Sub Brands And Seconds
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I've often wondered which way the stummels are going. For example, does Dunhill send its rejects to Hardcastle, or do Hardcastle and others reserve their prime pieces for Dunhill?
This came up when, in an online story, someone touring a factory in St. Claude noticed a cardboard box of briars labelled "To Dunhill", but avoided explaining exactly what that meant.
This came up when, in an online story, someone touring a factory in St. Claude noticed a cardboard box of briars labelled "To Dunhill", but avoided explaining exactly what that meant.
I have had a recent experience with "seconds". I purchased a Maggiore. It is a Stefano second. I paid about $100 for it. A few days later I found a Stefano online that was around $375 (almost identical to mine). The only issues were; the grain wasn't as fine, but nice looking, and one very small fill, and one sand pit on the rim of the bowl that was quickly covered by the cake.
As you can see the "issues" were negligible. It is one very fine pipe. I literally got a top shelf pipe for the cost of a mid range.
I must state a clarifier.... Buyer beware. Just inspect the pipe carefully. Know what caused the "second" moniker to be attributed to the pipe. I think in most cases a second from a reputable pipe maker is going to be a decent deal. Because they wouldn't want their name associated with a bad product. A bad reputation will spread faster and be more permanent than a good reputation. Fame is fleeting... but Infamy is forever.
As you can see the "issues" were negligible. It is one very fine pipe. I literally got a top shelf pipe for the cost of a mid range.
I must state a clarifier.... Buyer beware. Just inspect the pipe carefully. Know what caused the "second" moniker to be attributed to the pipe. I think in most cases a second from a reputable pipe maker is going to be a decent deal. Because they wouldn't want their name associated with a bad product. A bad reputation will spread faster and be more permanent than a good reputation. Fame is fleeting... but Infamy is forever.
Exactly!! I watched an ebay auction this morning. The pipe was a Wengholt, which is always described as a Preben Holm "sub-brand. These were made while Holm had his own PH stamped pipes...so he didn't stamp it PH, did he have X number of pipes to make as Wengholts?
The history of pipe manufacture is full of twists and turns...who is buying who, who is carving for who, grade confusions, etc. Murder mysteries have nothing on pipe history.
By the way...The pipe looked nice, 360 straight grain, nice clean bit, bowl had a sharp rim...the whole nine yards. It didn't sell. $50.00+$6 shipping.
Maybe it'll get relisted.
The PAD is giving me a fever.
The history of pipe manufacture is full of twists and turns...who is buying who, who is carving for who, grade confusions, etc. Murder mysteries have nothing on pipe history.
By the way...The pipe looked nice, 360 straight grain, nice clean bit, bowl had a sharp rim...the whole nine yards. It didn't sell. $50.00+$6 shipping.
Maybe it'll get relisted.
The PAD is giving me a fever.
Probably the worst offender of doing the 'seconds' market are Dunhill themselves.
It seems, if you look through the history of the pipe-makers, they buy up the nearest competitor's and keep the brand mame on as an excuse to offload their seconds and worse.
I don't blame these companies from buying out their competitors, but morally I have a problem with offloading rubbish by calling it by another name.
I recently bought a Hardcastle pipe. It is as far removed from Hardcastle of old as a fish is to a bicycle.
I am dismayed at 'Dunhill's' tactics, as I am with any company that tries similar tactics.
It is tantamount to somebdy buying your fathers company, because it is so good, and then producing something that he would never in a thousand years allow to go out of the door and putting his name to it.
I understand business is cut-throat, but to rubbish a company that produced good work is obscene.
It seems, if you look through the history of the pipe-makers, they buy up the nearest competitor's and keep the brand mame on as an excuse to offload their seconds and worse.
I don't blame these companies from buying out their competitors, but morally I have a problem with offloading rubbish by calling it by another name.
I recently bought a Hardcastle pipe. It is as far removed from Hardcastle of old as a fish is to a bicycle.
I am dismayed at 'Dunhill's' tactics, as I am with any company that tries similar tactics.
It is tantamount to somebdy buying your fathers company, because it is so good, and then producing something that he would never in a thousand years allow to go out of the door and putting his name to it.
I understand business is cut-throat, but to rubbish a company that produced good work is obscene.
GBD and Digby are first class in my book .The sub brands Dr Plumb ,Penthouse and some numerous others have more fills than a 50 year old with a Mary K charge account . That being said treasures are to be found regardless of the brand or price paid . Or why does my ugly pipe smoke better than the one that looks pretty .
Actually, many of the seconds and subs are quite nice smoking pipes, you just have to get around fills and minor defects. But as far as smoking, they are the same pipe really. Then you do have where name brands will buy our competitors and keep the name as a sub brand and they will let the quality slacken and one can be disappointed. it's all a crap shoot anyway unless you go for a good artisan pipe where really pay attention to detail.
In the Meerschaum world, it is best to stay with reputable sources.
Meerschaum seconds are the bulk of what's on e-bay. The second will
typically be low grade Block. The presence of occlusions in the Block
will lead to fracture of the Pipe with use. Fills are a cosmetic issue
and do not affect the performance of the Meerschaum Pipe. Lighter Block
will typically be used for smooth finished Pipes, while the denser Block
has the strength required for intricate Figurals, which can be a confusing
issue to the neophyte. High grade Block can be light or heavy, depending
upon the density of the Sepiolite used. Low grade Block is always heavy, due
to the presence of occlusions, which set up differences in heating and cooling
that eventually crack the Block. African Block is a lesser grade that
frequently has occlusions, but it is nearly always calcinated to give it the
strength for suitable performance over time.
Meerschaum seconds are the bulk of what's on e-bay. The second will
typically be low grade Block. The presence of occlusions in the Block
will lead to fracture of the Pipe with use. Fills are a cosmetic issue
and do not affect the performance of the Meerschaum Pipe. Lighter Block
will typically be used for smooth finished Pipes, while the denser Block
has the strength required for intricate Figurals, which can be a confusing
issue to the neophyte. High grade Block can be light or heavy, depending
upon the density of the Sepiolite used. Low grade Block is always heavy, due
to the presence of occlusions, which set up differences in heating and cooling
that eventually crack the Block. African Block is a lesser grade that
frequently has occlusions, but it is nearly always calcinated to give it the
strength for suitable performance over time.
That's often the case. Sometimes there are legal issues involved. In others a carver may want to try shapes or styles that are quite different from their main body of work and choose a different name to differentuate between them.
As mentioned, not all "seconds" are second rate. I have 4 or 5 Autograph seconds that smoke just as well as any that have the name stamped on them. One of them does have a fill, but the rest were down-graded only because the grain wasn't quite good enough to pass final inspection.
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