Please Tell Us Your Collecting Focus

[shikano53]

I'm a new guy and only been at this a little while. I have thirteen pipes. All new except my two estate Savonelli's.

Favorite smoker is my VAUEN Meerschaum lined and my Savonelli Autograph 4 and '0'. I have Peterson standard system xl 315, Nording and Bringhams and a pretty nice Medico that was my first pipe. Still smokes pretty darn fine.
I'm all over the map tobacco wise. I like A & C Peterson Escudo Navy Deluxe and some aros.

Love McClelland 2020 Mature Cake.

 

[lifeon2]

I am currently parked at or around 600 pipes. Mostly I collect Americana type stuff and lean towards the older stuff Linkmans, Grabows, WDC, CPF, Kaywoodies, Yello Boles some medicos, did you know they made figurals, neither did Bill Fauerbach. I also have about 200 cobs, several of which they don't even have in the MM museum. Among all these I have variuos petes, savs, meers etc.

 

[smoothsailing]

All over the map if it catches my eye it go's into the collection ,started with Grabow in my teen's, in my late 20s estates became the game I would buy a lot of twenty because I liked one.My wife brought it to my attention a year ago now in my late 30s that it was out of control 200+ pipes no rhyme or reason to my collecting.Im down to about 100 and still sell a few each weekend.I've been concentrating on old Custom-Bilt and Tom Howard's as of late.

 

[ssjones]

In my first year of pipe smoking, my pipe selections were all over the map, Boswell, English, Italian, mostly new pipes.

My first Rhodesian was an Ashton Pebble Grain, which was a gift from my wife for my 50th birthday. Slowly, I started selling my other shapes and acquiring more Bulldogs and Rhodesian shapes. Somewhere along the line, I noticed that a majority were British made and I've stuck with that ever since. Ashton, James Upshall were early makers I desired. Than, GBD (which remains the majority of my collection). Sasieni was next with a few Ferndown and Charatan's thrown in as well. Oddly, I had no real desire for Dunhills but own a Bulldog and Author from that maker. Lately, chubby Petersons have become a passion.
Once I latch onto a shape (Sasieni Ashford, GBD 9438, Peterson 9BC, etc.), I like to acquire that shape in the various finishes offered. A sort of pipe "full house" of sorts.
I keep my "Gallery" photos in this online album:
http://s1295.photobucket.com/user/upshallfan/slideshow/Pipes%20Gallery%20Pix
That is an interesting distinction between estate and new. I'd say 95% of my collection are estates. I particularly prize my pipes made before 1950. When buying a new pipe, I often feel a little cheated that it has no history attached and I'll be long gone before it is considered "old".

 

[elbert]

That album was a pleasure to play through, ssjones. I've never actually liked the bulldog shape for whatever reason, but some of your pipes have really phenomenal sandblasting.

 

[Chasing Embers]

74 here. Mostly Danish freehands, or reinterpretations with a Danish flare, with 4 Weavers, and 3 meers in the bunch. No real direction here, just buy what I like.

 

[danielplainview]

Lifeon2 takes the trophy @ 600 !
I dont have an official number, but I guess about 200 pipes. I had a good start to my collection. I was handed down over 50 of my grandfathers pipes. My favorite shapes are the classic billiard and canadians. I'm not sure I have a focus to my collection, but I do like to hunt for extinct American brands from the 1960's or older.

 

[gloucesterman]

Harris, as a follow up to your question of new or estate. Almost 100% of my late collection are estates. Restoring them is a big part of the fun. There is something about bringing a pipe back from the brink of junk that makes it even more pleasurable to smoke. Hidden under all that gunk you often find a beautiful example of the pipe makers art.

 

[jkrug]

