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Ahi Ka

Lurker
Feb 25, 2020
6,518
31,465
Aotearoa (New Zealand)
Seller wants around $150us, I’m really hesitant to pay that because it is more than I have spent on my total collection so far and for next month priority is grabbing tobacco. However just wanted to check I wasn’t overlooking something
 

alaskanpiper

Enabler in Chief
May 23, 2019
9,348
42,241
Alaska
Seller wants around $150us, I’m really hesitant to pay that because it is more than I have spent on my total collection so far and for next month priority is grabbing tobacco. However just wanted to check I wasn’t overlooking something
$150 is not out of line at all for that pipe, assuming there are no major flaws that can't be seen in the pics. It's a reasonable price. If you waited and hunted on ebay could you find a similar pipe for less? Probably, eventually, maybe. I doubt you'd find it in that condition for under $100, and $150 is certainly not inappropriate.

But given what's going on in NZ with online ordering soon, I'd be in the same mind frame right now and be concentrating on cellaring before the shit hits the fan, hahaha.
 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
I'm not a Dunhill guy so I don't know. My late Forums Dunhill expert, foggymountain, didn't like the Shell series, but some do, and they seem to be a good deal on the estate market.
 

georged

Lifer
Mar 7, 2013
5,491
13,920
Nice specimen in good restorable condition.

Beware of the Group 2 size, though. It's quite small, and few were/are made for that reason.

Difficult to tell how small it is from the pics because it's well cut/proportioned.

I recommend you get the dimensions from the seller, compare them to a billiard you already own, then imagine it shrunk with a magic wand to the same size. Would you like it?

If yes, buy and enjoy. If no, buy anyway but have it drop shipped to Embers for use as a dollhouse-sized flower pot.
 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
The thing about small pipes like Group 2 is that they have specific purposes. They won't fill in for a Group 4, a more or less medium size pipe. However with flake/coin/plug/rope cut blends, they'll give a fairly long smoke, and to sample strong blends or for a short smoke, they are just the ticket. I have a Pete Belgique, just bought a Scott Klein prince, and have had a EWA churchwarden for a long time, all Group 1 or 2.
 

alaskanpiper

Enabler in Chief
May 23, 2019
9,348
42,241
Alaska
The thing about small pipes like Group 2 is that they have specific purposes. They won't fill in for a Group 4, a more or less medium size pipe. However with flake/coin/plug/rope cut blends, they'll give a fairly long smoke, and to sample strong blends or for a short smoke, they are just the ticket. I have a Pete Belgique, just bought a Scott Klein prince, and have had a EWA churchwarden for a long time, all Group 1 or 2.
They are also great for testing out new blends. Funny Tom, I have two of the three you mentioned as well! (Pete Belge and Scott's Prince). Both quite handy for new, or as you said, stronger slow burning blends.
 

greeneyes

Lifer
Jun 5, 2018
2,125
12,189
If it were eBay, and $150 for a Group #2, I wouldn't consider it. Unless I had a specific need to fill (I don't) I consider the small size a limitation which means that, on average, I would likely reach for the pipe significantly less than other more average-sized pipes.
 

gamzultovah

Lifer
Aug 4, 2019
3,171
20,923
Hopefully this will help you make a sound decision. This is my Group 2 Dunhill 2203 Billiard up against a normal size Barling Brandy Billiard.
0B4B9C81-844A-4169-A863-EF9398B9475D.jpegBFA3D8C7-C56E-4F71-A272-EC5F5A02F5BD.jpeg6BC8E132-0813-4502-93F5-26468811C003.jpeg
As you can see, while there is a size difference, it’s not that significant. I paid $150.00 for this pipe as an estate from the Pipe Den, and I couldn’t be happier. I, too, like smaller pipes but, in the world of pipe smoking, size is relative. If I use this pipe for broken or cubed flake, I can get a full hour smoke out of it. If I use it for ribbon cut, then I get about a 40 minute smoke out of it. And, needless to say, I never use this pipe for shag or thin ribbon cut (like Pennyfarthering or Thee Sails). My opinion is, if this pipe is speaking to you, buy it. You won’t regret doing so. I hope this helps.
 
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