Quality of Modern Pipes vs Good Quality Vintage Pipes

[jtkuga]

Maybe I should put this in the beginner forum, since I am a beginner, but it seems appropriate here as well. I have been enjoying this hobby for about a month now, and it is looking like I'm not planning on stopping anytime soon. As I start acquiring more pipes I am drawn in two directions, either the modern factory pipes like Savinelli I hear so much about or the various old English Pipe makers who appear to have made really great pipes pre about 1980. For about the price of a lot of new Savinellis I'm looking at two Orlik's on Ebay:

*RARE*UNSMOKED*NOS ORLIK VIRGIN *TOP SERRIE* (pre-Cadogan/pre-1980) English Pipe | eBay - https://www.ebay.com/itm/255741133366

Pre-Cadogan Orlik Of Old Bond Street Smooth Billiard Saddle Stem (124) | eBay - https://www.ebay.com/itm/296880937692

Both of these are priced similar to a new Savinelli, both are pre-cadogan era Orlik's that appear, at least according to Pipedia and the link to dating Orlik's in there to be from the top 3 lines he recommends, and appear reasonably priced. How would one expect them to compare as far as smoking goes? What should I know or be aware (wary) of when buying old vintage pipes? I'm very new to this and frankly I'd like one of each, the Orlik's really are appealling but I feel the Savinelli's are a safer choice.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

It is always going to be a gamble, some pipes offer greater risks than others, but for the most part, it is always a gamble. Savinelli makes a damn good pipe, and I have yet to be dissapointed. But, you seem to have some knowledge of these older pipes, and they've obviously caught your eye... I would take the gamble on the cooler older ones you posted. You may find a deeper connection with a vintage pipe.

 

[Briar Lee]

Back 75 years ago there were as many as one hundred times more pipes sold than today.

The largest seller of only a few pipe makers today is Dr Grabow, and they sell 200,000 pikes a year. By World War Two Kaywoodie alone sold over 11 million pipes a year, out of hundreds of makers.

Then there was a market for briar pipes from 25 cents to $25.

It’s very easy to over pay for an old pipe.

If you buy this one it’s guaranteed good.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

If you buy this one it’s guaranteed good.

No pipe can be truly guaranteed good. I'm sure that after you smoke it, the company is no longer interested in getting it back, nor sending you a new one, without a blatantly obvious flaw on their part.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

That particular seller in Greece tends to over buff the stems of many pipes, sometimes obliterating delicate and rare stamping. Do your research before purchasing and make sure the condition of the pipe is as close to original as possible (if that matters to you—this would apply to any seller with regard to condition).

 

[Briar Lee]

No pipe can be truly guaranteed good. I'm sure that after you smoke it, the company is no longer interested in getting it back, nor sending you a new one, with a blatantly obvious flaw on their part.

True, but it’s going to be good, or it wouldn’t have left Peterson.

A persnickety old codger like us might complain how it’s drilled or the finish, but a Pete or Savanelli or even a new Grabow is made from well selected, well cured genuine briar.

A new Danish pipe might need a painful break in, but it will break in.

And when you go above $200 to the new custom makers the quality of the briar goes off the charts.

There is no demand today for el cheapo pipes.

They are all good.

Those fantastic pre war 1940 $10 Flame Grains were only about $225 in modern money.

The famous $15 pipe Lord (soon to be Baron) Inverchapel found in Idaho in 1946 would only be $240 in modern money. In 1946 it made headlines he bought two $15 pipes.

A $100 pipe today would be $6.25 in 1946, a luxury pipe by their standards, and ours are larger on average.

Back then $2 started luxury pipes, which is only $32 today.

 

[badbriar]

Do some more research on similarly priced pipes. There are a lot of options. Also, there are some really good pre-owned ones here on the forum for sale. Good thing about buying from someone on this forum is that they will nearly always be absolutely straight with you about the pipe and the prices are usually better than eeeebay. Personally, I've been screwed royally with a couple of pipes I've bought there. YMMV on that.
If you buy used, I'd advise to shop on SP or TP. I own several estates from SP and am well pleased with every one.
Savanelli's are pretty good pipes - I own several and like them all. White Elephant has good ones, Neerups are awesome for me. Brebbia even has a lower affordable line. Cobs are good and there's nothing wrong with cheaper ones, like Dr. Grabow and Rossi. Good hunting!

 

[AroEnglish]

Maybe I should put this in the beginner forum, since I am a beginner, but it seems appropriate here as well. I have been enjoying this hobby for about a month now, and it is looking like I'm not planning on stopping anytime soon. As I start acquiring more pipes I am drawn in two directions, either the modern factory pipes like Savinelli I hear so much about or the various old English Pipe makers who appear to have made really great pipes pre about 1980. For about the price of a lot of new Savinellis I'm looking at two Orlik's on Ebay:

*RARE*UNSMOKED*NOS ORLIK VIRGIN *TOP SERRIE* (pre-Cadogan/pre-1980) English Pipe | eBay - https://www.ebay.com/itm/255741133366

Pre-Cadogan Orlik Of Old Bond Street Smooth Billiard Saddle Stem (124) | eBay - https://www.ebay.com/itm/296880937692

Both of these are priced similar to a new Savinelli, both are pre-cadogan era Orlik's that appear, at least according to Pipedia and the link to dating Orlik's in there to be from the top 3 lines he recommends, and appear reasonably priced. How would one expect them to compare as far as smoking goes? What should I know or be aware (wary) of when buying old vintage pipes? I'm very new to this and frankly I'd like one of each, the Orlik's really are appealling but I feel the Savinelli's are a safer choice.

If you're interested in the second pipe, reach out to the seller via IG and make him an offer. At the very least he'll sell it for a price without the eBay fees but has gone even lower from my experience.

