Looking to Buy a Gandalf-Style Pipe. Facing a Dilemma and in Need of Advice.

[aaronc95]

Hello. I'd just like to say that I'm fairly new to pipe smoking, however, I'm a lifelong Tolkien fan, and head-over-heels in love with Middle Earth and its cultures. That's why I'm searching for the perfect pipe that captures that Middle Earth feel, while boasting good quality for a reasonable price. After much searching, I've found these two:
1.
The MacQueen Wizard

http://macqueenpipes.com/wizard.aspx
This seems to be quite a popular pipe. As far as quality goes, I've read both positive and negative reviews, however, the overwhelming majority seem to be positive. As far as obtaining one, though, I have heard almost nothing but negative things about MacQueen's customer service and shipping dates. Apparently, customers of MacQueen have had to wait several months (from what I've seen, up to 7 and no less than 2) to receive their pipes in the mail after ordering them. What's more, it seems as though people receive their pipe far after MacQueen said they would, and they seem to be dodgy as far as customer service inquiries, as I have read several accounts of people trying to E-Mail MacQueen, and only getting responses after 2 or 3 E-Mails, and on some occasions, no response at all. I have tried to order this pipe from 3rd party sellers such as EBay or Amazon, but neither of those seem to have it in stock, and I have read bad things about all other 3rd party retailers who sell this pipe (http://www.darkknightarmoury.com/p-982-t… or http://www.medievalcollectibles.com/p-98… such as people not receiving their pipe at all and having to opt for a refund. What's more, even if they were to actually send the pipe to me, I do not know if these retailers actually have the pipe in stock and ready to go, or if they order it from MacQueen when you place your order with them, in which case, it would take just as long or longer for me to receive it as if I ordered it directly from MacQueen. The only potential positive I see here is that MacQueen apparently manufactures the pipes in Aylmer, Ontario, Canada at a location that is only 2 hours from where I live. I think it is possible that a factor in everyone's long wait is that after crafting and shipping, it still has to endure the complications of crossing borders, which it would not have to do to reach me. I have also found it here http://pipesandcigars.com/mawipi.html#.Ueyme21Sizx which I have heard is a good place to buy it 3rd party, however it seems as though only the United States, and places such as islands associated with it are included in their dropdown list of places they ship to. However, when I enter the Paypal payment option, Canada is on the list, so I'm confused as to whether they actually ship to Canada or not. Nevertheless, I do not wish to take even the slightest risk here, as I am not looking to waste any of my money.
2.
The Hobbit: The Pipe Of Gandalf Functional Working Replica - Noble Collection
http://www.ebay.com/itm/The-Hobbit-The-P…
This looks like a fine pipe. However, I cannot seem to find much information on it. The only thing close to a review I saw was on a forum site, and the poster said it was a smooth smoke. The only problems I have with this one are: It's shorter, I don't know what type of wood it's made from, and I don't know where it was made. (I'd prefer not to smoke a pipe that was made in some sweatshop somewhere).
So, if you've made it this far, thank you. I'm pretty lost here, and I'd like your recommendation out of these two. Also, If you know of a trustworthy retailer, a link would be appreciated. And if you know of an even better Gandalf pipe for around $100, please feel free to link me to that as well. Thank you kindly for your time.

 

[philobeddoe]

Aaronc95, the pipe you are looking for is properly called a Churchwarden. If you search sites such as Smokingpipes.com, Pipesandcigars.com, Briarblues.com and Pulversbriar and enter Churchwarden you should see a fairly large selection of new and estate pipes and some should be of the style you are looking for. I have no personal experience with Macqueen pipes, but I have read mixed reviews from some members here, just FYI.

 

[vabriar]

aaronc95- First off I see this is your first post so welcome to the forum! You said you were fairly new to pipe smoking so I hope you are enjoying your new hobby. I'm sorry to say that I can't offer any input on the particular pipes you are looking at however I can say that I have heard good things about pipesandcigars.com but no first hand experience. In my opinion the customer service issues you described would make me very leery. I would look for a seller that has good customer reviews and give them support. For your $100 budget I think with some time you should be able to find what you are looking for. According to the site the first pipe you linked to sells in 3 different types of wood and I apologize if you already know this but the type of wood a pipe is made out of can make a huge difference in how it smokes. Briar is the standard and as far as cherry and ash wood go I don't have any experience or knowledge about them for pipe materials but I do have a couple pipes that are made of pear wood that I think are great. Maybe someone will chime in with their knowledge of the other woods. Do some searches for "churchwarden pipe" and you will find many good pipes from reputable sites that are similar in style to the one you are after. Good luck on your search!

 

[checotah]

Aaronc95, Welcome to the forum and welcome to the world of piping. I would first ask, if I may, are you wanting a pipe to smoke, or to emulate Tolkien's characters? If the former, then I would suggest considering a nice pipe of reasonable value to introduce yourself to piping. This will allow you to explore a variety of tobaccos to see what you like. Any pipe is only as satisfying as the tobacco smoked in it. While not your ultimate goal, a nice cob could allow you to do this very inexpensively. After identifying the type of tobacco you prefer, you could then concentrate on obtaining your ultimate pipe.
If, however, the latter is your objective, either a good Churchwarden, as suggested, or, if you must,a MacQueen, would be your best direct approach. However, you may find that all of this does not provide you the satisfaction you seek, and only after some goodly investment. I have no personal experience with MacQueen, but have heard some of the cautions you mention. I simply would not jump into that possible problem pool until I was sure that was what I wanted. Even with your MacQueen pipe in hand, you will still need to find your way to your favorite tobacco to complete the experience.
FWIW, I, too, am a long time Tolkien fan, but I find my Middle Earth fix with a Churchwarden I bought several years ago pared with one of my favorite tobaccos. Could it be improved upon with a MacQueen? Very possibly, but only, again, with the right tobacco.
Good luck in your Quest, and let us know how it evolves....

