Vauen Leta

[lasttango]

I know many people don't care for this shape, but I just love this shape. It's close to my ideal shape. I love the skater. Vauen just came out with this (or I just noticed it). I know Vauens make decent pipes but it is like $250!
I just can't bring myself to pay that much for a factory made pipe when there are so many amazing hand made pipes in this price range. But the shape! There are so few shapes like this.
Does $250 sound like a lot for this pipe to you? I have never owned a Vauen.
smokingpipes and tobaccopipes have them.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

That is some grain going on in that pipe, and the woodwork on the stem separation. Heck yeh, it would be worth $250, at least to me. It's listed as a skater? I think of a skate as being when the heal of the pipe projects forward with a V-shaped bottom, as in a diamond shaped shank. They usually have the bowl canted more towards the smoker. That one looks flat bottomed with a triangular shaped shank, but it may just be the angle in the pic. And, the projection looks very moderate if you could say there was one. But, a "skate" on a pipe, and a "skater pipe category" may be different. I don't usually care for a skate on a pipe, but that one is a handsome pipe, IMO.

Pull the trigger on it, before I do, ha ha. JK

 

[cortezattic]

Here's the top view

Tobaccopipes*com referred to it as a Canadian/freehand (with lots of artistic license).

At just over a inch deep, and .85 ID, it's gonna be a relatively quick smoke; and as it's drilled for a 9mm filter, it would not be something I'd be interested in. But at almost 6.5" long, the mere 1.7 oz. weight suggests quality wood (even allowing for that cavernous filter space).

 

[lasttango]

Yeah, I guess it's not a skater... Like the Skater, it sort of pushes forward. I'll give it a few days to see how much it pulls me. IPSD is coming soon. Maybe one will be adequately discounted. .

 

[mikethompson]

I have a Vauen sandblast, I'm going to say, Acorn shape? It smokes wonderfully even without the filter in there.
I like the woodwork on the one you posted. But is it worth $250 to you? Only you have that answer.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

It definitely does have a sense of forward motion, and that attracts me to the pipe as well.

 

[olkofri]

There seems to be a close relative to the Leta, the Caro: Vauen Caro.

 

[saltedplug]

It's a beautiful pipe, but I see estate Ashton and Charlatan skaters with a more vivid rendering of these lines for about the same price. But maybe you like this shaping more? Oops, "pipes2smoke" has a Lane Charlatan for $65.00!

 

[pitchfork]

Personally, I love the sleek, modern look of the Leta (and the Caro). It's not cheap, but it looks to be well made. It really depends on your budget, but if you like a pipe and it's well made and you end up happy with it, $250 isn't too much in my view.

 

[jazz]

I have to give it to Vauen, they do come up with conversation pieces. I normally seem to love or hate their pipes with very little time in the indifferent camp but must admit to a certain ambivalence regarding this one. I have come back to view it a few times and just can't decide if I like it or not.
Their pipes always appear very well made and I must get around to adding one or two to my modest collection one day but those damned filters put me off.