I have 30 pipes right now. All are factory pipes but one which is a Mark Tinsky Canadian. The rest are Peterson's, Savinelli's, Brigham's mostly with a few others in there too. I also have 6 or 7 cobs. Somewhere buried in amongst all the crap I have amassed over the years I still have the first 3 pipes I bought which are Brigham's so I guess I have 33. I tend to like more of the classic shapes as opposed to the freehands and wild organic shapes and of those the Canadians are my favourite and the shape I own the most of with 8 at present.
My approch to collecting at first has been to buy a pipe if I liked it and had the money to get it. Recently I have decided on a direction or two that I want to go. Firstly I plan to keep expanding the Canadian section of my collection. Secondly I'm working on a 7 day set of Peterson Aran pipes of which I now have 3 of 7. Thirdly I'd like to have a Brigham pipe from each of their different model groups, Algonquin, Mountaineer, Voyageur and so on. From this point I also plan to buy fewer pipe of higher value instead of buy a whole bunch of less expensive pipes.
As for new versus estate pipes I only have new pipes. I do appreciate the beauty, quality and history of estates but the thought of smoking a pipe used by someone else just gives me the heebeegeebies. The only exception for me to by an estate pipe would possibly be a birth year (1965) Dunhill at some point in the future. ::

 

[warren]

I only purchase new pipes. I have one, not a favorite, hand crafted Russian pipe, which was a gift from one of my partners from my time working there. It was one of his personal pipes so I have kept it as a memento.
Other than that all were purchased new. All are smoked with a fair degree of regularity. Over the years any pipe I came into possession of and did not develop an affinity for were either passed on to someone or tossed, there weren't that many.

 

[snagstangl]

Custom-bilts. I am guessing around 60 or 70. It is not just Custom-bilts. It includes some copies of various brands that are copies. There were many brands that tried to copy. While I should probably smoke only those, I have others as well, I am trying to get 7 day sets of each: squat straight bulldogs, bent rhodesians, pokers, prince- all factory pipes. SO much for focus

 

[mortonbriar]

I have less than 20 pipes, mostly briars, mostly straight stem, some clays and cobs. No real trend yet though, I am at a point in life where it is important for me to pretend that PAD does not exist, providing for my little family on one income means any occasional contribution thrown at this glorious hobby goes straight to leaf! (and pipe cleaners).

One day, when i grow up, I would love to have a stable of briars that included artisan pipes and a variety of the classic shapes.
Isaac

 

[sablebrush52]

My collection is pretty modest. Not surprisingly, my main focus and largest grouping is family era Barlings, of which I have 62 at present, ranging from 1882 to 1962. I have a dozen Kaywoodies, mostly Pre-War, with the earliest from the period between 1919 and 1924, then late '20's thru late '30's. I have 9 Sasieni pipes, 7 of them 8 dots. I have roughly 18 Dunhills, mostly from the 1950's thru 1970's with a few earlier, the earliest of which is a shell from 1927. I have a collection of wax drips from Walt Cannoy, Tony Fillenwarth, and Larryson. In addition I have several other Cannoys from his first period, 6 Talberts, 6 Tatums, 6 Von Ercks, pipes by Rad Davis, Brian Ruthenberg, Tony Fillenwarth, Arly Curtz, Tinsky, Rollar, Paolo Becker, Becker Musico, Teddy Knudsen, Bari, Bjarne, Nording, 2 Castello Occhio di Pernice, Ser Jacopo, Charatan, Comoy, Piersel, and a number of odds and ends. Nothing fancy, I'm afraid, but all good smokers.

Obviously the majority of them are estates, but I've also bought some of the artisan pipes new and have commissioned pipes from Piersel and Fillenwarth.

 

[pipestud]

I currently own in the neighborhood of 50 pipes but only regularly smoke the very best smokers in that group, probably a dozen or so. My collecting motif is American hand made unstained or tan blasts. Most are Billiards, Lovats, Canadians and a few variations.

 

[wolfe64]

Being a newbie I only have 3 pipes, a cob, bent briar and a bulldog.

I'm not sure what type of pipe I will pursue but I really would like a church warden and I like my bulldog because it has a small bowl which means a shorter smoke,which is ok with me.

I find hour long smokes too much for me at this point and time.

Mark

 

[mranglophile]

