What About House Pipes?

[mso489]

Generally, I'm a proponent of house pipes. Usually they are sold by pipe shops and chains or other pipe smoking affiliated businesses, so the sellers have a vested longterm interest in encouraging and cultivating pipe smokers. They want you to enjoy the experience and come back for other pipes and tobacco. I bought several pipes of different shapes when Iwan Ries was sourcing them from Benton, done in oil cured Algerian briar. Like many house pipes, they were moderately priced to encourage beginners, but the fills have stayed in place and they are enjoyable smokers. I have an estate house pipe stamped "Thompson," presumably from Thompson cigars, also stamped "West Germany." My first pipe was a Tinder Box St. Ives, a handsome bent pot now more than forty years old, probably sourced from Chacom, or some French maker. Currently, Iwan Ries sources its house pipes from Genod that sell for sixty dollars, a pretty good deal. House pipes are often quality briars at good prices.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Thank you for the history. Peterson has them .

 

[bullet08]

Never been to B&M to buy a pipe. Been to Tinder Box, but didn't see anything that I would smoke. Only House Pipe is my Peterson House Pipe for Balkan Supreme.

 

[mso489]

Since Peterson makes pipes, they must be using the house pipe term a little differently. The usual meaning is a pipe stamped with a pipe store or tobacconists name and sourced from a pipe maker whose name does not usually appear on the stamp. I'll notice a Peterson house pipe if I see one offered to see what it is. I have a number of Peterson pipes otherwise.

 

[Merton]

Correct. Peterson uses the term to denote a very large pipe with large capacity which is essentially non-portable. You are referring, I think, to the old custom of tobacconists in the various cities having a line (or several) of pipes which are largely, or completely, made by an outside vendor and then stamped with the tobacconists name: Tinderbox, Ries, Ehrlich, Peretti, wilkie etc.

 

[coming to_falling too]

Thank you for the history. Peterson has them .

The Peterson House Pipes are their model pipe with a large bowl. Same with the Pub Pipe. Different terminology here.

 

[mso489]

If those less portable Peterson pipes were named under Irish ownership, the Peterson people may not have been familiar with the U.S. usage of house pipe. The U.S. house pipe tradition is expansive. Outfits like Disneyland/World, L.L. Bean, and pipe shops across the nation have all had pipes made by standard brands but stamped with their names. A few pipe shops actually have resident carvers, but most pipes stamped with a pipe shop name are made by known brands.

 

[anotherbob]

also called basket pipes too (wow that too was unnecessary, redundant in fact).

 

[irishearl]

Generally, I'm a proponent of house pipes. Usually they are sold by pipe shops and chains or other pipe smoking affiliated businesses, so the sellers have a vested longterm interest in encouraging and cultivating pipe smokers. They want you to enjoy the experience and come back for other pipes and tobacco. I bought several pipes of different shapes when Iwan Ries was sourcing them from Benton, done in oil cured Algerian briar. Like many house pipes, they were moderately priced to encourage beginners, but the fills have stayed in place and they are enjoyable smokers. I have an estate house pipe stamped "Thompson," presumably from Thompson cigars, also stamped "West Germany." My first pipe was a Tinder Box St. Ives, a handsome bent pot now more than forty years old, probably sourced from Chacom, or some French maker. Currently, Iwan Ries sources its house pipes from Genod that sell for sixty dollars, a pretty good deal. House pipes are often quality briars at good prices.

I have an IRC Supreme straight bulldog. No fills and great birds eye. Though, as I've had the pipe many years, it has darkened so much that it tends to be difficult to see the birds eye now.

 

[cshubhra]

I have a few

1. A Dublin from Mullins & Westley
2. A Billiard stamped Macbaren which was made by Georg Jensen
3. Vicar’s Pipe - A freehand which is possibly a house pipe

 

[niblicck]

Some of my best pipes were made for b&m tobacco shops with the shops name and city stamped on them. Other have company names or department stores names on them. Many were made by Comoy's, GDB and others. I also have a Peterson's house pipe billiard that is huge. I only smoke it on the weekends while I'm barbequing ribs, brisket or Boston Butts as both take all day to do.

 

[jpberg]

Definite difference between House Pipe and second.
I grew up on Stanwell seconds- in the brass bucket on the counter of With Pipe and Book, and graduated to their house pipes.
In the decades since, I’ve picked up quite a few lovely house pipes that I still enjoy. I’m currently smoking one from Coster & Son of Marlow.

As stated above, Pete house pipes are a different matter altogether.

 

[greeneyes]

There was a brick and mortar shop in Perth called Rattrays that had great house pipes which were made by several well-regarded pipe manufacturers. Impressive house blends too.

 

[crawdad]

I bought a stamped Iwan Ries billiard made by Genod. Aesthetically simple the pipe is a fantastic smoker.

 

[lraisch]

Years ago the old Pipelane store in downtown Seattle had pipes stamped simply with the store name. My wife got me one for our second Christmas together and I still cherish that pipe.

 

[mso489]

Not to be picky, but basket pipes are a slightly different animal. Usually, these are in a basket, appropriately, but are an assortment of no-name pipes or branded pipes of moderate prices that end up priced down for quicker sale. Though sometimes you can pick up some real beauties. Either the shop just got tired of them, or they throw a few jewels in there to please their more informed customers. But these are rarely if ever house pipes. Few shops would throw a pipe stamped with their name in the basket. It wouldn't be good advertising. The best basket pipe I pulled out and bought turned out to be an unfinished Savinelli, which has blossomed over forty years into a lovely walnut stain look with deep resonance, like the finish on expensive furniture. If you somewhat know your stuff with pipes, you can pull some worthy briars out of the basket.

 

[coming to_falling too]

One of the first few pipes i bought was out of a basket for 30 dollars. It was a sandblasted Canadian. It was a beauty with its long oval shank and abbreviated stem. I was taking it apart one afternoon so i could clean it and I snapped the tenon right off. I was devastated. I still have my basket beauty, but I can only look at it and mourn the long sessions of Lakeland goodness we had together.

 

[craig61a]

I have a number of "house pipes" aka private label. In general, the quality of the workmanship is usually very good, while the visual characteristics of the briar is lacking in some way. Washed out grain, or filled sand pits are common. But the mechanics (drilling) of the pipe are more often than not of the same quality as higher priced brands.

House pipes are a way for a large manufacturer to recoup production costs on an individual item that would otherwise be tossed.