Pipe buying

[reformedchris]

For the past 1.5 years I have used a Briar which I purchased from a B&M for $20.00; its time to purchase another.
I would like to purchase one or two pipes.
In the long run this is where my angle is:

Briar is for testing

Pipe B for English (Presbyterian Mixture, I just love the stuff but I am also a Presby.)

Pipe C for Aromatics and Tinder Box carries a vanilla blend called Willshire which I am enjoying
So what should I look at?
I'm looking for 60 dollars and under.

 

[eaglerico]

Welcome to the forums.
Estate pipes are the best way to get a nicer pipe on the cheap. The owner of this site also owns a site called Briarbid. The vast majority are over your price point but there are also many moderately priced pipes. I post quite a few estates on there as do others here. You should check it out.
In the price range you are looking in you can get a nice new Savinelli or Stanwell from one of our site sponsors. Always a good starting point.
http://www.briarbid.com/100025,owner_id,other_items

 

[cortezattic]

I never buy used pipes because I always get the feeling that they are rejects, or tainted in some way

-- like they fell in the toilet or something. The Savinelli suggestion is a good one as I have never

had a bad smoke with them.
Lastly, I think the $60 limit is unrealistically low. Why don't you go without for a few months, save a

little money (skip a few lunches?), and get yourself a deluxe pipe like Castello. In the long run a high

grade pipe is really a best buy. Who wants a rack full of junk?

 

[winton]

I suggest you check out one of our sponsers, Mr Brog. There are lots of fans of his pipes here. I really like his Scoot. You could get two pipes for your $60. Actually I suggest getting a corncob for testing. They do not get any ghosting, regardless of what you smoke in them. Make sure it is a Missouri Meershaum. The others are junk.
Winton

 

[dlattim]

Hello Reformed, and welcome aboard. I have to go with eaglerico on this one. I have bought several estate Savinelli's and Stanwell's on ebay. I always research the sellers a bit and buy from reputable guys. Even though they are sold as cleaned and sanitized I always sanitize them to my satisfaction. I have not yet bought an estate that was a poor smoker. Many of these estates hit the market due to the previous owner's passing and many just because someone has suffered so greatly from PAD that he has to rotate some out of his collection (likely to satisfy She Who Must Be Obeyed). I admit the best smokers are retained, but really, if you buy a higher grade estate you stand a pretty good chance of getting a decent smoker. I know I have. Good luck and good smokes to all.

 

[hfearly]

I'd recommend a corn cob pipe from Missouri Meerschaum for testing new blends. These are super low maintenance and don't really seem to absorb any noticeable crossover if you do not let them develop a cake.
I also second looking into Estate pipes at that price point. At two pipes for 60$ or under, you probably won't get anything above basket pipe quality if you are trying to buy new.
For aromatics, I'd recommend looking at larger bowl sizes - for example Preben Holm Era Ben Wade danish freehands, Boswell's Jumbos, Savinelli KS - basically pipes that are in Dunhill size 5 or larger equivalent (you can get the exact measurements for Dunhill size 5,6 from the internet). For example, I bought a Ben Wade Royal Grain (highest grade) for 30$, and a Savinelli 601KS for 40$ off of ebay - both pipes needed restoration but were otherwise in great shape. Compared to a 200$ price tag on a 'new' Ben Wade Royal Grain, or the 140$ price tag on the Savinelli that was some considerable savings.
For English blends, I personally like straight Dublin shapes of Dunhill size 3 or 4. My favourite English pipe is a Vauen 168 shape.
Let me explain my reasoning:
In general, smaller bowls provide a shorter 30-40 minute smoke with a fairly consistent flavour profile of the tobacco that is quite bright and true to the actual tobacco taste. That is what I am looking for in English Mixtures.
In larger bowls, you get a much longer smoke, but also the benefit of lower overall burning temperatures - most of the flavour comes from the tobacco surrounding the ember. They take about 10-20 minutes before the flavour gets going and after an hour or so the tobacco turns sour-ish (you have been using all the tobacco at the bottom that now starts burning as a natural filter for the smoke), but for that hour you will probably have a transcendental smoke. This is perfectly suited for aromatics that greatly benefit from low burning temperature. However, you will likely dump the bottom 30% of the bowl filling. Also, I prefer a rusticated or sandblast finish for aromatics as the extra surface area of the wood helps dissipate heat more easily.
Most Savinelli models have the Balsa filter system which is also a great helper when smoking aromatics as it tends to take the excess moisture out of the smoke. Now, some English blends I prefer unfiltered (like Squadron Leader), but others like Dunhill 965 or Nightcap have a smoother or more balanced flavour profile through a filtered pipe. I encourage you to experiment first to see which you like more for the Presbyterian mixture.

 

[fnord]

ReformedChris:
Are you dizzy yet?
Five responses with several different opinions: Corncob or briar? New or estate? High end or low end? Big bowl or small bowl? (Nic's - Hfearly - response has the makings of a Master's thesis.)
You're definitely on the right track soliciting advice. Good luck finding what works for you and your budget.
And, BTW, welcome to the forum. This is a swell place to hang out.
Fnord

 

[hfearly]

Fnford I wish someone with a background in chemistry and thermodynamics would finally research and decipher the impact of bowl size and shape on tobacco flavor. ;-)
Anyway there are articles out there by GL Pease and Neil Roan Archer that discuss the thermodynamics of pipe smoking from their empirical point of view. I can recommend them as great reads. Then there was also a pipes magazine.com radio show where Brian tackled the subject. Maybe episode 8? Kurt and Trevor have also given the topic a shot in their pipe makers forums. The more and more evidence we collect the clearer the picture of what works well most of the time gets I can say that my smoking experiences have greatly benefitted from their observations and me trying out pairings of pipes by size and shape to tobaccos that I would have never tried otherwise.