My first pipe like many was a Grabow Grand Duke from the local Rite Aid. I then bought a few factory pipes from a closing B&M (Chacom, DB and a Luciano). I used those for about 3 years and smoked by my lonesome until I found Ebay. I started buying things I liked the look of, as long as it was under $20. Other than a Loewe I got from the 60's for $10 because it was listed as "Lowe" I got some real humdingers. Then I found Pipedia and other internet sites and started reading about all the old English marquee's. I started finding out about "family" era's and what to look for and became a smarter shopper.
I am a stay at home Dad and with 4 kids have a very fixed income. I have always been drawn to the "nicer things" as my wife puts it but obviously couldn't afford the pipes I now coveted from the pages of smokingpipes.com and I found Ben Wades to be within my price range and tradional styling. So I started bidding on any Ben Wades and soon found out they are not all built the same, can you say fills. I never found any family era ones in that price range but I did end up with a few while they were being made by Charatan, some being "Selected Grains". These are basically "fill-free" Ben Wade Standards. I even bought a few of the Danish free-hands. As you all know Ben Wade's are not the most respected pipe company after they were acquired by Charatan, but they are drilled straight and use good wood and are some of my best smokers.
Like most collectors I wouldn't stop there, I started buying other sub-brands initially. I bought some Comoy Everyman's(NOS), some Old Englands by Saseini and some really cool Parkers still keeping within my $30 limit per pipe. The problem is you don't read as much about sub-brands and I couldn't help but want the higher end pipes and especially a 3 piece c Comoy or Charatan...enter next learning curve. I would often take risks on poorly listed pipes and have some real winners, I also have a few "50's" Comoys with 1 peice c's so buyer beware. Eventually I found Pipestud and Great Estate Pipe's...you pay a bit more but it is well worth imo, and I did get that 3 part c eventually..a Liverpool sandblast from Pipestud.
It's almost 2 years since that start and I have moved way past my $30 limit and trying to stay under $100 but the Dunhill and Castello's were more. I have about 40 pipes...Ben Wade's and Charatan's being the bulk. I also have my Dunhill, a Ferndown, 2 Barling's, an Upshall p grade, 3 GBD's, 2 Orlik's, 3 Comoy's, a Loewe Centurion, a BBB Thorneycroft and a Bewlay. I also have an infinity for some of the older American shop pipes. I have a Fisher Supreme, A Schulte's and a Betram 80 Oom Paul. Recently I have started buying a few Italian pipes...3 Castello's, 2 Ardor's and a Moretti but my primary focus is British pipes. I would love to buy/barter for nice artisan pipes but at this time they are out of my range. One day though I would love to have Chris Askwith or one of the new Greek carvers make me a pipe.
Thanks a lot for the topic Harris. I enjoyed thinking about this and sharing with you scoundrels, Michael.

 

[pitchfork]

1. American Artisans:
I collect two American makers -- Elliott Nachwalter and Andrew Marks, both of Vermont. Both have been making pipes since the early 70s and I love their style. Nachwalter has some of the most elegant curves in the game, while Marks has a very folksy, downright quirky sense of shape, but Marks's briar is the sweetest smoking I've ever come across.
2. Antique British:
I also collect antique British pipes from the 1890s through about 1920, especially if they have silver bands. About half of these are BBB's from before they were bought out in the early 1920s.
Beyond that, I have one Dunhill, an old Kaywoodie, some Petersons, an Ashton and some Stanwells.

 

[okiescout]

My collection is quite modest in comparison to you guys in "the Majors". Many of you have helped me focus as well as educate myself in what "quality" looks like in a pipe.
I hope Harris does not mind if I ask how you gentlemen manage to store, rack, etc these large collections.
It is awe inspiring to see Peck's pipes both in quality and number. Some of you are on the same playing field. It is apparent from some of the past pics he has shared, that Sablebrush has a collection of the first water in quality.
Men who care this much for art do not store it carelessly, and I would also like to see how you enjoy your collections.
It is a humbling experience to get to see what you have put together.
Harris, thanks for this thread.

 

[pitchfork]

Oh, I have more than 50 pipes, but don't know the exact number anymore. I also like to keep the number around 40, so I'll be selling some, soon.

 

[sablebrush52]

I hope Harris does not mind if I ask how you gentlemen manage to store, rack, etc these large collections.

Except when in active rotation, and sometimes not even then, none of my pipes are racked. All of my pipes are in cases that were made for holding pipes, 15-17 per case. This substantially prevents oxidation of the vulcanite and bleaching of the finish that exposure to light and air brings about. If you don't care about the condition of your pipes, then racking is a good way to display and conveniently select a pipe.
I've been privileged to be invited to view some staggeringly amazing collections in private hands. I had no idea and it redefined what I understand to be a major collection. In comparison, my collection doesn't even constitute a grease spot. And exactly none of these collections are racked, nor on view. They're all cased, or in fitted drawers and that's where the pipes are kept when not being smoked.