Pipe(s) That You Will Never Smoke...
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Love the avatar. If you don't smoke it someone else will.I have an extremely small, straight grained Eltang with a foot and a gold band. I have it sitting on my desk and will probably never smoke it. It's very small + I prefer it more as a display piece. It's the only pipe (out of the 100 or so I have owned) that I have never smoked.
You have any pipes that you just like to look at instead of smoking?
I'll drink your health, share your wealth
Run your life, steal your wife
Unless it goes into the trash after your demise.
I smoke all of the pipes that I own and don’t think I would ever buy one without smoking it. But by no means do I judge someone for wanting purchase a pipe and not smoke it. There are some beautiful artisan pipes out there and some people are collectors, which I totally understand. Not to mention some of the eltang, former, ivarsson, etc. pipes only go up in value the longer you keep them, especially unsmoked.
Don't think I could bring myself to light this beauty for the first time. Not a problem however.... it doesn't belong to me. 
What a beauty! Unfortunately I can't resist the primal urge to enjoy any functional art for it's function. Hence my collection of well wornDon't think I could bring myself to light this beauty for the first time. Not a problem however.... it doesn't belong to me.
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GI Joes and Baseball cards. Kind of like owning a Bugatti and never driving it. The art is the function.
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That is a beautiful piece of art! Even someone with extremely poor self control as me would have a hard time smoking it.
Another one I'll never smoke, and this one does belong to me.... I made this pipe in the early 90s (if I remember correctly). Like several others I made, I keep it as a reminder of those days. They all have one thing about them that made me not want to sell them. In the case of this pipe, because of the nice grain I was hell bent on making it a smooth. But seems the briar had other plans. I was able to work around the flaws on the bowl, but the shank was really giving me trouble. Finally the shank was getting worked down to the minimum diameter I wanted and, sure enough, a micro crack shows up. I took a chance and removed a little more wood but the crack just grew. Damn! You win some and loose some. As you can see in the pic I ended cutting the shank and adding an extension. Unfortunately, the shank is now (in my opinion) too thin and would be easy to break, therefore no sale and no smoking. 
A souvenir from my daughter when she went too Belize.
An unsmoked Castello stamped "1948".
I've been putting off inaugurating this pipe. It's too beautiful and I have lots of others to smoke. I will get around to it soon. That's the advantage of estate pipes: you're not "defiling"the untainted beauty.
I smoke everything I buy.
I will not buy any full bents, Oom Pauls, Calabash shapes.
I will not buy any full bents, Oom Pauls, Calabash shapes.
What if they're unsmoked estate pipes?
I smoke all the pipes that I own. The ones that I didn't smoke, I have sold. The last one was a huge and heavy Winsløw.
Unsmoked estates I smoke half an hour earlier than brand new pipes!
I had a lovely old unsmoked Premier from the late teens, early '20s or so that I never smoked. I'm not really a collector (or at least am trying not to be). I'm not sure how I resisted smoking this pipe, but I recently decided it was best in the hands of a true collector rather than just sitting around here ... I have no doubt I would have given in and smoked it eventually.
Mostly, I just don't like to see things going unused. Pipes are meant to be smoked.
C.Rorrer
Mostly, I just don't like to see things going unused. Pipes are meant to be smoked.
C.Rorrer
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I was surprised at how low this pipe sold for. I was focusing on winning the KB&B Blue Line Bakelite which I didn't win. I would've gladly paid more than the winning bid for that Premier.I had a lovely old unsmoked Premier from the late teens, early '20s or so that I never smoked. I'm not really a collector (or at least am trying not to be). I'm not sure how I resisted smoking this pipe, but I recently decided it was best in the hands of a true collector rather than just sitting around here ... I have no doubt I would have given in and smoked it eventually.
Mostly, I just don't like to see things going unused. Pipes are meant to be smoked.
C.Rorrer
If I own I smoke it, pipes that I will never buy however are any with bamboo. Not my cup of tea 
️ but that’s what is so great about our pipe smoking. We can appreciate craftsmanship and art but not the aesthetic which is a personal opinion.
Happy smokes
Ettrick puffer
️ but that’s what is so great about our pipe smoking. We can appreciate craftsmanship and art but not the aesthetic which is a personal opinion.Happy smokes
Ettrick puffer
I collect/fish bamboo rods. I had Mike Clark (famous Colorado rod maker) make me a rod (waited over a year). He saw me on the river a few months later and asked how I liked the rod. I told him I had not fished it. It was too pretty. He got very mad and demanded that I either fish it or give it back. He didn’t make it to sit in a shadow box. I bet most pipe makers feel the same.
Very interesting perspective. I'm sure you're right about pipe carvers. Why put so much effort into the engineering, if it's not going to be smoked.