Kaywoodie Curious

[wgstraub]

Been watching some Kaywoodies on Ebay and elsewhere and I'm trying to come to grips with their status. From what I understand, they were once on a par with Dunhills and others but the quality slipped and they became your basic drug store pipes. That's the type I'm familiar with and try to stay away from. Now I understand they're producing quality merchandise again. So I guess my question is when did Kaywoodie turn to the dark side and when did it re-emerge?

 

[verporchting]

I’ve got a couple from the 1930s and they are nicely made pipes that smoke well. Look good too, you just have to become zen with the funky stingers. Had one from the mid to late 50s that was perfectly decent too but the briar wasn’t as nice looking - in part due to the finish on it, but it smoked fine. Haven’t seen the newest ones so I can’t comment. Seen tons of beat ones from the 70s or 80s I’d guess that didn’t impress me much but it’s hard to say what they were like before they got used as hammers and died alone and forgotten in a junk shop stall.

 

[Sloopjohnbee]

Someone revived the brand recently - like in 2018
If you want a nice unsmoked pre-kaywoodie kaywoodie from like 1930's PM me
I'll sell it for what I paid -under $200- Its beautiful and should smoke nicely

 

[didimauw]

Ooo ooo ooo here ya go

@crashthegrey

He knows

 

[mso489]

I've sampled a few new ones in the past six or eight years and found them quite good, but their low volume limits the selection on the inventory. The one that should be a turkey, a Ruff-Tone Drinkless with the screw-on stem and stinger, turns out to be a perfectly fine smoker, with the stinger quick to clean. With a little help from Member sable here I got the stem cocked perpendicular using a hair dryer to heat the glue. The other two, a Saxon panel and a Saxon billiard, with no stingers, have been fine smokers too. Notably the billiard has quite thin bowl walls yet never heats up at all to the touch, which is pretty classy. The panel is also a fine smoker. So I'm not sure Kaywoodie ever went into precipitous decline. You can get some up-market handmade for about $250 new. The best inventory on Kaywoodies I know is WVsmokeshop.com. Dunhill did some brilliant marketing and pumped their prices way up, above some perhaps much higher quality artisan pipes, but I think it is a matter of personal experience whether they live up to their brand. So I think you'll be happy with a Kaywoodie whether you spend $40, $80, or $265; I think you'll get your money's worth on a new one, and do well with most estates, but depending on how they've been treated and maintained. People pay up for Dunhills because it fulfills their desire to get "the best pipe made" in the eyes of a broad public. Members have snagged them for $20 online.

 

[FurCoat]

WV Smoke Shop has the best selection of Kaywoodie I have seen so far. Some nice pipes to chose from. I have one that I purchased from BRB and I have no complaints. Large Shellcraft Lumberman

 

[mso489]

I was flirting with a Kaywoodie yacht at WVSmokeshop, but when I got ready to pull the trigger it was gone. Many of the series click up out of stock. But they still have the best selection I've encountered online. If you see something you like, go ahead, because they may not have many. I was glad to see the merchandise moving. Maybe next time. I sense that the largest volume manufacturer of factory briar pipes in the U.S. is Dr. Grabow. I don't know of any U.S. manufacture that makes as many and distributes as widely, despite it being a fairly small outfit with limited marketing, up there in northwest North Carolina in the little town of Sparta. I think they do quality work too, especially the shaping on their Royalton bulldogs. Edwards used to make several brands, including Benton that provided the house pipes for Iwan Ries for a while, with good Algerian briar, of which I have several. They seem to have gone quietly out of business. Haven't seen their pipes for sale in years.

 

[captainsousie]

Here is a link to the history of the company on the Greywoodie site (no affiliation). The site is owned by a member here too.

 

[sablebrush52]

In the '20's Kaywoodie had some of the best wood available anywhere. Their price point was slightly higher than Dunhill at that time. Consider that Jimmy Stewart gave a cased set of Kaywoodies to his agent as a thank you for a particularly good assignment. Their quality remained high till the early 1950's, when a change in ownership reduced the line to the status of a drugstore pipe. Since then they have been on the road back and are a good mid level pipe. The current pipes are really nicely made.

 

[indoeuro]

I absolutely adore the newer push-tenon Kaywoodies. They're the favorite billiards in my collection. Same shop produces Medico pipes, as well, which are my favorite workhorse smokers. Best value in the factory pipe world, imo. I buy mine through Greywoodie's site.

 

[Bax Burley]

I ordered a Medico from Greywoodie and can confirm, he's a super cool guy. He has a great selection of the newer ones. As mentioned WVPipeshop does have some of the expensive ones as well as the cheaper ones. Pipes and Cigars was carrying the newer ones, but they're dwindling down to a few. Paul's Pipe Shop also has some of the old, expensive ones.

 

[crashthegrey]

Nailed it above. Some major changes in the fifties caused a slip. Through the eighties they lost sight a bit. Bill has really worked to restore the pipes to former glory. Anything 4 digit and 4 hole stinger is incredible. Any of the modern ones are quite good and getting even better. I'm pushing for new shapes and finishes all the time. Keep an eye to the future.

 

[Grangerous]

You have to like Grabow’s metal work or Kaywoodies style of stinger to gravitate toward either pipe. Both are unique.

I personably like a simple drilled, non-filtered pipe. Most of my collection are straight drilled billiards.

I’ve owned many Grabow’s but only one Kaywoodie.

Its all preference.

 

[crashthegrey]

You have to like Grabow’s metal work or Kaywoodies style of stinger to gravitate toward either pipe. Both are unique.

I personably like a simple drilled, non-filtered pipe. Most of my collection are straight drilled billiards.

I’ve owned many Grabow’s but only one Kaywoodie.

Its all preference.

The new Kaywoodie pipes are traditional push tenon. No stinger except in the tiny Campus line. They smoke amazingly.

 

[kschatey]

Go to places for Kaywoodie pipes are WVSmokeShop.com and Greywoodie.com. I purchased a Kaywoodie Saxon Prince from the latter and and really like it. He also gets some vintage Kaywoodie from time to time as well.

 

[anotherbob]

Go to places for Kaywoodie pipes are WVSmokeShop.com and Greywoodie.com. I purchased a Kaywoodie Saxon Prince from the latter and and really like it. He also gets some vintage Kaywoodie from time to time as well.

thanks. greywoodie.com, knew about wvsmokeshop but not greywoodie.