Of course not. Wouldn't want to get too much blood in your alcohol content.
PSA (long): New Smokers: You Do Not Need An Expensive Pipe
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Being, well, parsimonious, I second the OP. Very nice write up. I have a fairly hard rule not to spend more than $75 on a pipe (broken once), largely because I like my cobs so much it’s hard to justify the difference in price. There really are a number of good quality smokers to be had under $50, particularly if you’re not as concerned with high end finishes. For me, it helps that I’m drawn to classic shapes—mostly straight billiards/lovats/Canadians—and that‘s largely what you find among the lower priced brands.
My only “pretty” pipes are 50+ year old estates on which site sponsor SmokingPipes.com did a bang up job restoring the birdseye grains.
My only “pretty” pipes are 50+ year old estates on which site sponsor SmokingPipes.com did a bang up job restoring the birdseye grains.
Nice pipe!I have come to the same realization. I like my expensive pipes but none reliably deliver the depth of flavor of my $80 Savinelli Tortuga 673 (pictured below). It sets the standard for all my other pipes, regardless of price point, to live up to.
I have a $400 Ardor that pissed me off for about 2 years because it made the flavor of every blend taste thin compared to the old trusty Savinelli. It finally came around after putting 4-5 tins of Balkan Blue through it. The whole thing makes me think that the sheer number of times a pipe is smoked might be a major factor in how well it performs.
Jef
Agreed! Also nice.........gourd? Or is that the rich girl from Willy Wonka?
I've not gotten but three or four bad ones out of dozens, but I keep the good ones and throw the bad ones, new or estate, into the trash. I won't pass a bad pipe on to someone else.
This was an excellent post, very well thought out, well written, and chocked full of useful information. I don't disagree with any of it. A high end pipe is wasted on a beginner. In any case, the pipe itself is only 25% of the equation. The other 75% is technique, packing, cadence, moisture levels, etc. Until the smoker gets down the rudiments he/she isn't going to get the best out of any pipe.
But there are a few differences between modestly priced pipes and more expensive pipes that aren't just a matter of aesthetics, that many of us come to appreciate over time. Chief among them is the design and shaping of the stem and bit, and the airway therin. Hand made stems can be as much or more work than the bowl. The shaping of the bite zone to a comfortable thinness and the slot for spreading out the smoke can enhance the smoking experience. Hand work costs money, so what you get in the lower range is a molded stem, which functions adequately, which is all the beginner needs.
But there are a few differences between modestly priced pipes and more expensive pipes that aren't just a matter of aesthetics, that many of us come to appreciate over time. Chief among them is the design and shaping of the stem and bit, and the airway therin. Hand made stems can be as much or more work than the bowl. The shaping of the bite zone to a comfortable thinness and the slot for spreading out the smoke can enhance the smoking experience. Hand work costs money, so what you get in the lower range is a molded stem, which functions adequately, which is all the beginner needs.
Thanks! Certainly true, and a good point. Probably under emphasized in my OP (directed mostly at beginners) so thanks for adding that! This is part of why I chose to experiment with various shapes until I got it down, then pick out some higher end pipes in the shapes I had found out I liked once I got the hang of smoking.
I don't know how I missed this when it was first posted, but great job!
I'd suggest Savinelli's Unfinished pipes as another option. They're certainly not the prettiest, but I bought one for my first briar, and it is probably still my favorite pipe to smoke. Everything tastes great, and smokes dry and easy. Site sponsor Bolito Pipe has them priced so cheaply, you could buy 2 and even after shipping from Italy, you'd be under a hundred bucks. Maybe even 3 when they're on sale like they are right now!
I'd suggest Savinelli's Unfinished pipes as another option. They're certainly not the prettiest, but I bought one for my first briar, and it is probably still my favorite pipe to smoke. Everything tastes great, and smokes dry and easy. Site sponsor Bolito Pipe has them priced so cheaply, you could buy 2 and even after shipping from Italy, you'd be under a hundred bucks. Maybe even 3 when they're on sale like they are right now!
I'm a thrifty pipe buyer, I mean fairly tight. I don't in any way diminish the beauty and art of higher end pipes, and I own a few. Some of the less expensive pipes are pretty wonderful in their own right, if you know what you're getting, that in fact you may never be able to buy again in good shape. If you shop a lot more than you buy, you can get a lot for not much money. Unfinished Savinelli are a fine experience and grow into a glow and luster, roughly a fine Walnut stain finish with an inner glow. After thirty years, they are just getting started.
Keep in mind they will have some fills, and they're not done very artfully. Mine has a ton of gashes, which stand out even as the pipe takes on color. You can see mine with a bunch of those fills below, though I think mine is a particularly rough example. That's the only catch. Otherwise, it's a Savinelli pipe at basket prices.
I figured as much. Any pipe at a price like that from a known maker is likely to have pits or fills. I was just perusing the site and my wife caught me. I'll have to make it happen monday at work.
That's a silly post. You buy a Chonowitsch once and never have to upgrade because there aren't any. Silly frozen brained Alaskan.
...pay the rent next month because they'd have already kicked you out for not paying this month's!
I’m very happy with my natural Savinelli lumberman. It has a couple pits filled in that are visible, but it has still darkened up nicely. I like its matte finish, too.
I mist admit, a libation or two or three DOES increase the “joy quotient” of nearly any forum of any type... not just this one.
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