MacQueen Pipe revisited

[olkofri]

Well, four weeks after placing the order, the new Wizard churchwarden is here. Still unsmoked, mind ye, as it had to have its picture taken first.


Wizard!
The pipe seems decent. Small bowl with angled edges at the bottom, rather than the smooth curvature I've seen in most pipes.
My only concerns are the aluminium tenon which looks too malleable for my liking. It came a wee bit bent on a side of the edge and just inserting my surgical needle holder put it back in shape. No pressure required. Guess I better be careful when taking the pipe apart.
The second concern relates to the inner chamber's topography. Are those pits in there? Is it gonna burn out?

Can't wait to smoke it. Wish I could feel like Gandalf, but I seem to be losing hair instead of growing it... although, maybe if I buy a pointy hat...

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

Wish I could feel like Gandalf, but I seem to be losing hair instead of growing it... although, maybe if I buy a pointy hat...

Easy fix. Just grow more hair on the face to compensate for the head. Oh... and pointy hats do help. I may need one of those myself. I have a few hats, but none pointy.

 

[ray47]

I got a MacQueens White Wizard for Christmas and have been enjoying it about two times a week. The only minor complaint I had was the taste from the stem tip. The pipe is made of ashwood and puts off a bad taste. I use a softie bit and that has solved the problem. Great customer service from MacQueens by the way.

 

[warren]

Easy fix. Just grow more hair on the face to compensate for the head. Oh... and pointy hats do help. I may need one of those myself. I have a few hats, but none pointy.

Just head over to makeup and then the costume warehouse. They'll fix you right up. For a price, you can hire some "set dressers" too.

 

[crashthegrey]

If I had a guess, those are not pits but "chatter" from a softer wood that briar and slightly rushed chamber drilling. They should be fine. Pipe makers often sand the inside of the bowl to fix that.

 

[olkofri]

Crash, the pipe is the briar version.
The dents are more obvious and numerous on the right side of the bowl:

Wonder if I should take a Dremel to it and sand it a bit... :?

 

[Civil War]

A Dremel is a bit drastic. You could carbon coat the inside.

 

[crashthegrey]

That is the briar version? Oof. That is a rough drilling. In reality, once you smoke it a few times you won't see it. It is definitely not pitting from what I can tell. Just too quickly drilled. You should be fine.

 

[prairiedruid]

Looks like a dull cutting tool, or perhaps someone doesn't know how to sharpen one and got the edge angle wrong.

 

[olkofri]

Sent an E-mail to the manufacturer. Got a quick reply saying that briar being a root wood it can have some pits in the wood depending on the soil it is grown in, and that it shouldn't affect the smoking of the pipe. Also to make sure a good cake is built in the bowl.
**Sigh** I'm not in the cake camp, and this is the first uncoated pipe I've bought. Guess I'll just smoke it and see.
Thinking of giving it its baptism of fire with some Capstan Gold.

 

[crashthegrey]

I'll be honest here for a minute, and I own one of their pipes as well. They are a design company, not a function company. The answer they gave you is crap. It is not pits, those would be darker in color, and those in fact, would affect the smoking, as they would burn out. If they swear they are pits, they should be replacing it, as you can't have pits on the inside of the bowl. That being said, those aren't pits, and it will not affect the smoke. Just smoke it slow, you don't need a lot of cake. Just keep an eye on it, because if it burns out you have evidence from them stating that the bowl is pitted.

 

[crashthegrey]

Those marks are assuredly chatter from a dull bit and rushed drilling. I've drilled enough pipes and seen enough to know what causes that. I'm glad I checked my box and got one of their pipes, because I don't think I would buy from them again. Woodworkers with a license to a big brand first, pipe makers second. Sorry.

 

[olkofri]

Appears to be the case. Frankly, I was expecting a better product. I wasn't impressed with the flimsy and bendy edges of the aluminium tenon, nor with the drilling job, now that you've explained it, Crash. I'm not the litigious kind nor the kind that returns stuff and asks for refunds, so I'll just keep the pipe and try to enjoy it. Who knows, sometimes the things you have more reservations and objections about turn out to perform better than the fancy schmancy; sometimes.
I wanted to buy from them because, well they're a Canadian company and I like supporting my own, and the pipe looks cool too and is less than half the price of the Vauen model it is a pastiche of (probably much less now since the Gandalf pipe is no longer made). They did mention in that E-mail the 6-month warranty period; I guess I better get smoking this one sooner rather than later and more often that my other pipes, to see if the warranty will be needed—hopefully it won't.
And, what the trout, since I'm already in bitchy mode I'll whine about the packaging: I was expecting a box, but no, it came in an impromptu envelope of hard bubble material. Also, they don't include a leather holster like they used to, nor do they provide a sock. Anyway... /RANT

 

[crashthegrey]

Fortunately my wife bought mine, before the tenon but when they had the fancy leather holster. They used to not come apart. Lol. It was a gift, so I was happy, but I am definitely thrilled to have the leather bit. Be proud you supported them, it was a good reason for the purchase. And enjoy it for exactly what it is. It's a shame that they seem to have been putting less and less effort in. I am guessing the market for LotR pipes is diminishing. Like we both said, I think it will smoke just fine and that you will be happy with it so long as you don't dwell on the negatives.

 

[carolinachurchwarden]

I agree with crash, those are definitely tooth marks left by either a poorly treated, unsharpened or poorly sharpened bit. I would know because I've caused that exact same pattern with bits in the past, but it didn't really matter because it was hole through a solid door in which I was placing a peep hole and door knob. It happens also on occasion if either the tool used to drill moves slightly during drilling, the bit is slightly warped, the piece your drilling moves, or a combination.
As crash stated, I don't see a problem with it burning out, but I'd just ease into it. I'm with you, I don't like the formation of cake either, but if it builds up inside those drill bit skid marks as you smoke and remove the cake as you see fit from the rest of the bowl, it should be fine.
I was actually contemplating getting one of these for myself, but I have some sort of an idea of what to expect. They do seem gimicky, but I know what I'm getting. I wouldn't mind building a pipe rack dedicated to them and pick up about 3 or so of the designs I liked the most. I wouldn't smoke them all the time, just when I'm feeling in a hobbit or lord of the rings sort of mood.