Is it just me, or do others periodically go thru their pipes and "prune?"
Pruning Pipe Collection?
- Thread starter phornbein
- Start date
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I haven't culled my herd yet, but am planning to in the near future. I've got some pipes that are set aside and just don't smoke them often enough to keep.
Love the term, "herd." That describes it perfectly. Pipes I haven't smoked in a while for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the balance was wrong.
I am currently in the process of doing this. It is getting more difficult to determine which pipes to sell as the process whittles down. The difficulty comes when a pipe has either sentimental value or one that is in a class of its own. What to do?
I am in pruning mode. I have selected about 10 but I want to get rid of 20. I have too many pipes
Yep. Did it a couple months ago, just need to send them off. Trimmed the herd of a few on the FS on here as well - so thanks again for the kind souls who gave them a new home.
I actually threw two pipes away this morning. One was an awesome J.Andrew BUT once it was fully cleaned out it revealed a cavernous burn out (bottom 25% of half the bowl). I smoked it a couple of times and the crackling was unnerving and it just had to go. Sad about that one. Another, I won't name the brand, bled red stain like there was no tomorrow and it was new and the nickel band popped off straightaway. Having already removed the coating from the chamber I didn't think it was worth trying a return which may have very well been accepted, but I was pissed and it's now covered with garbage. First bad experience with those, that's life.
I actually threw two pipes away this morning. One was an awesome J.Andrew BUT once it was fully cleaned out it revealed a cavernous burn out (bottom 25% of half the bowl). I smoked it a couple of times and the crackling was unnerving and it just had to go. Sad about that one. Another, I won't name the brand, bled red stain like there was no tomorrow and it was new and the nickel band popped off straightaway. Having already removed the coating from the chamber I didn't think it was worth trying a return which may have very well been accepted, but I was pissed and it's now covered with garbage. First bad experience with those, that's life.
I went through that. I had beautiful meerschaum that I loved to smoke, EXCEPT the balance was weird, so while I loved smoking it, it was hard to smoke because of the balance and the feel. Culled it. Also had another meerschaum carved to represent a dragon. It smoked as any meerschaum should, and I enjoyed it; however, one had to know it was carved to represent a dragon, and even then, it was tough to see. Culled it. This left me with an elegant, lattice-carved dublin meerschaum, and I now appreciate it more!
Another -- a Dunhill that was dip-stained -- went because I was, frankly, tired of getting stains on my hands (Dunhill doesn't seem to be worth the money at all).
I'm left with three Savinelli's (including a new autograph I LOVE), three Petersons, and one meerschaum. These are favorites. Culling was great.
The key, I think, is that after culling, one appreciates what's left. As for sentimental value, keep it, but display it rather than smoke it. If it's in a class of its own, why consider culling?
When I smoke my Peterson churchwarden, I feel like a hobbit; when I smoke my Savinelli (Clark's Favorite), I feel a need to watch old movies.
I pruned a few years ago. My pipes are all packed up in pistol cases, so I don't really notice when they become marginalized so to speak.
I just gave my son a 7 day set on his 18th birthday, including a birth year Sav and his birth year Dunhill. That is about as much culling as I have planned to do, but you never know.
I just gave my son a 7 day set on his 18th birthday, including a birth year Sav and his birth year Dunhill. That is about as much culling as I have planned to do, but you never know.
Seems my pipe collection is Self-Pruning.
About once every 2 years or so, some "back of the pack" pipe goes missing, all on it's own.
I don't know if perhaps I leave one in WIfey's car; and, it falls out, or, some passenger walks off with it, or if I leave them around the house and they get pushed behind something... or what.
Perhaps maybe every so often one gets up the gumption to run-away to freedom in the middle of the night, in order to escape the abusive workload and living conditions.
Maybe my missing pipes are hiding and hanging out somewhere with all my missing odd socks and single gloves.
Who knows.
So, while annoying to discover a pipe has gone MIA, it saves me from having to prune. - Sherm Natman
About once every 2 years or so, some "back of the pack" pipe goes missing, all on it's own.
I don't know if perhaps I leave one in WIfey's car; and, it falls out, or, some passenger walks off with it, or if I leave them around the house and they get pushed behind something... or what.
Perhaps maybe every so often one gets up the gumption to run-away to freedom in the middle of the night, in order to escape the abusive workload and living conditions.
Maybe my missing pipes are hiding and hanging out somewhere with all my missing odd socks and single gloves.
Who knows.
So, while annoying to discover a pipe has gone MIA, it saves me from having to prune. - Sherm Natman
I am not even over 30 pipes yet, so have not even considered it yet. I feel emotionally attached to my pipes, and would probably find it hard to sell them off.
I'm at 106 pipes and plan on keeping them all for now.
I've been thinking I need to cull the herd, but the collector in me doesn't want to regret it later, so for now I'm setting aside some pipes in a safe place with the intent to get back to them later.
I've had this same stand of 6 pipes haunting me for years now. Pipes I "made" pipes I've ruined, estates I've never smoked.
Last week, I threw the entire rack in the garbage. Saved 2 of the stems that came with pipe kits that weren't used. But I stewed over these pipes for a long time. Even an old favorite of mine that wasn't worth fixing. In the trash, all 6 of em.
Last week, I threw the entire rack in the garbage. Saved 2 of the stems that came with pipe kits that weren't used. But I stewed over these pipes for a long time. Even an old favorite of mine that wasn't worth fixing. In the trash, all 6 of em.
I've culled four or five times, about four or five pipes each time. I gave a group to a chaplain on Forums who gave them to active duty people in Afghanistan. I gave a group to a friend who had given up Lucky Strikes but wanted pipes for decor. And I've traded groups for store credit at SP toward pipes I preferred.
I've kept the count below 100, and find it is an excellent practice. Just take your time, over time, to decide which pipes aren't working for you and then let them go. I don't cull gifted pipes or the two pipes I won in contests on Forums.
I enjoy having a lot of pipes, but when it gets to the point where I experience them as clutter or find I just never smoke them, it is time to act. I can't just trash pipes. That would be giving up a few bucks toward a pipe I'd rather own.
I've kept the count below 100, and find it is an excellent practice. Just take your time, over time, to decide which pipes aren't working for you and then let them go. I don't cull gifted pipes or the two pipes I won in contests on Forums.
I enjoy having a lot of pipes, but when it gets to the point where I experience them as clutter or find I just never smoke them, it is time to act. I can't just trash pipes. That would be giving up a few bucks toward a pipe I'd rather own.
Yup, I need to doing it. Been on my mind for a while, just haven't started it yet. I have an idea what I want to shed.
My collection of around 20 pipes doesn't see much churn. I got a new Savinelli for my birthday last year, and I bought a MM Hardwood to dedicate to a particularly assertive blend, and then this year I sent a basket pipe I wasn't super attached to, home with my brother-in-law. 20 pipes is in excess of my needs, but they take up so little room that there is no urgency to making my least favorite ones go away...