 

[barleynbaccy]

Welcome to the forums. If you want your first pipe to be a churchwarden, please consider a Savenilli Rusticated Churchwarden. They are 20 bucks more but they are better quality. The two up top are Savs.

 

[bigvan]

I received a MacQueen Ranger pipe a few years ago as a gift and thought it was of very low quality. In my opinion, it's a prop or "costume" pipe; fine for dressing up as a wizard, but not a real pipe.

 

[undecagon]

If you want a full wooden pipe though, MacQueen is the way to go. I ordered from them, yes it took long to receive and to get email responses, but I love the pipe and that's what matters. I got the ranger. My buddy just picked up a wizard at the Chicago show and loves his as well. MacQueens are sold by other vendors, so I'd recommend finding a MacQueen from a third party and buying it.

 

[kashmir]

Check out the book "Pipe Smoking In Middle Earth" by Mark Irwin. Have an artisan make you one of the illustrated pipes. That's what I'd do.

 

[Perique]

Here ya go:
http://pipesandcigars.com/chpi1.html
My understanding is that many Canadian forum members order from P&C without issue.

 

[undecagon]

And a link for my thoughts:
http://pipesandcigars.com/macqueen.html

 

[Perique]

Here's another idea: I know pear wood pipes are controversial here, but I love mine. A sweet-smoking pipe requiring little to no break-in.
Here's a Churchwarden. Scroll through site for more options:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/156334940/fashion-set-lord-of-the-rings-long?ref=shop_home_active

 

[pruss]

My understanding is that many Canadian forum members order from P&C without issue.

This was once the case, but since the purchase of P&C they appear to be shipping within the US only. There is no current information for shipping outside the US on their website in the FAQ, Shipping Info or Customer Service sections of their website.
I know many other Canucks who have moved on from P&C as a result.
-- Pat

 

[brassonly]

Yes it seems as if us canucks aren't welcome at P&C anymore. Its too bad I used to buy from them but there are plenty of other great websites such as Smoking Pipes & 4noggins who are always great to deal with & give great service to us Canadian Pipers.

 

[pipingruotsi]

aaronc95, I also have a MacQueen Ranger pipe. If you're still looking for a churchwarden, I'll put in my 2 cents. First off, I do like my Ranger quite a bit. There is something to be said about the QC though. Fit and Finish isn't great and the draught hole is at a really weird angle to the bowl making it hard to clean. That being said, it smokes really well and I don't think I've ever had a bad smoke in it.

One thing to consider about pipes with wooden bits, though, is that you'll eventually wear away the wood and finish where your mouth makes contact. Also, they are hard to clamp in your teeth if you need both hands free for a few moments.

IMO, there are much better churchwardens out there, especially if you're a relatively new piper. Good luck in finding your search!

 

[smokeybear]

Just buy a Country Gent MM COB and attached a 8" Walker Briar Works Forever stem to it and i can bet that you wouldn't be disappointed. Cost me 35$
It is one of the best smokes i have every time very cool and i don't have to worry about the cob cause it is cheap and my friends don't know any better they all call me gandalf when i smoke it lol. Most of them do not smoke pipe or did not until they tried this pipe.

 

[Dutch Pipe Smoker]

I am a bit surprised to not see the Vauen Auenland series in this tread: http://www.vauen.de/photo/album/de/Auenland/129.4.10.html

But I have no idea if they are available in Canada..

 

[sparrowhawk]

Barley, that's a fine group of churchwardens you have there--now I'm thinking of getting one! (I especially like the one on top.)

 

[zonomo]

FWIW, I personally advise you to avoid MacQueen pipes for the reasons I've mentioned.

+1000000. I ordered my months and months ago. Communication is beyond poor. They claim to be so busy and back ordered but I dont know anyone who's actually getting them. I'd pass and take another approach such as what Smokey suggests w the Cob.

 

[padredeleltoro]

I've had a few churchwardens over the years. My experience has been so-so. The bowls are often made small to look proportional with the stem, but that means (1) not a lot of tobacco per smoke, and (2) the bowls get kinda hot to the touch. On the latter point, that's fine if the stem long enough to hold without touching the bowl, but I find anything less than 16" to be awkward. Finally, there's the issue of moisture. The long stem means the smoke is cooler, but that means condensation. As noted above, there's often not a lot of wood and cake to take the moisture (I've also found churchwardens to be oddly skimpy on shanks as well), but it also means you will need churchwarden pipe cleaners. Local 'bacconist always seems to be out of stock.
What you may consider is a churchwarden-length clay pipe. Moisture is not an issue, and they're meant to be held by the stem. Clay is also a fun trip through history, being the material most common for smoking tobacco for the first 400 years of its European history. Last I checked, a long clay can be had on the internets for about $20. Perhaps not sturdy for Gandalf's wandering, but deep in the comforts of a hobbit hole, it could be just the thing for evenings by the stove.

 

[bphilli75]

This Peterson is the first pipe my wife ever bought for me. I've had it for three years and love it. For me, LOTR was what first inspired me really dive into pipes. I had dabbled with a pipe in the past, but reading the books then seeing the movies really compelled me. Thank you Prof. Tolkien.