Got my mint The Smoke today...and I love it! It smokes like a dream, and the flavour of the tobacco really shines! I'm still waiting for my main find, a Jima, but The Smoke really turned out to be a great acquisition!
The Smoke
- Thread starter Donb1972
- Start date
If you haven't heard of it, I'm not surprised. It's an oddball pipe from the early '70's that everyone else seems to hate haha. But I'm a big fan of oddball pipes
Is it briar? The photo is somewhat too dark for me too see. I love the lines, though.
Oooh...that's a nice one! I'm glad there's at least one other person that likes these, haha!
It's a resin bowl with a graphite lining. Sounds weird, but it's pretty cool.
You scored one in exceptional condition. It's funny—sometimes the less collectable things are harder to find in nicer shape because dealers tend not to look for them; I run into this problem with book collecting all the time. There are some authors whose work I collect in-depth and finding later printings in great shape is harder than finding first editions in premium condition.
And from the 60's we have The Pipe, also a compound, no briar, cob, other wood, meerschaum involved. Wonder if it's more than coincidental the names and concepts are similar.
I have one and the problem most people have with them is the fact that since it isn't wood, the pipe does not absorb heat or moisture. So the pipe has a tendency to get hot. They are a good beating around the yard pipe. They are easy to clean. I don't smoke mine often because I prefer briar, but if you want a indestructible pipe that will give you a good, but maybe hot smoke then THE SMOKE will be fun to have.
The same company also made a pipe, later, that was entirely resin, with no lining at all.
The Pipe. I have a stummel black in great shape. PM me your details and I'll give it to you. I've always liked those pipes....they remind me of the 70s...
Yep. The Pipe was in more traditional shapes. The Smoke was in shapes that, in my opinion, were designed to appeal to the hip college kids. Venturi was the name used for the later all-resin pipes.
Complete history here: Billie W. Taylor II, Ph.D. the pipe history - http://thepipe.info/history/index.html
Complete history here: Billie W. Taylor II, Ph.D. the pipe history - http://thepipe.info/history/index.html
That's quite a read!
1963-1975 are the approximate dates of manufacture. Bought mine in 1966, and lost it by 1970.