There is no more sublime pipe than the one I am hoping will arrive in the mail today.
Given the choice between;I've been smoking pipes and cigars for 25 years or so. I collected some expensive pipes over the years. This may sound odd, but I discovered cobs only in the last two or three years. I just avoided them all those years. Picked up a cob on a lark and it just blew me away. I realized that pipe tobacco tastes better for me in cobs. English, vapers, va's, anything. No idea why, but it just does. I thought at first it was a fluke, but nope. It hasn't changed for me. The flavors just shine for me in cobs. I still have three or four briars, but I almost never smoke them. I sold all of my expensive briar pipes and used that money to buy more tobacco. I don't regret it one bit. So to address this thread, for me anyway, the shape or any specific feature of a pipe really didn't make a difference for me. Switching to cobs certainly did.
An online friend who was helping me get tobacco from the U.S., kindly added a pouch of Prince Albert to one of my orders.After travelling 1500 miles from home and forgetting your pipes and tobacco, you arrive at the only B&M in town to find the only tobacco left on the shelf is a 15 year old tin of Prince Albert.
You instead choose to sit on their front steps and ponder whether to purchase and smoke it, or perhaps slowly freeze to death..
And the harsh reality is, if tobacco does become scarce, pipes (especially estate pipes) will become plentiful. Everyone who didn't stock up on tobacco will sell those expensive pipes, for pennies on the dollar, to the limited few who have well stocked cellars.Unless the pipe has gorgeous grains or eyes, and a Peterson, I'll stick with stocking up on tobacco. You can still smoke with one pipe. No tobacco, no smoking.