While I love the look and historicity of older pipes I realize I don't always love the stems.

 

[jtkuga]

That particular seller in Greece tends to over buff the stems of many pipes, sometimes obliterating delicate and rare stamping. Do your research before purchasing and make sure the condition of the pipe is as close to original as possible (if that matters to you—this would apply to any seller with regard to condition).

Thanks for the advice those are the types of things as a beginner I don't fully understand. And yes those things are important to me, although I do plan on smoking the pipes, I'm not buying them just to collect or display.

 

[BingBong]

I love my cheapo (£28 at the time) Sarome, use it every day. I'm rapidly falling for my new freehand Invicta, fabulous piece of briar. I often use my 1960 Dunhill, great smoker. One of my Petersons is my go-to flake pipe, but another I'd cheerfully lob in the bin. I don't think you can legislate for what floats your boat, it's a combination of qualities; this applies to old estates or brand new.

 

[Briar Lee]

It has been long enough now, that the heather forests on the hillsides of the Mediterranean have recovered, from when there were a hundred times more demand than today.

The last Grabow I bought was a completely perfect pipe with no fills.

Any briar pipe, is a piece of wood on a rubber or lucite stem, plus labor.

Today they use only the best materials.

 

[LeafErikson]

If you buy this one it’s guaranteed good.

View attachment 366904

That pipe is guaranteed to end up in the trash with that damn p-lip on it.

 

[SRider]

As long as you’re buying a pipe from a well known brand you’ll be fine. A lot of folks swear older is better many also swear that the more expensive the better. My best smoking pipe is a 40 dollar Dr. Grabow Royalton. I wouldn’t trade that pipe for anything….well maybe for a Vintage Dunhill.

 

[sablebrush52]

True, but it’s going to be good, or it wouldn’t have left Peterson.

Peterson's quality became "variable" to use a charitable term, in the period prior to being purchased by Laudisi. Before I washed up at this forum I was a member at the Pipes.org forum and the complaints about sloppy workmanship, such as off center drilling and dip staining fouling the chamber walls were common. This continued until fairly recently.

 

[sablebrush52]

Maybe I should put this in the beginner forum, since I am a beginner, but it seems appropriate here as well. I have been enjoying this hobby for about a month now, and it is looking like I'm not planning on stopping anytime soon. As I start acquiring more pipes I am drawn in two directions, either the modern factory pipes like Savinelli I hear so much about or the various old English Pipe makers who appear to have made really great pipes pre about 1980. For about the price of a lot of new Savinellis I'm looking at two Orlik's on Ebay:

*RARE*UNSMOKED*NOS ORLIK VIRGIN *TOP SERRIE* (pre-Cadogan/pre-1980) English Pipe | eBay - https://www.ebay.com/itm/255741133366

Pre-Cadogan Orlik Of Old Bond Street Smooth Billiard Saddle Stem (124) | eBay - https://www.ebay.com/itm/296880937692

Both of these are priced similar to a new Savinelli, both are pre-cadogan era Orlik's that appear, at least according to Pipedia and the link to dating Orlik's in there to be from the top 3 lines he recommends, and appear reasonably priced. How would one expect them to compare as far as smoking goes? What should I know or be aware (wary) of when buying old vintage pipes? I'm very new to this and frankly I'd like one of each, the Orlik's really are appealling but I feel the Savinelli's are a safer choice.

Most of my collection is vintage Britwood, spanning a period from 1882 thru the 1970's. I also bought a fair amount of American artisan made pipes, some Italian made factory pipes, and also Kaywoodies. A bad smoker is a rarity. Pipes generally smoke pretty much the same for me. Some, like one of my Brebbias, smoke significantly better for me, in that I get more intense flavors with less effort.
As @TheIronMonkey says, check out the condition of those pipes you're looking at, but I suspect they will be good smokers.

 

[telescopes]

Peterson's quality became "variable" to use a charitable term, in the period prior to being purchased by Laudisi. Before I washed up at this forum I was a member at the Pipes.org forum and the complaints about sloppy workmanship, such as off center drilling and dip staining fouling the chamber walls were common. This continued until fairly recently.

Unfortunately I iwned two sloppily made Peterson’s of that period.

 

[Briar Lee]

A pipe made from properly cured and aged briar smokes well.

I think my Pre 54 Marxman pipes made from Algerian briar smoke the wellest.

But so does a $5 cob.

I will say a brand new briar is almost always quite a bit larger than a pipe from the classic era.

 

[LotusEater]

Many brands offer a range of pipes at different price points. My advice is to do your homework. You can often find estate pipes with superior fit and finish for the same or less money as a new pipe from one of the lesser lines of a manufacturer like Savinelli.
Personally I think I get a lot more bang for my buck buying estates and there are so many niche areas to explore within the estate market - there is something for everyone.

As for how well they smoke - generallly speaking if you do your part the pipe will d it’s. That said. I have a GBD and a Castello (both purchased as estates) that seem to out perform all of my other pipes.

 

[AirOne]

Peterson's quality became "variable" to use a charitable term, in the period prior to being purchased by Laudisi. Before I washed up at this forum I was a member at the Pipes.org forum and the complaints about sloppy workmanship, such as off center drilling and dip staining fouling the chamber walls were common. This continued until fairly recently.

yes, beware of bent Peterson's from that era

 

[OzPiper]

I have far more estate pipes than ones bought new.
There is a certain allure in having a pipe that was made in the birth year of your Dad or Grandad

But do they smoke better than current generation pipes ?

I have a few stellar old Barlings.
And I also have post-family era ones.
My corporate era Barlings may have far less cachet, but they smoke every bit as well as their much more collectible elders.

Happy