Package From Mockba? (Ponomarchuk Pipe Finally Arrives)

[pitchfork]

I have a P.O. box and I got one of those cards saying I had a package to pick up. It was from "Mockba." Who in the heck is Mockba? Well, you learn something every day. Apparently that's the Russian spelling of Moscow. The "c" has an "s" sound and the "b" has a "v" sound -- thus, "mosk-vah" (i.e. Moscow).
Anyhow, I bought this Alexander Ponomarchuk Liverpool from mammon1966 in Russia. Great pipe. Just tried it out with some Best Brown Flake and it smokes like a dream -- wide open bore through the shank and perfectly funneled through the stem. I'm really impressed with his work (more here: http://www.smokingpipes.biz/smokingpipes.htm ). And it only took about a month to get here. :evil:
The box from Mockba:

The pipe:

 

[bigboi]

nice pipe you got there.

 

[shaintiques]

Прикрастний!!

 

[pitchfork]

Прикрастний!!

Что? Спасибо!
(Wha? Thanks!)

 

[cigrmaster]

Great looking pipe, and I am glad to hear you like how it smokes. I have watched mammon1966 auctions and his prices are pretty good. I have not bought because of the Russia thing and now that I hear yours took a month, I probably will continue to stay away.

 

[uberam3rica]

I really like how the shank meets the bottom of the bowl, it looks cool

 

[ejames]

Looks like it was worth the wait!

 

[misterrogers]

I'm not overly familiar with Russian pipes or pipe carvers, but that's a good looking pipe. Now, my russian isn't what it use to be (Though I'm practicing everyday). The tape on the box that reads "почта россии" is "Russian Post" with some word order added in. "УФПС" happens to be Moscow's mail service.

 

[shaintiques]

Прикрасний means excellent!

 

[cortezattic]

That's a very delicate looking pipe, and rather elegant. I would have expected something a little more husky from a Russian artisan: a thick-walled, rusticated, big bowled pipe you could smoke for hours, tightly clenched while you poled up the Volga R. in the teeth of a cold, wet wind. Brrr...

 

[pitchfork]

Thanks, Harris. I had no idea that it would take so long to ship, but no big deal. I usually have 2 or 3 pipes on hand I've yet to try out, so I wasn't too put out. Really interesting stuff from time to time from mammon1966 -- some cool new stuff and some older Danish stuff you don't see too often.
Uberam3rica, yeah, I like the shank/bowl juncture, too. Stuff like that can be wacky, but this was nicely done.

 

[pitchfork]

Thanks, mrrogers -- I had no idea what was on the box other than Mockba. That's really cool.

Прикрасний means excellent!

Yeah, I had to google translate it. Thanks for the Russian lessons, guys!

 

[pitchfork]

Thanks for the kind compliments roth, ejames, et al.

That's a very delicate looking pipe, and rather elegant. I would have expected something a little more husky from a Russian artisan: a thick-walled, rusticated, big bowled pipe you could smoke for hours, tightly clenched while you poled up the Volga R. in the teeth of a cold, wet wind. Brrr...

:laughat: Nice one.

 

[cigrmaster]

pitchfork, he really does get some interesting pipes and because he is from Russia I think many people stay away and the price stays very reasonable. The only pipes I ordered from overseas were both from the james upshall company, one took a week and the other took 6 weeks which was a real turn off. I didn't know if it was lost or what because the tracking was useless. I vowed to never go through that again. I have no problem waiting months for a commissioned piece, but when a pipe is sitting in limbo week after week I get too nervous. The last thing I want is to have to make a claim and deal with that type of headache, to me no pipe is worth that.

 

[peckinpahhombre]

Gorgeous pipe - congrats

 

[flmason]

Congratulations on your new pipe. I hope you enjoy it for many years.

 

[pitchfork]

Thanks for the good wishes. I had thought of reselling it because of the good price, but it smokes great for me and so for now it's a keeper.
Harris, I understand your not wanting to have a pipe in Russian mail limbo and worrying about having to make a claim. Then again, how often do you get packages from Russia? For 50 or 60 bucks, I figured it was worth the adventure. I've also ordered from jamesupshallpipeco and mine took just over a week to get here IIRC. And I think you're right, that does keep the prices down on overseas auctions.