What Is Your Pain Threshold For A Pipe?

[dread]

My pain threshold used to be $100, but then I picked up a few Radice pipes and a Camminetto, never spending more than $150. I'm at probably about 55-60 pipes and I've decided to change the way I acquire pipes. You see, my mistake was that I SMOKED the Radices and the Camminetto. The Radices smoke phenomenally, and the Camminetto - even though an estate and even with a stem repair, is absolutely the best pipe I've ever smoked. Just amazing. So now I just put away my pipe money and I'm aiming for fewer, but higher quality pipes.

 

[dread]

Oh, and my pain threshold is now probably at the $300 mark, though maybe I could hold out for a Rad . . .

 

[cosmicfolklore]

It's easier for me to shop amongst the $200-350 range and go home with a pipe the same day. But, there have been a few that I've reached into the $600-700 range, but it's got to crank my tractor hard. On those, my B&M will let me pay half down and pick up the pipe the next month, making it a bit easier to make the decision. But, like I said, it's got to be a pipe that is not only going to be a pleasure to smoke but a work of art that speaks to me.

 

[hawke]

Well this is such a relative thing considering incomes. A dollar amount might not really be a good gauge of how deep ones pain level is. A days wages is far more than I would spend on a pipe. So far Ive spent less that 2 hours take home pay on any one pipe. I smoke estates pipes and homemade churchwardens. Im a tight wad I guess but if you ask me how much time I spend on pipe related endeavors or actually smoking, one would see Im certainly not tight on my time spent. Im an addicted pipe junky!

 

[cigrmaster]

Some great replies guys. I totally understand when someone is putting their pipe purchases on hold for TAD. Tobacco will never be cheaper than it is now so load up on those cellars. I did the same thing for over a year and now since my cellar is complete I am looking at pipes again. I have a blast looking for great deals, there is just something about shopping for a great deal on a pipe that turns me on. I get a huge kick when I get a great deal.
Dread, those older Caminetto's from the Radice/Ascorti era are incredible smokers and can be had for 100-150 in most cases, I think they represent one of the best values on the market today. Of course I also would love to buy artisan estate pipes on the cheap and have been lucky on many occasions. My latest great score was my Stephen Downie Apple I grabbed for 135 delivered. Hell if I could get that deal all the time my pain threshold would be no more than 150.From everyone's replies it looks like most people have a pain threshold like I do and many are doing the quality over quantity as I do.
Keep up the great replies, I find it very interesting that many of us think the same. It doesn't matter what your threshold is, anyone can join the discussion even if you threshold is a 10.00 cob, no one is going to look down on you, so please don't feel like your threshold has to be in the hundreds of dollars.

 

[jon11]

Got a few 2k pipes, a bunch of 1k pipes. And it's very painful pulling the trigger, but I can't help it. Definitely toned down on the super expensive pipes. I feel a little bit more comfortable at the under $800 range. Oh and I only buy artisan pipes as I believe that they are far more superior. That sounded kind of snobby, but it's true...most artisan pipes that I have smoked are excellent smokers

 

[cigrmaster]

jon, I forget, what is your exact address? lol I totally get the attraction of the artisan pipe, in my experience they just smoke better than a factory pipe to my tastes so I don't look at you as a snob for stating your opinion. I enjoy a hand cut vulcanite stem so much better than a factory made acrylic one. An uncomfortable stem pretty much ruins my smoking experience. Now I don't feel like a snob by saying this, I like what I like and don't apologize for it.
What are some of your favorite artisan pipes, I am very interested in what you collect and can gain some real knowledge from you for future purchases down the road. One artisan I really want to own one day is a Tom Eltang, I just love the looks of his work, do you own any from him and how do the smoke. Do you have a top 5 list of artisans you really enjoy,any Bangs in the collection and if so how do they smoke? Years ago I owned some Formers, Rainer Barbi's and a couple Balleby's and only the Formers to my tastes were worth the money, now granted I was buying them for half the wholesale price so if I did not like a pipe, I could sell it at a nice profit.

 

[jon11]

Manduela would be number 1...I have two of them. I don't think Rasmussen fits your style as you are looking for flake pipes, but the dude can make a pipe! I have two of his. Michael Lindner is in my top ten, you might want to take a look at his stuff. I have 4 Remmingtons, he used to be a lot more reasonable but prices skyrocketed bc he's the man. Smio Satou probably has the best smooth finishes I've seen on pipes, only have one from him. Maigurs Knets is as talented as they get, I have 4 of his. Stephen Downie and Michael parks are the shit! I have a couple from them. The Geigers and Jonas Rosengren make awesome pipes but again a little pricey. I have a couple from them. I have some Gregor Lobniks which are awesome. Peter Heeschens and Matzolds are represented in my collection. As for reasonable priced artisan pipes I like Steve morrisette, Scott Thile, Dirk Claessen, and your favorite Rad Davis. Sorry to bore you and no I don't have any Eltangs, but will soon get his signature rusticated bamboo poker, I love those! Hope this helps but again one of Lindners bamboo pipes is probably right up your alley!! Oh and a side note PS Studio makes a great pipe, overseen by Vladimir Gretchukhin, great value!

 

[bwithers55]

To add a unique meer snipe to my collection, I go 200 or so. For an unusual carved briar with bark and leaves, maybe 75-100.
For pipes to smoke, 10 is the limit.
-bw

 

[irish]

My current threshold is however much I have saved at the time I find a pipe I want . The most I have paid so far is $300 but I am not opposed to paying more if I have the money and it is something I want . I would love to get a Rad Davis so I know I will be going up in price and I hope to get a unsmoked Dunhill one of these days . I will be honest I have been selling a lot of pipes lately just to fund my PAD for Kaywoodie pipes and I plan on continuing to do so to fund other pipe acquisitions. The other day there was a 1925 Unsmoked Dunhill in the original box with all the paperwork and inter-tubes. It look gorgeous and the bye it now was 1200 dollars . If I would have had the money I would have bought it . Just to have a 1925 Dunhill in the original box and to be able to say it was unsmoked and mine , but that is a different ball game all together .