What is Your Best Pipe?

[Briar Lee]

The first pipe I ever owned was a Missouri Meerschaum cob pipe I bought from a rack in the Humansville Recreation Parlor fifty years ago.

I burned that pipe out, that summer. I learned later, to smoke slower.

But I can’t rightly say, if any of my nearly countless Lee pipes taste any better or smoke cooler, or are better instruments to smoke tobacco than my first cob. But a Lee Star Grade is much higher quality than a cob, and is a better pipe.

I own a Beckler carved meerschaum that would cost several hundred dollars to replace new. I like it, but I rarely smoke it. I guess I’m afraid I’ll break it.

I have a mile of fence to build at my farm, and after the last post is set and it’s all done, I want to attend a pipe show, find a custom meerschaum carver, and commission a thousand dollar custom pipe for my office desk, made of the best grade and quality of meerschaum.

But the fence is a convenient excuse to put off buying my best pipe. I could afford it today. I don’t want to spend a thousand on a pipe, especially not when I already own so many wonderfully good ones, I suppose.

So today, consider my $125 Preben Holm Ben Wade Matte Special my best pipe.



If it is a better smoker than the rest of my pipes, that’s because it has the biggest bowl of my stash of pipes.

Matte Special meant that my pipe was not as glossy finished as say, a Ben Wade Golden Walnut.

I consider this, my best pipe.

What pipe do you consider, your best pipe?

 

[coming to_falling too]

That's a good question. To be honest, I don't have an answer. I have a few artisan pipes but I also have factory pipes that smoke just as well. I suppose my best pipe is the one that gets the job done, which is many. Sorry I can't give a definitive answer.

 

[OzPiper]

You're equating expensive with best (" thousand dollar", "commission", "best grade").
You hope it does, but may not work out like that.

Like my children - no best or worst. Just different

 

[JOHN72]

My only two briar pipes are new, a few months old. They smoke very well. A Peterson and a Stanwell. But their walls are not yet, shall we say, smoked enough to give a final verdict. As for corn pipes, all the ones I have are MM brand. General, C&D Carolina Gent and the MM C&D: Charles Towne Cobbler. Some of them are already 3 years old, and they are excellent pipes, they give me fresh smokes, and with a good real tobacco aroma.

 

[judcole]

The one that is in my mouth at any given time.

 

[AJL67]

The one that is in my mouth at any given time.

Damn i was going to say that.

 

[AJL67]

I have pipes that smoke really well, i have 6 MMs that of course smoke amazing, but my “favorite” pipe is the 67 Dunhill Tanshell, birth year pipe, first Dunhill I bought, smokes very well, pride and joy.

 

[timt]

I think this is just another variation of the ever popular 'if you could only keep one of your pipes' threads, with maybe a little different twist. Today, I'll got with my IMP billiard meer (with a replacement stem). A good sized chamber, comfortable, everything tastes great and last but not least, it's been a true sponge soaking up color. Having said all that, my Altinay spigot billiard meer could easily take #1. It's probably even more comfortable and is a sweet smoker..... never mind, I'll just go with what @OzPiper said.

 

[Briar Lee]

You're equating expensive with best (" thousand dollar", "commission", "best grade").
You hope it does, but may not work out like that.

Like my children - no best or worst. Just different

Usually the best costs more, than the merely excellent.

But I own an excellent old old pair of German made Steiner 10x40 binoculars that I hardly ever use, because my best pair of binoculars are my Zhummell ED 10x42 made in China, that only cost $100 brand new. There are many ways to test and measure the quality of binoculars but when I put my Zhummells up to my peepers and look, I think oh wow what a good pair these are, they are the best I’ve seen, I just love these…..

Zhumell 10x42 Signature Waterproof Binoculars

The Zhumell 10x42 Signature Waterproof Binoculars may just be the perfect optical instrument. They're packed with features that make for easy, comfortable, clear viewing, even after a long day in the field. Even the little things appear just a bit better when viewed through the Zhumell's lenses...

zhumell.com

A little can of Plum Pudding makes about three pipefuls in my huge Ben Wade.


The thing is so huge I can smoke one bowl for hours, it seems.

It’s so large, it doesn’t get hot, and it’s way past being broken in, so every puff is delicious.

If every pipe on the earth was this good, then everybody would run around with a big, plain, ridiculously proportioned Ben Wade clenched in their mouth.

But after that fence gets built, and I get my oldest rent house painted inside and out, then I might try spending a thousand dollars to commission a better pipe.

