My first 20 pipes some thoughts

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owen

Part of the Furniture Now
May 28, 2014
560
2
Guys I have just recieved my 20th pipe in the post and want to share some thoughts, facts and views.

Firstly thanks to you all for the opinions, ideas and guidance.
I have been smoking now for four months and have got myself into a real frenzy to get a rotation with a variety of shapes, sizes, brands and styles, this has now been achieved so I will just kick back and light up.
The first was my corn cob bought new which I tried about 30 tobaccos in and still love (its a bit wrecked now).

The last was a Savinelli Roma which is so very nice I cannot stop looking at it.
The only new pipes were the corn cob and a Molina, my second pipe and also my most expensive to date at £25. All the rest have been from ebay and include a Charatan, Comoy, Chacom, Brigham, Medico, Ropp and a load of others. They have come in a variety of states and have all just been reamed with a knife (if needed)and the stems given a damn good clean out. None in my view smoke badly, and the only ones that wont get used again are two very small pipes. None have been sour or given problems and I am glad I took a chance. The pitfalls on e bay have been poorly photographed pipes, pipes without descriptions of size and falling for pipes with a buy it now price which was too high. Some sellers act a bit sly in their descriptions failing to mention an array of faults such as tooth marks, big dents and broken stems.
I have spent a total of £144 (excluding postage)to get the first twenty and am starting to admit I have a problem.
Best wishes and thanks again for all your support.

owen

 

irish

Lifer
Aug 12, 2011
1,121
6
Texas
Congrats on your twentieth pipe . Sounds like your well on your way and welcome to the world of PAD ( Pipe Acquisition Disorder) for which I know of no cure !!

 

pipestud

Lifer
Dec 6, 2012
2,010
1,749
Robinson, TX.
Howdy Owen,
I certainly appreciate your enthusiasm and it looks like you've started off with a nice little herd. If I may be so bold, I think you are now the owner of a good enough rotation that you can start saving up for a higher end hand made pipe or two. As I am sure (at least, I hope I am sure) others here will tell you that as the quality of the pipe goes up, the greater the smoking experience is. The curing of the wood, the attention to detail with the drilling and fit/finish is usually what you will get with a handmade pipe made by a respected pipe maker.
Again, I am just offering this as a suggestion. When I took the plunge into the more expensive hand made pipes by respected makers, I never looked back and my smoking pleasure has really increased significantly over the years.
Again, congrats on your fine rotation of pipes... and enjoy!
Pipestud

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
You seem to have had some misadventures on ebay, but you have also saved a lot of money, so that may balance

the ledger. You have enough pipes for a rotation so you could go on a two or three year lapse from buying any

pipes if you wanted to. You could save up for a much higher level pipe, whether an estate or a new pipe, artisanal

or otherwise. Or you could save for months and just get a good mid-level new pipe. You have lots of options.

I like the idea of having fewer and better pipes, but in my case, I also like the idea of having a really expansive

variety of pipes, so I have opted for the latter. You can stop buying at any time and smoke the pipes you have

or save up for some magna opus ultimate pipe that might or might not live up to expectations. Keep it all in

perspective and make sure it falls in line with the rest of your life goals and activities. Happy smoking.

 

papipeguy

Lifer
Jul 31, 2010
15,778
35
Bethlehem, Pa.
I think you're doing just fine, Owen. Never look back; always forward. Like pipestud said, it's time to set your sights a bit higher. The rewards are much greater. Keep the faith and have fun. That's what this is all about.

 

neverbend

Starting to Get Obsessed
Apr 20, 2014
230
5
Hi Owen,
It sounds like you've done a good job getting started and as most smokers have found, your preferences in tobaccos, shapes and finishes will evolve along with your technique. Don't be afraid to sell or trade pipes if they don't meet your standards of smoking quality and aesthetics.

 

ravkesef

Lifer
Aug 10, 2010
2,912
9,179
81
Cheshire, CT
Hi Owen, and welcome to the forum. Mike (pipestud) is right on target with his advice about having a few higher end pipes than a great many e-bay "specials." Incidentally, if the pipe is not as described, or broken, etc., you have some options--contacting the seller for a return, contacting e-bay for fraudulent misrepresentation. I once contacted paypal, and they went to bat for me for some outfit in China, no less.

At any rate, you've gotten some nice pipes which are giving you good smokes, so you're well on the road. With the collection you now have you can begin exploring even further the many tobaccos out there. You're hooked on a wonderful hobby and the forum is a great place to be. Again, welcome.

