Machine or Handmade Conundrum

[wcannoy]

One of these knives is made in a factory in China and can be bought on eBay for $38. The other is made by a single artisan in his small workshop and sells for around $1500.
They're both pretty. They both cut stuff.
Which would you rather have? There is no wrong answer.

 

[mso489]

True, there is no categorical distinction. Artisan pipe carvers use machines, and workshops turning out pipes on

a line, with standard numbered shapes, do a lot of hand work. I marvel at the Dr. Grabow Royalton bulldog; I feel

sure there is someone shaping that briar with a master touch. This isn't a choice where something is better. This

is a choice between two good (or outstanding) pipes. An intellectual exercise, yes, but one that I go through

nearly every time I buy a pipe. I own both, and find them equally enjoyable.

 

[rmbittner]

Walt:
I'd personally prefer the knife on the bottom. It's just much more refined, intricate, and, well, beautiful in my mind. (I'd never use it to cut anything with, though! )
So do tell: Which is the Chinese factory-made knife and which is the artisan?
Bob

 

[wcannoy]

So do tell: Which is the Chinese factory-made knife and which is the artisan?

Let's just say... you have expensive tastes!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/hand-made-Damascus-blade-steel-folding-knife-Collectible-abalone-shell-handle-/111244698570?pt=Collectible_Knives&hash=item19e6b363ca
The second knife was sold off of the maker's site, but this is the same artisan:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Custom-David-Broadwell-Damascus-Window-Frame-Carved-Art-Folding-Knife-/331118401266?pt=Collectible_Knives&hash=item4d1831d6f2

 

[salewis]

I would normally go every time for the artisan pipe. However, given the price difference some recognized machine made pipes are usually a better value. A good example is the artisan Poul Winslow which is a featured seller of pipes on Smokingpipes.com . His machine made pipes are between $115 to $135. However, the pipes that he personally carves sell for $400+. Therefore, some machine made pipes like Castello, Dunhill and even Peterson are good value and are usually finished with a little hand work. The question is a good one and I would put my Castellos against my four Rad's anytime.

 

[sablebrush52]

Form a performance point, the treatment of the briar and internal engineering are what counts, the rest is dressing. Given that both pipes are well made, the issue of handmade VS machine made is moot. There is no inherent superiority of one method over another. I'd pick the pipe that most appealed to me visually.

 

[peter70]

The question is, when is a pipe machine made and when hand carved. Is it already machine made, if a lathe is used to turn the outside of shank and bowl, like many Italian carvers do? To me a machine made pipe is produced on a profile miller, i.e. all pipe bowls come out the same, and are only sanded/stained by hand and the stem is not hand cut, but a cast part.
For others, artisan pipes have to be done by a single carver, who puts his name on the pipes. In this regard, Winslow pipes are not artisan pipes, because he has carvers, who work for him. He wouldn't be able to produce 3000 pipes a year by himself. This shows, that the borders are fuzzy and whatever pipe you buy has a lot of manual work done, be it one single individual, or a few factory workers doing the different steps.