Of course not. Wouldn't want to get too much blood in your alcohol content.You don’t expect me to read the forums sober, do you?
Of course not. Wouldn't want to get too much blood in your alcohol content.You don’t expect me to read the forums sober, do you?
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.
Agreed! Also nice.........gourd? Or is that the rich girl from Willy Wonka?Nice pipe!
Jef
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.I know that I have a habit of keeping all my good smokers and selling off all the crappy ones. I'm sure this practice is very common among pipe smokers. This makes me wonder if the majority of the estate market is made up of inferior pipes.
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.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.
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!
Wow! Did not even know about these. I must have.....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 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!
Wow! Did not even know about these. I must have.....
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.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.
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...pay the rent next month because they'd have already kicked you out for not paying this month's!You buy a Chonowitsch once and never have to...
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.You don’t expect me to read the forums sober, do you?