Show me that workhorse pipe!

[MisterBadger]

This feller. A 'Makonde' straight Rhodesian, made of Tanzanian Amboseli Meerschaum by theKilimajaro Pipe Company Ltd. with a Vulcanite stem. It's a survivor - had some rough treatment in its 50 to 70 years, looks like it's been brutally reamed, clenched, carried in a pocket with loose change, car keys and whatnot, and smoked a very great deal. It was the most abused of a cheap job lot of estate pipes I won in an auction a while ago, unsaleable on its own but I couldn't bear to throw it away,so I smoothed away the chips and cuts as best I could, and beeswaxed it over a few times. Not a pretty sight but I've gotten quite attached to it, it smokes beautifully and is, in its way, irreplaceable.

 

[Wesley pipes]

This feller. A 'Makonde' straight Rhodesian, made of Tanzanian Amboseli Meerschaum by theKilimajaro Pipe Company Ltd. with a Vulcanite stem. It's a survivor - had some rough treatment in its 50 to 70 years, looks like it's been brutally reamed, clenched, carried in a pocket with loose change, car keys and whatnot, and smoked a very great deal. It was the most abused of a cheap job lot of estate pipes I won in an auction a while ago, unsaleable on its own but I couldn't bear to throw it away,so I smoothed away the chips and cuts as best I could, and beeswaxed it over a few times. Not a pretty sight but I've gotten quite attached to it, it smokes beautifully and is, in its way, irreplaceable.View attachment 435629

Very nice state of preservation! the Briar looks like a well worn piece of leather.

 

[Joe H]

If I'm doing something that's a risk of damage or loss while piping, one of these two get the nod. I made them both from dinner corn after it was eaten and bamboo garden stakes from around the house for free. They both smoke great and are in my small pipe rotation. I'd hate to lose either one, but it would be little trouble to make new ones if needed.

 

[tartanphantom]

This feller. A 'Makonde' straight Rhodesian, made of Tanzanian Amboseli Meerschaum by theKilimajaro Pipe Company Ltd. with a Vulcanite stem. It's a survivor - had some rough treatment in its 50 to 70 years, looks like it's been brutally reamed, clenched, carried in a pocket with loose change, car keys and whatnot, and smoked a very great deal. It was the most abused of a cheap job lot of estate pipes I won in an auction a while ago, unsaleable on its own but I couldn't bear to throw it away,so I smoothed away the chips and cuts as best I could, and beeswaxed it over a few times. Not a pretty sight but I've gotten quite attached to it, it smokes beautifully and is, in its way, irreplaceable.View attachment 435629

The best-looking dates are not necessarily the best dates.
Sometimes you prefer one with more life experience and less pretentiousness.

I'd put a pipe like that into "The DB's" category for life experience.

 

[Wesley pipes]

used to have a much smaller bowl. She got smoked to an extra large with thin walls

 

[MisterBadger]

Very nice state of preservation! the Briar looks like a well worn piece of leather.

It's a Meer, I promise you

 

[Wesley pipes]

It's a Meer, I promise you

Wait… really? I must have missed that the first read, that meerschaum looks like wood that looks like leather!
that must have had a ton of tobacco run through it.

 

[JackOrion]

This one has been an absolute workhorse. It was one of the first new pipes I ever bought and has definitely been the most smoked, sometimes multiple bowls a day.

It's a Savinelli Series III which came unfinished. You can see the fills in the briar since it's darkened.
It's not pretty, but is one of my best smoking pipes and I'll use it until it burns out or I do.

Wow, how long did it take to get that dark?

 

[Alanon]

This little gnarly wonder.

A friend and I were both sort of eyeing this pipe at a local auction site, and as I dislike bidding wars, and even less so among friends, I didn’t bid further and he won. Now, the pictures had no other items for scale and it turned out the pipe was much smaller than we both thought. He was a bit disappointed it wasn’t a real churchwarden, so he ended up passing it along to me.

The pipe is marked only Bruyere St. Claude, probably a reject from one of the major brands (perhaps Ropp because of the bullseye on the stem). Some large defect in the briar was probably the reason for the rejection and for such heavy-handed rustication. So the poor girl was rejected multiple times, first at the factory, then by several prospective owners until she reached me.

