Looking for Advice..

[abdulaziz]

I am going to buy a new briar and I want your advice, I saw this big ben Silhouette Calabash on smokingpipes.com and I really liked it, my question is do you recommend Big Ben pipes for a beginner or is it safer to just go with Savinelli pipes?.. By the way I have MM cobs but I want a briar..

 

[papipeguy]

Very nice looking pipe. There are some real Big Ben fans here and I understand they are good pipes. I have a lot of Sav's and, for the money, they can't be beat; in my opinion.

That being said, I think you'll be just fine with the Big Ben as well. Good luck and welcome to the forum.

 

[abdulaziz]

Thanks man, I really appreciate your response..

 

[pruss]

Hi abdulaziz, welcome to the forums!
The, "Should I buy this pipe?" question will likely elicit a bevvy of responses.
I am with papipeguy, I have little experience with Big Ben, but have a few Savinelli pipes. The Big Ben pipes I've held and seen appear to be well put together and well engineered; as have the Savs. If I were shopping for a new pipe now I would set a price point, and then compare pipes of different manufacturers on a site like smokingpipes.com . Examine them, what do you get for your money with each factory/manufacturer (shape, size, finish, filter/no-filter)? Next, ask which pipes speak to you the most? I bet you reach for a pipe on your rack that you like aesthetically more often than a pipe which you just aren't in love with. For $150.00 you should be able to get yourself a lot of pipe.
I will say this, you may be able to get a pipe of higher quality/finish on the estate market. So looking at the estate pipe section of your online pipe-vendor of choice will help you explore all your choices.
Good luck, and let us know what you choose!
-- Pat

 

[abdulaziz]

Thanks Pruss.. So you think I should go with estate pipes?, and I think I'll stick with smokingpipes for now because I live in Yemen and with shipping rates I can only buy my tobaccos and pipes and accessories from one retailer.. Thanks again..

 

[pruss]

Happy to help. Smoking Pipes, your e-tailer of choice, has a team of dedicated pipe restorers (like our own rcstan) who professionally clean up and sanitize estate pipes for re-sale purposes. If you're not adverse to the idea of smoking a pipe that has been previously enjoyed (and many, many, people are) then I think there is quite a lot of value in estate pipes.
Here are a couple estates from SPC that are close to your price range:
http://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/estate/england/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=133507
http://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/estate/italy/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=131853
It should be noted that there are a number of excellent estate pipe vendors out there on the web, some of whom advertise here, others who do not. If you're interested in expanding your search outside of SPC you'll find your online time well occupied.
Cheers,
-- Pat

 

[abdulaziz]

Thank you very much, I really appreciate that you wasting your valuable time in helping me picking a pipe..thanks again and I will decide what to get tonight because i've sworn not to sleep 8O until I choose one..

 

[pruss]

i've sworn not to sleep 8O until I choose one..

Welcome to the world of PAD (Pipe Acquisition Disorder). There is no known cure, but the occasional diversion of funds into pipe purchasing does reduce symptoms over a short period of time.
Happy hunting.
-- Pat

 

[abdulaziz]

I just bought this Brigham Pipe of the Year 2011 because I read a lot about Brigham and I adored its look.. Thank you Pruss And Pipeguy and I'll absolutely need further advice so stick around till I post another thread ..

 

[petes03]

Savs are hard to beat at any price range. I can't say anything for the Big Bens, though I've heard they are good pipes. Maybe Kashmir will chime in on this one, I know he has experience with them.

 

[pruss]

Congrats on your new pipe Abdulaziz. That Brigham POY is a stunner. I hope it is a great smoker for you.
Let us know how the break-in period goes, and how you feel about smoking briar after cutting your teeth on cobs.
Best,
-- Pat

 

[brdavidson]

Wow Abdulaziz, that pipe is a beauty! Us Canadians are rather partial to Brigham pipes but they are a well established and reputable company. That is indeed a great purchase for your first briar. Congratulations!

 

[abdulaziz]

Thanks Pruss and Brdavidson, the only thing I need now is figuring a good way of breaking in, I've read lots of articles and they have different approaches, I think I'll try the half bowl method but if you have better suggestions then I would be grateful..

 

[brdavidson]

Stuff and puff my friend, that's what I do. We do have a tendency to over think these things I feel. Although I'm sure many more experienced puffers will likely disagree.
Do what you feel is comfortable, if that's a half bowl then do that. I don't think there's a right or wrong answer.

 

[petes03]

@brdavidson, I agree! I used to go by "The Rule Of Thirds" but I've found that just filling the pipe up with tobacco, and smoking slowly produces the same results. I also used to do the whole honey/molasses in the bowl thing too, but have since realized that there is no reason to do that either. I haven't used either of those methods in several years, and I've since "stuffed and puffed" 30+ pipes on break in, and I've had absolutely zero problems!

 

[kcghost]

I'd go with an estate Savinelli.

 

[mso489]

I don't own any Big Bens, but they are Dutch pipes, and the Dutch have a strong culture of craftsmanship and

precision, and I would expect them to be comparable to Savenelli in quality. The reason Savenelli has such a

strong reputation is that they make a huge number of pipes and at the same time have a remarkable reputation

for consistent quality all the way through the different price levels. I would feel confident recommending either

pipe as a first pipe, but I have firsthand experience with Savenelli and have owned two or three for thirty or more

years. The only consideration with Savenelli is that most of their pipes have a balsa wood filter. You can replace

the filter with an adaptor and smoke without the filter. Some people find their pipes smoke fine without either the

filter or adaptor. And Savenelli does make some pipes without filters, either their economy unfinished pipes, or

a few of their series like the Oscar Lucite. My Savenellis do not have filters.

 

[petes03]

Yep, I smoke my Savs without a filter or adapter, and they smoke great!

 

[abdulaziz]

Petes3,Kcghost and Mso489 thank you all for your advice and I appreciate it, but I've already bought this Brigham 86/100and I hope it serves me well..

 

[mso489]

Brighams are universally recommended by owners. You might want to keep these other recommendations in mind

if you decide to build your rotation of briar pipes. Many people starting out buy a MM cob or two for a rotation before

they add more briars. I believe you'll like your Brigham a lot. (MM cob is the Missouri Meerschaum corn cob pipe,

available at most retail pipe sites or directly from Missouri Meerschaum at their site, or at most pipe shops.)