. They are simply flawless. I made a conscious decision to go ahead and smoke the heck out of mine. I don’t keep it on the shelf or in a box. They come alive when all the senses are involved in the experience of actually smoking them.
My only grip is that I can never remember how to spell his last name.
Other than that, I'm happy that owners enjoy his pipes. They are beautiful to behold, but more than I'm willing to spend. I'm happy with my sorry mongrel horde.
Other than that, I'm happy that owners enjoy his pipes. They are beautiful to behold, but more than I'm willing to spend. I'm happy with my sorry mongrel horde.
Here is my poor man's Jess Chonowitsch:
He designed several for Stanwell. See link: Stanwell designers Pipedia
He designed several for Stanwell. See link: Stanwell designers Pipedia
Ya, sable, I wouldn't mind being the poor mouse sitting under your table waiting for a few scraps to fall off. :puffpipe:
:rofl:
I'm sure that amongst the forum members we could come up with some cobs and Dr. Grabows to help you out. No need to smoke those nasty old pipes you have. :mrgreen:
I am troubled by the assertions about Chonowitsch pipes made above other their finish, as smoking quality is always my interest. Finish can be readily assessed by the eye while smoking quality seems to never really be objectified by the smoker to himself or in the language he uses to communicate this rarified quality to others. The pipes may indeed smoke perfectly, but unless the smoker can put that claim into words he and others can understand so that both can return to the point over a number of smokes, comparing this smoke to that so as to find whether such aspect is or isn't, they are as useless as dust. Language and reason are fallible, but experience described by them is both our way of knowing and communicating. Claims of perfection have no substance without them.
I chased this ghost of pipe quality for many years only to be disappointed that I could find no discernible difference among briars and briars and cobs. It seemed to me that such claims had much more to do with the retailer selling a pipe or the forum member with the biggest ego or the size of his wallet as related to the phantasmagoria of his materiality.
I chased this ghost of pipe quality for many years only to be disappointed that I could find no discernible difference among briars and briars and cobs. It seemed to me that such claims had much more to do with the retailer selling a pipe or the forum member with the biggest ego or the size of his wallet as related to the phantasmagoria of his materiality.
If we can't question the high end, then we are just to take the marketing departments word on it that these pipes are worth it. Having people question this elite product, gives us all the opportunity to learn. This is what makes forums exactly like this the absolute best place to learn, and with thousands of new eyes on us, and hundreds of new members pouring in, I think the assertion that this forum is in any fear of becoming extinct is overblown.
If a maker cannot stand the weight of criticism, then it wasn't worth it to begin with.
If a maker cannot stand the weight of criticism, then it wasn't worth it to begin with.
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