There’s something about the smallish bowl and the nice long stem that makes for a great smoker. I’m not a clencher but the pipe is very light so even I could do it. Already rugged from all the rustication, so she can take a beating - I’ve had it drop a few times, and not a mark on her. Sometimes I smoke two bowls in a row out, and she never disappoints. I don’t really baby her, but she’s kind of an ugly duckling so looks just the same no matter what I do.

As many have already said, while she may be a beater, I’ve grown attached to her and I’d be sad if something happened. There’s some rugged beauty about her that’s grown on me. In general, I’ve learned to never shy away from these old St. Claude pipes, they can be terrific smokers and can come in quite unique shapes you just don’t see anywhere else.

 

[Briarcutter]

This little gnarly wonder.

A friend and I were both sort of eyeing this pipe at a local auction site, and as I dislike bidding wars, and even less so among friends, I didn’t bid further and he won. Now, the pictures had no other items for scale and it turned out the pipe was much smaller than we both thought. He was a bit disappointed it wasn’t a real churchwarden, so he ended up passing it along to me.

The pipe is marked only Bruyere St. Claude, probably a reject from one of the major brands (perhaps Ropp because of the bullseye on the stem). Some large defect in the briar was probably the reason for the rejection and for such heavy-handed rustication. So the poor girl was rejected multiple times, first at the factory, then by several prospective owners until she reached me.

There’s something about the smallish bowl and the nice long stem that makes for a great smoker. I’m not a clencher but the pipe is very light so even I could do it. Already rugged from all the rustication, so she can take a beating - I’ve had it drop a few times, and not a mark on her. Sometimes I smoke two bowls in a row out, and she never disappoints. I don’t really baby her, but she’s kind of an ugly duckling so looks just the same no matter what I do.

As many have already said, while she may be a beater, I’ve grown attached to her and I’d be sad if something happened. There’s some rugged beauty about her that’s grown on me. In general, I’ve learned to never shy away from these old St. Claude pipes, they can be terrific smokers and can come in quite unique shapes you just don’t see anywhere else.

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Great pipe, nice rustication!

 

[Sir Yak]

My two are a Jirsa 210 and a Stanwell small Freehand. You can see in the WAYS thread it is smoked several times a day. View attachment 435542View attachment 435543

whoa that Stanwell is GREAT!

 

[tartanphantom]

This little gnarly wonder.

A friend and I were both sort of eyeing this pipe at a local auction site, and as I dislike bidding wars, and even less so among friends, I didn’t bid further and he won. Now, the pictures had no other items for scale and it turned out the pipe was much smaller than we both thought. He was a bit disappointed it wasn’t a real churchwarden, so he ended up passing it along to me.

The pipe is marked only Bruyere St. Claude, probably a reject from one of the major brands (perhaps Ropp because of the bullseye on the stem). Some large defect in the briar was probably the reason for the rejection and for such heavy-handed rustication. So the poor girl was rejected multiple times, first at the factory, then by several prospective owners until she reached me.

There’s something about the smallish bowl and the nice long stem that makes for a great smoker. I’m not a clencher but the pipe is very light so even I could do it. Already rugged from all the rustication, so she can take a beating - I’ve had it drop a few times, and not a mark on her. Sometimes I smoke two bowls in a row out, and she never disappoints. I don’t really baby her, but she’s kind of an ugly duckling so looks just the same no matter what I do.

As many have already said, while she may be a beater, I’ve grown attached to her and I’d be sad if something happened. There’s some rugged beauty about her that’s grown on me. In general, I’ve learned to never shy away from these old St. Claude pipes, they can be terrific smokers and can come in quite unique shapes you just don’t see anywhere else.

View attachment 438906
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That is one beautiful “no-name”!
It’s always a huge bonus when a no-name or basket pipe turns out to be a fine smoker!

 

[Arkansas Paul]

Wow, how long did it take to get that dark?

I've been smoking that one for 8-9 years.
But it was probably close to that dark after only a couple.