The 'Stiff Pipe' - Publicity Stunt? Design School Project?

[greeneyes]

I came across this pipe on eBay, selling for $900 - $1300. Apparently it's a plastic pipe with a briar insert. It appears to have been designed and possibly made in Sweden back in 2013, and hyped on ... merchandise hyping sites like "Uncrate" and "Gearmoose."

Has anyone ever heard of this? Is this a gimmick or a publicity stunt of some type?

Stiff Pipe - Stiff

www.stiffonline.com

 

[olkofri]

Ugh.

 

[rushx9]

$9.00-$13.00 seems like a fair price for a plastic pipe.
...oh, wait.

 

[brian64]

I don't know, but I'm not going to "stiffonline dot com".

 

[captainsousie]

I don't know, but I'm not going to "stiffonline dot com".

I can confirm...don't go there... nana

 

[Pipe Daddy]

You can easily find pure briar Chacom or Stanwell pipes that look great and smoke even better for around a hundred bucks each. So would you rather have a complete rotation of them for your $900 to 1300 or this plastic experiment thing?

 

[rushx9]

"Perfect for Shoreditch posers"

Not sure if poser means something different in the UK, but stateside a poser is someone who jumps on a trendy bandwagon to look cool, without any real knowledge or understanding. A wannabe. A faker. Someone that thinks they can just buy their way in without putting in the work. Someone that poses as real, but has no soul.
By the looks of the beard models and trilby sporting hipster digital DJs in those promo shots, I'm assuming it does, in fact, have the same meaning.

 

[jpberg]

There was understandably lots of forum discussions about these when they came along.
They went away pretty quickly.

 

[ssjones]

There was understandably lots of forum discussions about these when they came along.
They went away pretty quickly.

Yep, here's a few threads from 2012. We were apparently unimpressed then and now. I'm surprised they still exist.

Stiff Pipes :: General Pipe Smoking Discussion

I was browsing the internet earlier and came across a post on a gear blog. They claim it's the first plastic pipe. What about "the pipe", "venturi" and "the smoke" pipes?

pipesmagazine.com

Plastic pipes from Stiff :: Pipe Talk

Are you folks ready for a plastic pipe with a briar chamber inside the bowl? It's not turning me on, but it has been getting some press the past day or so. Click here. The designer says that after two centuries without any change to briar pipes, it is time for something new.

pipesmagazine.com

 

[greeneyes]

Yep, here's a few threads from 2012. We were apparently unimpressed then and now. I'm surprised they still exist.

Interesting. I did Google first to see if I could find any information. Most of the content very quickly went to things to do with plumbing.

It's interesting how amateurish the "About" section of the page is. That's why I think this had to have been a publicity thing, or a design school project.

ABOUT​

The cyclic nature of plastic is very much at the core of Stiff; customers can send in their used pipes for them to be recycled and used in a new Stiff product. We believe plastic is due for a revival. The Stiff pipe is an excellent example of compact design and hi tech materials combined in the name of human relaxation. Stiff Pipe limited edition were launched in Tokyo November 3rd. The Billiard pipes are sold in numbered (400) wooden boxes and come in three colour combinations (blue/dark navy, black/pistachio and red/murrey).​

​

Stiff (as a company) are at this moment defined as pipemakers. To be exact we are the eleventh pipemaker in Sweden. When we release our next product we will broaden our specialities. The one thing that runs thru all our existing and future products is that they are made out of plastic (in some form). Later this year we will tell you more about our philosophy, vision and mission.​

​

 

[anantaandroscoggin]

One pipe that came with a small lot I bought off eB turned out to be a plastic pipe with a meerschaum insert. It's marked "Hilson Fantasy" on the stem, and "Belgium" underneath and "270" on the right side of the shank.

 

[BROBS]

One pipe that came with a small lot I bought off eB turned out to be a plastic pipe with a meerschaum insert. It's marked "Hilson Fantasy" on the stem, and "Belgium" underneath and "270" on the right side of the shank.

I believe it says Fantasia

 

[trouttimes]

Why? I'm too old to understand.

 

[jpmcwjr]

'Cause someone with more money than sense will buy it. (?)

At least it's not a briar with a plastic insert....

 

[timelord]

View attachment 31786
"Perfect for Shoreditch posers"

Not sure if poser means something different in the UK, but stateside a poser is someone who jumps on a trendy bandwagon to look cool, without any real knowledge or understanding. A wannabe. A faker. Someone that thinks they can just buy their way in without putting in the work. Someone that poses as real, but has no soul.
By the looks of the beard models and trilby sporting hipster digital DJs in those promo shots, I'm assuming it does, in fact, have the same meaning.

Yup, it has the same meaning in the UK. Shoreditch is just to the east of the city of London and was once a rundown area surrounding a famous wholesale market but has been through a phase of regeneration and is now home to lots of hipsters (I used to live in the area when I was a student a very long time ago - it was a bit different then...).

 

[mso489]

I wouldn't buy it as a cheapie smoker. Nor is it historical in particular. It has no distinctive design. I hope no one is confused enough to buy it at anything but a flea market price.

 

[brian64]

We believe plastic is due for a revival.

 

[Gecko]

Got curious and did a quick check. According to the Swedish companies registration office the company is (suprisingly) still around but have changed name to "Happy Ears", they claim to be making medical equipment (ear plugs) and seem to be god at losing money.

The pipe seems lika a humbug scheme and I would not pay good money for one.

 

[rushx9]

Looks like it was designed to be smoked rectally.

 

[greeneyes]

Got curious and did a quick check. According to the Swedish companies registration office the company is (suprisingly) still around but have changed name to "Happy Ears", they claim to be making medical equipment (ear plugs) and seem to be god at losing money.

The pipe seems lika a humbug scheme and I would not pay good money for one.

I've decided this must have been some sort of project. Students in business and/or design school are sometimes asked to create a company, design a product, etc. One of these kids has a wealthy uncle that invested some money ('tis a mere pittance) to make it happen. The price was set unreasonably high to create cachet, but also to save them from having to remain committed to a serious business endeavor.