 

geo3rge

Might Stick Around
Oct 28, 2013
79
0
Like you, Owen, I have been buying pipes more, particularly in the last twelve months. Your £144 is a snip compared to what I've spent! Well done for surging ahead with your interests. I can only echo what has already been said above. Take your time, have a good think, explore the pipes that you have and the ones that you want and, at some suitable point, when finances, mood and circumstances allow, raise the stakes a little higher and consider getting something that is really good quality. Mid or high range. - that's up to you. If it is too expensive and then doesn't satisfy, you'll be disappointed to say the least, so perhaps a couple of mid range pipes to begin with? You cannot beat a well made, handcrafted pipe, so artisan pipe makers might also be on your list for consideration. Actually, at the moment, I'm buying estate pipes myself at reasonable prices from a UK firm and enjoying them just as if they are newly made ones. As my collection is now around the thirty mark, it is time to pause, I think, and focus on just enjoying the ones I have, though that PAD will inevitably strike at some point! Looking for and trying new tobaccos is also an excellent venture, just sampling the different tastes and sensations. I wish you well in your adventure.

 

condorlover1

Lifer
Dec 22, 2013
7,994
26,609
New York
Over time you will discover a style or maker of pipes you will enjoy and that will form your base line so to speak. In my case it was ancient meerschaums, probably because I was too lazy to break them in myself. I have found Dunhill are pretty good as well as Peterson to name but a few, naturally this happened before my trip into 'weird world' with all my meerschaum 'cutty' pipes. You might want to look into estate pipes or ask someone who buys lots of estate pipes to keep a weather eye out for you. I believe 'Pipe Stud' might be your best bet and if you drop him a PM he will always respond and he is a very knowledgable man.

 

owen

Part of the Furniture Now
May 28, 2014
560
2
Thank you all for your kind words.

It has been a lot of fun so far. In many ways you all are aiding/to blame for this new found passion. I am indeed considering my next move and hope to go further up market, I am a firm believer in mutual support for artisans/crafts people and have been looking at pipes from a thread on British Makers. I intend to give all my pipes a good smoke and see what I fancy next.

In the first flushes of all this I tried about 30 tobaccos in sample form and a now buying and smoking a tin a month of the tobaccos I enjoyed with reference to my little notebook of pipe tobaccos and it is true that a tin is the real test of taste, the samples were useful to try certain styles of tobacco.

It has been strange to think for the price of a tin of tobacco in the uk many sweet pipes can be bought, but I do feel happy now as there are a few favourites I just keep going back to.
Thanks again folks for your support and recomendations.
p1010930-600x450.jpg


 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
owen, I'm in that numerical neighborhood pipewise, although over a much longer period of time. From time to time I've culled my stable and traded in several pipes to smokingpipes.com for credit toward one I especially wanted. I do have several higher end (by my criteria, but not by everyone's) pipes. But now I find it difficult to think of trading in anything. Some pipes are gifts, one is a contest prize, many have special stories. Contentment is a mind thing.

 

saltedplug

Lifer
Aug 20, 2013
5,194
5,097
I keep hearing how drilling and the cure of the wood make a great smoking pipe. I've yet to experience this, which does not mean that it is untrue.
My mood, of which I am more aware than most, and the acuity of my palate have far more impact on my smoking experience. Given that I smoke pipes of reasonable or better quality, as well as tobacco of the same class, I chose to think the negatives of my experience are of my making. Some talk about optimum tobacco moisture, and again, drilling and briar cure, as the zones of error; I don't think so but I'm willing to be proved wrong.
But money in the end decides the matter. Last night I found what I consider to be a very good buy on an estate. The problem is that it would probably go to the plastic. So far I'm winning, and this has not been the case too many times in the past. A quick look at my balance affirmed what I already knew. So, I've not:
emailed the seller with questions or looked at the pipe more than once today

haven't cozied up to the pipe in my thoughts, envisioning nothing but sublime smokes with it

haven't cozied up nor caved to the plastic, knowing that by the time I pay the credit card company the interest to carry the balance, I will spend in the end much more than what is an agreeable price for the pipe alone
I find that postponing purchasing is a great allay. When I have talked myself into the purchase quickly, I am under the influence of the next shiny object that my acquisivity tells me I must have, but if I postpone it, I have the benefit of other thoughts that speak to how times ahead will be better if I can afford more than dog food for that savory evening meal.
The battle rages on, but I am still standing.

 
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