Suggestion for my first new pipe

[frankth]

I am an estate pipe ''consumer'' and I love to restore and collect them but I think that the time has come and I should buy my first new quality pipe.
Actually, I am looking for a Peterson St-Patrick day Straight or Bend I don't know, I heard many good things about their 'system' on the bended models and also heard many negative things about the way they smoke before they broke-in and the pain it is to clean the reservoir.

BTW I am a straight pipe lover, but maybe I should give a shot to a bend stem pipe ?!?!
Any suggestion folks ?

 

[boudreaux]

I have several Petes that I bought new and one that I bought as an estate. The estate is a bent style System pipe - a 301. After a few questions on these forums to clarify, I find that the bent System is fairly easy to clean.
I think if you look for member "bentmike," he has posted a reference to a diagram that shows the System internals, and that will be of great help in seeing "where to go" when you are cleaning.
Regarding buying a new Pete, I have had two opposite experiences with a System 31 and with a Rosslare (sp?) Army mount billiard.

The 31's bowl stain keeps bleeding on my hands. The Rosslare, no problems yet, and not too bad while breaking it in.
My preference for a new pipe might differ from yours. It would be a Savinelli. All of mine have been good smokers from the start, with the exception being the use of a blend that I disliked.

 

[frankth]

Savinelli are so nice, especially the Tortuga serie, but they use a balsa filter system right ? how it smoke compare to the non filter Peterson system ?

 

[teufelhund]

There are a lot of top quality pipes for sale from the sponsors on this site... I got a great deal saving over $50 on a Bjarne Viking recently and it has turned out to be a great smoker. I would just try to find a pipe that speaks to me with a good price point that I can expect to enjoy for many years. Pete's are good, but don't lock it in; shopping around is half the fun.

 

[brdavidson]

Frank, I just discard the balsa filter on my Savinelli and smoke it as is. The draw is wide open and mine smokes like a charm. I would tend to go that route or a Brigham if it were up to me. The Brigham system with the rock maple "filters" are right up there with my best smokers and two of my favourite pipes are Brighams. My top pipe in my rotation is my Brigham Chinook 426 and it smokes everything great.

 

[wilson]

Savinelli's can be smoked without the balsa filter. I used my balsa filter for a few smokes and then tossed it. Now, I smoke without the filter and it is a great smoke. You can get an adapter for going filterless, but I did not get one and mine smokes perfectly fine without.

 

[numbersix]

*POP*
(That's the sound of a can of worms being opened!)

I just discard the balsa filter on my Savinelli and smoke it as is. The draw is wide open and mine smokes like a charm.

+1
Love my Sav. No need for a filter, and the draw is nice and open.
As well, I love my Petes. The thing with Petes is that you need to watch their Q/C.
And personally, I would not get a System pipe, esp if you like straight pipes. Some people love their system pipes, but some people hate them.
Whereas, across the board, basically no one "hates" a traditional, non-system pipe.

 

[frankth]

+1 brDavidson I bought an estate lot with 2 rusticated Brigham ( 1 straight and the other is 1/4 bend) and after a complete restoration and new maple filters they are soooo great to smoke but they still have that weird smell of pipes that were thrown in a basement for years, I just can't get the smell out of the finish and they are rusticated so imagine the pain trying to refinish the briar !!!

Anyway I want to start with something new so I guess I'll give Savinellis a shot.

 

[sparrowhawk]

Discovering what kind of pipe is right for you is a kind of journey. I thought I would like the slender, long pipe, but after a few mistakes (and fortunately, you can always sell your mistakes on eBay and recover 3/4 of your money) I eventually learned that my kind of pipe is a thick, stout, billiard. Peterson makes great pipes like these. If you got the money, so does Ashton. My Ashton, as everyone is probably tired of hearing, is my favorite pipe. But it took a while to discover this.

 

[erichbaumer]

You may want to look into Stanwell, though I've not read anything definitive regarding their quality after the move to Italy. For what it's worth, I'm happy with the one Peterson I've bought, and I purchased it at what may have been the hight of their QC dilemma. You probably can't go wrong with Savinelli if you find a pipe that fits you. I have yet to do so, which explains why I don't have one yet and may not at any point in the future.

 

[wolf666]

I have about a dozen petes also savs but I suggest a nice Neerup in my opinion they are great to hold and also smoke

 

[petes03]

I have 12 Petersons, 9 bents( including 2 Systems) and 3 straights( including 1 system). No problems with any of them. As to the St. Patrick's Day pipes, I recently got a "606" straight pot and its a wonderful smoker! I love all my Petes, but if I had to say which one gets neglected the most, it'd be my "31" System Standard straight billiard. I also have Savenellis (2) and they are great smokers as well! I also have, on the way, my first Stanwell! A Zebrano, I'm looking forward to it! The choices are endless for quality pipes at that price range!

 

[fitzy]

I've got a Peterson system now for about 20 years and love it but I have heard about problems getting the cheaper models broken in although I never had that problem with mine. My understanding is that Peterson dips the whole pipe in stain so the inside of the bowl ends up coated in stain. I think that sucks but you can clean that out no problem with alcohol just be careful not to get it on the rest of the pipe as it will take that stain off also. Though why you should have to do that with a new pipe to get it smoking good is beyond me.
+1 to a Sav or a Brigham
Also take a look at the Tsuge's when smoking pipes has them on sale for like 55 bucks. Nice smoking pipes.

 

[andrew]

Stanwell is definitely good quality for around 100 dollars. What is the price range you're comfortable with? This is the big factor in your decision.

 

[frankth]

Well I am looking for a 100$-150$ pipe. I think I will definitely give a shot to a Savinelli Straigh Tortuga rustic serie and Try to find an estate restored Peterson bent system. BTW Andrew I love your pic ! I wonder what was Stalin favorite Blend !!??!

 

[fitzy]

You can buy an awesome pipe in that price range. You definitely can't go wrong with a Savinelli Tortuga.
I would also recommend maybe bumping it up to about 180 - 190 and getting something like this beauty:

http://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/new/peterson/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=130457

 

[fitzy]

Or if you want a bent:

 

[fitzy]

This one's nice also. A Peterson Spigot is definitely at the top of my list for my next pipe.

 

[fitzy]

Damn so many nice ones:

 

[tarak]

I'll give another vote for Savinellis- I own 4. And I generally don't use the balsa- works fine without.