Points to Consider When Buying New Pipes

[bludgeoningdeath]

When I can afford it I'm going to invest in 2 new pipes here soon. I'm itching for a new pipe to solely dedicate to some Latakia. I was wondering what everyones opinions were on Kaywoodie pipes?
I've heard they're decent but not the best pipe one can purchase. I've seen some Kaywoodie estate pipes here locally. What turns smokers against the basket style pipes and what exactly is a "basket" pipe?
On another note I thing I may ording a Nording and Tsuge pipe from SmokingPipes.com

 

[bludgeoningdeath]

Thanks Roth. I talked to a fella in Charlottesville who has some Kaywoodie estate pipes that aren't bad on the price.
Price really is only a part of it. I bought a 70 dollar Savinelli pipe that IMO smokes better than the more expensive Dutch estate pipe I bought previously.

 

[withnail]

Basket Pipe is a generic term for the cheaper pipes tobacconists often have in a basket on the counter. They are often seconds and often don't have any marks to show where it came from. Some can be excellent smokers and be a bargain, others can be real turkeys and a waste of money.
One test you can do to separate the wheat from the chaff - pass a pipe cleaner through the pipe and see if it goes through all the way to the bowl. That will also give you an indication as to whether the air hole enters the bowl in the centre or at an angle. The smoother the path between bowl and mouth, the less chance of condensation forming in the stem which makes the pipe gurgle. Another area to look at (although harder to judge) is how well the mouth piece joins the stem. Again a gap inside the joint may lead to gurgle.
As a general rule you get what you pay for, which is why many people don't risk it and will go for a company with a good reputation.
A cheap way to increase the number of pipes you have is to go for MM Corn Cobs. They are great value and are almost always well made. If you chose to, you can add more briar pipes with time as your wallet allows.

 

[bludgeoningdeath]

I bought one MM at a local place and smoked out of it once. I paid 7 dollars for it. Does this company make higher end corn cobs as well?
I have another question. Speaking of new pipes....my new Savinelli has hairline cracks inside the bowl. I saw this after reading about burnout and well...I looked inside all my bowls and there was some in the Savinelli. What should be done if I can't get a replacement from the guy I bought it from?

 

[lordofthepiperings]

I've always viewed basket pipes as no-names that are either in a basket or on the counter. Usually ones that you can only find Made In ______ on the pipe somewhere but no maker. From what I understand these tend to be briars from other makers that didn't meet with quality control and were sold off for much cheaper. Sometimes they can end up being great smokers though.
Personally I don't have any experiences with Kaywoodie's so I can't help you there.
As far as what to look for in a pipe you definitely have to go first with aesthetics. Then move on to the maker, do some research and findout a general opinion of them. Next you should check the drilling of the draft hole, if there's fills, how well the finish is done, and usually it's good to give it the pipe cleaner test (being able to easily put a cleaner through the stem and shank and into the bowl with minimal twisting).

 

[mso489]

For a good low-end pipe, in addition to Tsuge, look at the Iwan Ries site under Iwan Ries Exclusives. These are mostly

made by Benton (located in Texas I think). These are well made, in my opinion, and good smokers, and some come with

larger bowls in Canadian and billiard shapes, among others. Their compact pipes are also good. Their little bent

billiard is one of the few bent pipes that takes a pipe cleaner through to the bowl. In general, even with well-made pipes

that smoke great, I don't find bent pipes will take a pipe cleaner to the bowl; the turn is just too sharp for the wire in

the pipe cleaner to make that bend. I don't think this is a problem, nor do I take off the stem to pipe-cleaner the shank

and bowl. Getting the pipe cleaner to the end of stem will usually suffice except for an occasional more thorough

cleaning. Peterson used to have a good low-end series call the Kapet, but those don't seem to be available right now.

Good luck. If you stick with known brands and the sites mentioned on Forums, you are likely to get good pipes and

good smokes.

 

[puffy]

Buy the best that you can afford.In my opinion One really good pipe would be better than two not so good.