At 45 years old I have tried just about everything at least once. My analogy about the fly rods holds true for me with Pipes. I have tried, and even purchased expensive pipes (amd fly rods) over the years, but looking back on it all, I have never found them to offer a substantially better Pipe Smoking Experience to the point that I would consider it worth the extra dollars spent......that is when compared to spending $9 on a Corn Cob General
When I see someone selling a Briar Pipe, for thousands of dollars, I can't help but chuckle.
I will agree that there are variations in the pipe smoking experience when you smoke the same tobacco in a Cob, vs. Briar, vs. Meerschaum vs. a Gourd vs Porcelain etc...etc...etc......but I feel when you start exceeding a couple hundred bucks on a Pipe made from a block of Briar Wood, you are beginning to pay for something other than the quality of the smoking experience.....perhaps the myth or legend of the builder ?
A pipe is a simple tool. After a point, you just can't enhance it. Subtle difference, perhaps, but how is one Briar that sells for $3,000 really that much better than one selling for $300 ?