I was sitting in the garage last week, puffing away and thinking about this idea for a thread. What is the real value of briar? I am not a pipe maker but I believe you can buy a block for anywhere between $10-50 depending on the origin, curing time and quality of the grain. Some exceptional pieces probably fetch even more money. That's only the starting point in the life of a pipe.
Following the purchase of the raw material comes a wide variety of factors that can influence the final retail price of a pipe. Some of these are based on tangible facts such as the size, the drilling, the shape of the bowl, the finish, placement of the grain. Others are totally subjective such as who made the pipe, the historical context (think about the famous picture of Alfred Dunhill selling pipes right after a raid on London during WWII), the previous owner may have been a famous person such as Einstein or Tolkien. All of these factors determine the price point of a pipe but in most cases they all have something in common, they are all present or established before the collector decides to acquire the pipe. For someone who is after the pure pleasure of enjoying the taste of burning leaves in a receptacle made of briar, it's all gamble until the Maiden smoke!
What happens next? How much value will the pipe bring to your life as a collector, as a pipe smoker? Is it necessarily linked to how much money you paid for the pipe? Personally, whenever I decide to sit down and enjoy a bowl of my favourite tobacco, there are plenty of elements contributing to the entire experience. If you think about the concept of the “perfect smoke”, it involves selecting the right tobacco for the pipe, the moisture content and prepping, weather conditions, state of mind, paired beverage, the aesthetics and feel of the pipe in my hands, and these are just a few of an endless list. When we reach the sweet spot where everything comes together, the point in time where the stars align, we then achieve the ultimate experience and it brings a certain value to our lives. Think about what our hobby would be like if this wasn't true. We would see S. Bang pipes go for $25 on eBay or maybe Mr. Eltang would have to own a corner store to supplement his monthly income!
What would happen if we were to assign a dollar value to these experiences?
You may have seen me coming with my final thoughts from reading the title of this thread. Some years ago, I acquired an unsmoked estate pipe for next to nothing, a Canadian made Phillip Trypis. I never exercised extra care around this pipe. There was an unusual terracotta-like bowl coating in it, something I have only seen done by Trypis and also the older Brigham pipes. I paid no attention to the break-in process. I have smoked everything in this pipe from aromatics to (insert your own adjective here) Lakeland blends and everything in between. This pipe was also my guinea pig for the so controversial tap water cleaning method made popular on this forum! It was left under the rain for a night, spent quite some time in the car and the workshop. Through time, something special happened: it earned my love and respect. So many times this pipe has given me memorable smokes, making certain blends taste like Heaven! It never gets hot, never gurgles. Whatever is left after most bowls is white ash. At first I didn't care much for the shape and design of it but now bent eggs are a favourite. The rustication on each side of the bowl allows a perfect grip. The stem, no matter how dirty it gets, always returns to a near new condition after a quick spin on the buffing wheel. This is the pipe I reach for most often. It is a workhorse, the one I would grab if the house was burning down. This pipe climbed its way to the top by proving itself to be a faithful companion, adding value to my life as a pipe smoker. You ask me how much is it worth? Well, first of all it is not for sale. I am unable to assign an exact dollar value but let's just say that I would turn down a $1,500 offer on it...
Here she is!
Your turn now! Let's see your workhorses and tell us why they earned the title!
Following the purchase of the raw material comes a wide variety of factors that can influence the final retail price of a pipe. Some of these are based on tangible facts such as the size, the drilling, the shape of the bowl, the finish, placement of the grain. Others are totally subjective such as who made the pipe, the historical context (think about the famous picture of Alfred Dunhill selling pipes right after a raid on London during WWII), the previous owner may have been a famous person such as Einstein or Tolkien. All of these factors determine the price point of a pipe but in most cases they all have something in common, they are all present or established before the collector decides to acquire the pipe. For someone who is after the pure pleasure of enjoying the taste of burning leaves in a receptacle made of briar, it's all gamble until the Maiden smoke!
What happens next? How much value will the pipe bring to your life as a collector, as a pipe smoker? Is it necessarily linked to how much money you paid for the pipe? Personally, whenever I decide to sit down and enjoy a bowl of my favourite tobacco, there are plenty of elements contributing to the entire experience. If you think about the concept of the “perfect smoke”, it involves selecting the right tobacco for the pipe, the moisture content and prepping, weather conditions, state of mind, paired beverage, the aesthetics and feel of the pipe in my hands, and these are just a few of an endless list. When we reach the sweet spot where everything comes together, the point in time where the stars align, we then achieve the ultimate experience and it brings a certain value to our lives. Think about what our hobby would be like if this wasn't true. We would see S. Bang pipes go for $25 on eBay or maybe Mr. Eltang would have to own a corner store to supplement his monthly income!
What would happen if we were to assign a dollar value to these experiences?
You may have seen me coming with my final thoughts from reading the title of this thread. Some years ago, I acquired an unsmoked estate pipe for next to nothing, a Canadian made Phillip Trypis. I never exercised extra care around this pipe. There was an unusual terracotta-like bowl coating in it, something I have only seen done by Trypis and also the older Brigham pipes. I paid no attention to the break-in process. I have smoked everything in this pipe from aromatics to (insert your own adjective here) Lakeland blends and everything in between. This pipe was also my guinea pig for the so controversial tap water cleaning method made popular on this forum! It was left under the rain for a night, spent quite some time in the car and the workshop. Through time, something special happened: it earned my love and respect. So many times this pipe has given me memorable smokes, making certain blends taste like Heaven! It never gets hot, never gurgles. Whatever is left after most bowls is white ash. At first I didn't care much for the shape and design of it but now bent eggs are a favourite. The rustication on each side of the bowl allows a perfect grip. The stem, no matter how dirty it gets, always returns to a near new condition after a quick spin on the buffing wheel. This is the pipe I reach for most often. It is a workhorse, the one I would grab if the house was burning down. This pipe climbed its way to the top by proving itself to be a faithful companion, adding value to my life as a pipe smoker. You ask me how much is it worth? Well, first of all it is not for sale. I am unable to assign an exact dollar value but let's just say that I would turn down a $1,500 offer on it...
Here she is!
Your turn now! Let's see your workhorses and tell us why they earned the title!