 

[Christos D. Tsatsaronis]

This. By far.



I like everything about it, the way it looks, smokes, feels in my hand, in my mouth e.t.c.
My instant and definitive answer to the question "If only 1 pipe....".

 

[Honkytonk Man]

This. By far.

View attachment 151766

I like everything about it, the way it looks, smokes, feels in my hand, in my mouth e.t.c.
My instant and definitive answer to the question "If only 1 pipe....".

Can't fault a cob!

 

[verporchting]

A friend once responded with “I don’t own a bad one” after I commented about the pipe he was smoking being a really nice one.

I think he nailed it and I found the same was true for me. I have owned bad ones before - just not for very long. Life’s too short.

 

[Honkytonk Man]

I have several favourite pipes just now. I couldn't possibly pick just the one. The other pipes would be upset!

In the morning I like to smoke my Dunhill group 4 bulldog.
In the evening time, I will fire up one or 2 of my Group 6/OD/HT pipes. Love the larger bowls.

 

[GetOffMyLawn]

Savinelli 320 KS. Like it so much bought the smooth version of this one.

 

[mso489]

I don't have one favorite. After several culls of the herd, my favorites include gift and prize pipes, and pipes bought with store credit on other pipes I didn't enjoy as much, I'm pretty much devoted to each of my ninety or so pipes.

A few treasures include a Ferndown, a Ser Jacopo, a Kemperling from Austria, a Nording Zebra hunting pipe, to name a few. I recently won the limerick contest on Forums with the prize being a Caminetto Hawkbill. Artisan pipes include one by the late great Bob Hayes and four made by Jerry Perry of Colfax, N.C.

Others include a range of French pipes, Savs, Petes, U.S. factory-mades, Iwan Ries house pipes made by Benton, and many others. MM cobs, Kaywoodie, Dr. Grabow Royaltons, etc.

 

[Briar Lee]

Years ago when my boys were teenagers I’d go take them pheasant hunting in South Dakota, and enroll them with me in sporting clays tournaments, here at home.

My numbers and variety of old shotguns approach those of my huge stash of pipes. Pipes are cheaper, though. The best new thousand dollar Dunhill costs about half of an entry level Browning Citori or Beretta Six series over and under, the standard new double shotgun of the sporting clays games.


So you start asking yourself, what’s my best gun?

I own three Belgian made pre salt era round knob, long tang, Browning Superposed shotguns. Each would cost about 25 thousand to have one not quite as good made at FN today. Are those my best? Not hardly. They require lead shot, or wildly expensive bismuth.

My best target shotgun is my Winchester Super X Model One with custom deluxe target grade stock and forend and 28” Modified choke. It cost $350 used twenty years ago and I’ve added $200 of wood, and maybe it’s worth $500 if the shotgun market was not so unstable as it is today.

But my Super X is awful heavy to carry all day in South Dakota, which is why I own about a dozen Ithaca Model 37 Featherweights. For flying birds, they are best. A brand new one today is about $1,250, from Ithaca. None of mine cost half that used, most only a fraction.

But let’s pretend the do gooders finally corner me, and I have to pick only one shotgun, not two.

For my 49th birthday in 2007 my beautiful wife gave me a brand new Caesar Guerni Tempio 12 gauge with 28 inch barrels.

Tempio - Caesar Guerini USA

gueriniusa.com

The ghost of Lee, is rumored to haunt Caesar Guerni. Late at night he can be seen admiring the finest regular production shotguns on earth, and he’s smiling, especially at the pretty wood and gold inlays.

 

[--dante--]

I always try to answer these questions, even if I don't want to pick a favorite but assuming I'm forced to.
I'd have to go with my oldest pipe. Still going strong but could use a restoration. My Chacom Army 337c. A nice small pipe with a fairly good-sized bowl for it's size (being an apple shape).

 

[warren]

Generally speaking, whichever pipe is jutting out of my jaw at the time. Over the years I've culled my pipes down to only those which, if I've held up my end, deliver only satisfactory bowls. Now, my favorite pipe though, isn't a particularly great smoker. It was however a loving gift from my wife. So, memories make it very special.

 

[didimauw]

Savinelli 320 KS. Like it so much bought the smooth version of this one.
View attachment 151874

My Punto Oro I bought first the smooth, and then bought the same pipe sandblasted. More is better

 

[jpmcwjr]

I have about two dozen candidates tied for first and 50-70 tied for 25th.