 

[cigrmaster]

Welcome to the site. It it were my money, I would buy this one pipe, then save for your second. I would smoke this without the filter because filters in my opinion take away flavor. I have owned 6 mm savs and they smoke great without it.
http://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/new/savinelli/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=89077

 

[captainprophesy]

Do you mean $60 or under PER pipe? or for BOTH pipes? because if your wanting to spend $30 per pipe, I would do as Harris states and spend the $60 on one pipe and save the money for the second.
If it were MY money... I would go with this
http://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/new/tsuge/moreinfo.cfm?Product_ID=96099

 

[captainprophesy]

I almost got one myself, only the small bowl size stopped me.

Yeah the bowl is small, in fact a bit too small for my preferences... but I figured for the price and for a some-what beginner... it would serve as a great intro to good pipes.

But if I had an extra $70 I would probably pull the trigger on that one, because in the end its a nice pipe at a great price.

 

[nsfisher]

Hey mate, welcome. Buy yourself a Mr. Brog for one pipe $25-30 bucks and a couple of Cobs for about $5.00-$8.00 each.

 

[reformedchris]

I was looking at Mr. Brog. Seems that they are well crafted; I support craftsman who take pride in their trade.
I an also looking at some J&J Artisans. My Fiancee wanted a gift idea for me... haha.

 

[cortezattic]

In an earlier post I argued for the wisdom of buying a higher-end pipe -- even if you have to wait a little while

to get up the extra money. Here's an example of what's available if you shop around online. I just nailed this

brand new Ser Jacopo hawkbill for $129.00 including delivery from Al Pascia in Italy. I dunno, this seems

much better than having 2 or 3 grungy second hand estates. You may think differently.

 

[reformedchris]

A couple of questions:

In layman terms;

What is the difference between Briar, (Which I own a briar) Estate, Corncob? (Thou I know what Corncobs are)

Price range, is there a difference in the smoke between a 60.00 pipe and a 200.00 pipe? If so please explain?
Thank you for the warm welcome and help.

 

[cajundad]

Welcome to the forum . That is all wonderful advice . Buy a pipe that suits your style and taste . If it is an estate , get it from a trusted source . Post pic.s of the pipes you decide on , and good luck . ::

 

[reformedchris]

As for the prices of pipes, no -- a more expensive price does not necessarily smoke better due to price alone. Besides the obvious -- individual preferences -- price is based on many factors such as quality of the pipe's briar and stem (straight grains and/or bird's eye and hand-cut rubber stems cost more but whether they smoke better is debatable), rarity, reputation of the pipe maker, construction quality and more.

A 20.00 briar will smoke the same as a 250.00 Briar?

 

[buster]

I would suggest a decent briar such as a stanwell or B/C like this one that is just under $60. Then pick up a few corn cob pipes to rotate. You might be as surprised as I was as to how well an inexpensive cob smokes?
http://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/new/butz-choquin/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=105806

 

[mrenglish]

Odds are a $20 pipe will not smoke as good as a $250 pipe. The more you spend on a pipe, increases the odds it will be a great smoker. This goes into better briar, better workmanship, the briar was aged longer, its from a better part of the burl, etc. The more expensive the pipe also means reputation. Dunhill collect what they do in part because they have a solid reputation (among other things). However, that does not mean the more expensive pipe will smoke better, it just increases the odds. There are plenty of $20 pipes that are great smokers, they are just fewer in between.
When going with a cheaper pipe, make sure the engineering is good. Make sure the stem fits against the shank properly, that the draft hole is flush with the bottom of the bowl and that the pipe is not too heavy. It should also be able to pass a pipe cleaner. This is harder to do with a bent pipe, but always check. Make sure it passes on a straight pipe as well. If not, then there is an issue with the engineering. Also avoid anything with a shellac type finish. On cheaper pipes, they can cause the bowl to smoke hot because the briar cannot breathe properly.
There is nothing wrong with getting an estate provided it has been taken care of and, in your case, is ready to smoke. This way you will not have to worry about restoring it yourself. Look for established brands such Stanwell, Savinelli Peterson (ask questions about the engineering), etc. Get the most expensive pipe you can afford, it will definitely pay off in the long run. Luciano pipes are an excellent pipe for the money, just avoid the bell shape they have at smokingpipes.com, they tend to smoke hot.
When I started out I was mainly into basket pipes. The three pipes for $60 and they were OK. I bought my first hand made pipe for $79 at a pipe show and the difference was amazing. Others have mentioned great pipes as well, its all good advice.
Welcome to the forums and keep asking questions. There is a learning curve to get the maximum enjoyment out of a pipe, but once you get the basics down, there is nothing else like it.
Mike

 

[cigrmaster]

A brand new 20.00 pipe will never smoke as good as a quality 110.00 pipe, never mind a 250.00 one. As in most things in life you get what you pay for. 20.00 briar is junk, they are poorly engineered, the briar is not aged properly and it will burn hot and wet. I would not recommend ever buying a cheap basket pipe.