The Good, the Favorite and the Everyday

[Dandy Pipesmoker]

After many years of purchases, exchanges and sales, after understanding my tastes and my preferences, I settled my collection of pipes (although it would be better to call it an arsenal) with 30 briar pipes.

I know that for many this number may seem inadequate to a daily smoker. However, not being a collector (at least in the common definition) I find that with 30 pipes that smoke well I have enough to guarantee adequate rotation and therefore rest.

After 20 years in the hobby now my arsenal is formed, not entirely intentionally, from 30 pipes in three price ranges or quality: 10 that I consider my best and most beautiful, 10 that I consider good but not necessarily very aesthetic, and another 10 that are of little value and widely used but smoke well and are reliable.

The higher-end ones never leave the house. I bring the medium ones everywhere but when I know I will have the ideal environment to enjoy them in peace. The last ones are the ones that I consider everyday, that I carry everywhere without too many worries.

Obviously I have some outsiders such as clay pipes or corncobs but they do not fit into the scheme.

Do you also have a sort of similar (at least hypothetical) subdivision in your collection? Or do you only collect a certain category?

 

[Chasing Embers]

After 30 years i did a major downsizing from just over 185 pipes to at or around 60 currently. All of my pipes go on my shirt pocket to wherever I go from cobs to artisans. My collection has stopped at cobs, a Bruce Weaver collection, 32 Savinelli yachtsmen, a Don Carlos volcano, a few Preben Holms, a Nording duck, and 3 J. Everett pipes.

 

[Briar Baron]

I am basically the same as you John, with the 3 basic categories. My differences are that I been buying and selling for about 40 years, have perhaps 45 pipes, and there a few in there that are un-smoked (but will be one day).

Higher end ones never leave the house, either because they were expensive or rare and probably could not be replaced (without searching again for years and years to find them).

 

[mikethompson]

I will be in the minority here, and that's fine. All of my pipes are fairly inexpensive/entry level pipes except for one or two. None of them leave my house as I don't smoke out and about. Maybe one will make the trip across the street to my neighbours house, that's it.

 

[Old School 3319]

I will be in the minority here, and that's fine. All of my pipes are fairly inexpensive/entry level pipes except for one or two. None of them leave my house as I don't smoke out and about. Maybe one will make the trip across the street to my neighbours house, that's it.

Totally agree with you have about 15 all lower end with many cobs. Smoke them all on my property.

 

[trouttimes]

I had good, better and best for a long time. I realized life was too short so now I give/sold all my good, and better pipes and smoke my best almost all the time. I buy very good pipes to enjoy smoking them and not to get a return on investment. That's my kids problem so I smoke them as they were intended. Exception is when fishing. I would hate to get excited and drop a Dunhill or Barling in the river and lose it.

 

[didimauw]

I recently downsized from 20 to 7. Two of them are cobs, and the rest are factory pipes. They all get treated badly, smoked in all weather, and taken with me wherever I go. No fancy, just tools.

 

[ray47]

I have 155 pipes and their all in play regardless of price. I only smoke at home so I'm not worried about damaging or losing one. I'm always telling my wife that the last one I bought will be my last, but we all know how far that statement goes. Damn this disease.

 

[mso489]

As many members may suspect, I don't categorize among my pipes. I understand the categories in which they might fit. A few are upper echelon artisan pipes with pedigree. Others (a good many) are low-cost factory pipes, some more refined than others. Adding categories, I could slice it pretty thin, maybe five or six or more slots. But as you may know, that's not how I think about them or feel about them at all. Sometimes my Kaywoodie Drinkless seems like the finest pipe of them all, or my MM/C&D cob, or my Peterson Belgique (a little further up the ladder), and so forth. I'm probably a somewhat imaginative guy, and likely somewhat romantic despite myself. But if I'm thoroughly enjoying a smoke, that pipe, which ever one, is my favorite for an hour or so. I respect more discerning pipe owners, but that's not me.

 

[Tommy Boy]

My meerschaum and nicer pipes for around the house. Cob and cheaper pipes for fishing and tooling around in the truck.

 

[jpmcwjr]

30 pipes is more than adequate if drying/resting is the main concern. I have about 80-100, and smoke maybe 50 of them with some regularity. The only ones that don't leave the house are very old ones, or a couple of large meers.

Care to show a few?

 

[jeff540]

I just counted, and I have:
- 7 nice pipes that get smoked all the time, which include Boswell, Dunhill, Stanwell, 2 Savenilli, Bjorne Viking, and a little Servi meer.

- 3 nice pipes that are smoked once in a blue moon, mostly because of size or shape that include Nording freehand, Butz Choquin, and Peterson.

- A bunch of basket and cobs that never get smoked anymore because they just don't taste good. Most smoke well, but the shitty vulcanite stems taste horrid and/or I can't stand the cob taste anymore.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

I have 30+ but I'd happy to see increasing this number to say 50 tops , given the circumstances, just now I can't afford doing so because almost always lately pieces what caches my eye seem to have high price tag on them, expensive taste kills,
(pricey or hard to find pipes are to be smoked at home and only )

 

[alexnc]

I'm not sure how others would classify mid-level. Depends on your price tolerance - but I have 25 that I consider mid-level, that are Rattray's, Moretti's, Brebbias, Pete and the like. I have a few I consider my best, Dunhill, Ardor, and Viprati rounding out about 30. If I don't seem to smoke one I sell it. I would take any of them anywhere - but reserve a couple of cobs for hazard duty.

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

I mostly smoke about 3 at a time. Its just too many pipes everywhere if i go through my whole rotation.

 

[Sonorisis]

Interesting question.

I have some expensive (to me) Army Mount pipes that are both wonderful artisan pipes and very practical at the same time. They go anywhere. The only thing I don't do with them is smoke goopers or Lakeland's in them.

Ghosting is for cobs and Falcons.

 

[mso489]

Not traveling much these days, but when I was, MM cobs and a few modestly priced pipes seemed to pull the travel assignments, though I always smoke less traveling than I expect. However, if I lost a pipe traveling, I think it might bother me as much as a more pricey one.

 

[shanez]

I think my favorites are some of my nicer ones and some of my everyday ones that I routinely abuse so I can't really look at it as a matter of favorites. I have no problem taking my nicer ones out of the house depending on what activity I'm going to be engaging in. I do have 2 especially nice pipes that are still unsmoked and I don't take them out of the display case. That might change someday but probably not anytime soon.

 

[alaskanpiper]

I have probably around 60 and do the same mental distinguishing. Probably 10 or so real treasures, 20 or so middle of the road nice pipes, but regular smokers, and at least 30 various cobs/low end pipes that go anywhere and do anything.

 

[prndl]

At one time, I had a 7 day set each of Pete spigots, Savs, Stanwells and Radices. A few odds and ends. Somehow, I wound up with nothing but 4 Castellos and one beater 673 that stays in the pick-up. One cob that's around here somewhere.

I may pick up another Castello or two. Or I may not. The older I get, the simpler I seem to like things.