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bassbug

Lifer
Dec 29, 2016
1,112
905
Here's a hypothetical...
Would you smoke a pipe that was absolutely butt ugly (to you) if it was a great smoker?

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
Visual appeal of a pipe is part of what makes it appetizing. It's a little like presentation with cooking. Until a meal is attractively presented (and it can be simple, doesn't have to be fancy) it really doesn't give the full enjoyment of the meal. On the other hand, great smoking makes a so-so pipe look much more attractive.

 

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,570
27,077
Carmel Valley, CA
Only if it meant something to the person who gifted it to me, and only in her or his presence. OR! Unless it was the only pipe I had and I was deep in the woods or summat like that.

 

rmpeeps

Lifer
Oct 17, 2017
1,122
1,765
San Antonio, TX
Butt ugly....no, I really don’t have to.

I like a good balance of aesthetics and performance.

Along with that comes an also nice range of affordable pipes.

My least expensive pipe, $12 for my first pipe, is still not butt ugly.

 

jaytex1969

Lifer
Jun 6, 2017
9,517
50,591
Here
If it filled a niche in my smoking, I would.
My wife was shopping for sleepwear online yesterday. When she asked me which garment I preferred, I advised her that any of them would suffice for lying nest to her with my eyes closed.
I did, however, get the feeling afterward that was not the correct answer... :lol:
jay-roger.jpg


 

seldom

Lifer
Mar 11, 2018
1,035
940
I would smoke a pipe that other people might find ugly but not one that I find ugly. For example I have an old pipe with scratches and dents and it is just all beat to hell. Since I typically smoke alone in the woods (well alone with the dogs that is) it really doesn't matter and I still admire the pipe. Some of the strange freehands I find very ugly and sort of ridiculous. I wouldn't want to smoke them regardless of how well they smoke.

 

tavol

Starting to Get Obsessed
Mar 23, 2018
175
172
IMO falcons are about the ugliest of pipes. Having said that I own several stems and even more bowls because they're FANTASTIC smokers and incredibly practical if you're out and about.
Corn cob pipes get loads of love on this forum but surely I'm not the only one that thinks they're butt ugly? A cheap plastic steam stuck on rough pipe bowl that looks like it came from left overs at a barbecue doesn't make for a good looking pipe.

 
Mar 1, 2014
3,646
4,916
There aren’t a lot of shapes I would actually object to, I’d be pretty happy smoking even the ugliest art-deco Werner Mummert pipe if it was a good pipe... However if a pipe were actually carved into something obscene I would refuse to smoke it.

 

philobeddoe

Lifer
Oct 31, 2011
7,405
11,579
East Indiana
No, I have lots of great smoking pipes, I have no need to smoke a pipe I find hideous. Now then, I would definitely smoke a pipe that others found hideous if I found it else wise.

 

newbroom

Lifer
Jul 11, 2014
6,088
6,412
Florida
I smoke a few ugly looking corn cobs and I enjoy them immensely. Exterior cracks, swells, bulges, dark rims, chewed up gummy stems and darkening all still provide me with the essential chamber and draw, and cool, satisfying smokes.

 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,255
108,359
Corn cob pipes get loads of love on this forum but surely I'm not the only one that thinks they're butt ugly?
I would take them over anything with a white dot, and use the white dot ones for yard work so I don't damage the cobs.

 

tavol

Starting to Get Obsessed
Mar 23, 2018
175
172
I would take them over anything with a white dot, and use the white dot ones for yard work so I don't damage the cobs.
Do you prefer the aesthetics of cobs over all briar pipes or is it just Dunhill pipes?

 

tavol

Starting to Get Obsessed
Mar 23, 2018
175
172
Just Dunhills, but I do love the unfinished cobs.
See I don't get unfinished cobs, the remind me of freehand pipes in that they look like the pipe maker just invented a new style so he could go home early. Still what do I know about pipe aesthetics, I buy Falcons on purpose :lol:

 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,255
108,359
I just like them for the tactile experience same reason for my love of sandblasts over smooth finishes. Plus, they seem to radiate heat better. On the freehand issue, a good one is when the carver uses the grain to shape the pipe instead of just shaping the pipe the way they want. As for the falcons, one with a white stem and Meerschaum bowl will eventually find it's way into my collection.

 

mikethompson

Lifer
Jun 26, 2016
11,292
23,327
Near Toronto, Ontario, Canada
I will parrot what some others have said, that a good looking pipe (which is highly personal and subjective), is an important part of the ritual for me. I like holding it in my hand, and watching the smoke curl from it.

 

saltedplug

Lifer
Aug 20, 2013
5,194
5,097
Since all pipes smoke more alike than differently, an outwardly ugly pipe suffers only because of its ugliness. Unless attached to the pipe for other reasons, I would smoke other pipes to avoid the affront to my eyes.

 
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