What is Your Worst Pipe Buying Mistake?

[pruss]

Some sage advice up above… for me, the biggest mistake is holding on to a pipe that I’m pissed off at.

Get rid of that sucker, sell it on to some other schlepp and go get yourself another pipe (or two) that you like better.

Life is too short for bad pipes.

— Pat

 

[saltedplug]

The last expensive pipe I bought was a Castello estate, and I couldn't accommodate the stem in my teeth. This was a long-standing problem, and I believe it was the root of why I never liked this $275.00 purchase. And the pipe was pretty, a smooth, I believe, a KK bulldog, with that characteristic Castello downward slope of shank /stem and canted bowl.

I should have liked the pipe enough to justify the price.

 

[puff_not_snuff]

Thankfully not buying some ugly freehand.

 

[STP]

My only regret is purchasing pipes without seeing an actual picture. I’ve learned that most sites typically post generic pics, which resulted in a few returns or reselling them as I didn’t like the grain, rustication, or whatever. Another reason why I like SP and SP EU, where you can actually see what you’re buying.

 

[paulfg]

I would have asked the price before agreeing the commission, but more importantly as the pipe maker I would have asked if the price was acceptable prior to starting the commission. Nothing worse than not agreeing things up front and being left with a nasty surprise for the customer.

who agrees to buy something price unknown?

 

[Casual]

Buying an estate without any experience and over the internet. May as well have closed my eyes and clicked randomly.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Estate pipes require due diligence in becoming informed. It’s not difficult.

 

[winton]

My worst pipe was my first. I had no concept of how to choose a pipe or what I actually liked in a pipe. It did not last long.

I am attracted to traditional shapes. I require a tapered stem, so the lines smoothly flow from the stem to bowl.

A number of years ago, someone posted a VERY ugly pipe for sale. I had never seen such a monstrous shape! Even yesterday, I was still amazed at how bizarre this pipe looks. It smokes great!

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

I’ve got a winning bid presently with 27 watchers. Somebody, not me, is going to spend too much….lol!!?

 

[DAR]

Years ago I bought what I was told was a new Castello on eBay that looked like a large Canadian. Don't remember exactly how much I paid but I do remember that I considered it "an expensive purchase".

When I received it I went to remove the stem and it broke off. I looked closely and saw that it had been superglued to the pipe due to having been broken off before. The seller was strict about no returns and I had to get eBay involved. I got a full refund and the seller told me to keep the pipe. That taught me to ask for pictures of any pipe disassembled before buying online.

BTW, I re-glued the stem back on and the pipe and it actually smokes very well despite the glued on stem. I can't ever sell it for anything near what I paid but.... live and learn.

 

[sandollars]

Years ago I bought what I was told was a new Castello on eBay that looked like a large Canadian. Don't remember exactly how much I paid but I do remember that I considered it "an expensive purchase".

When I received it I went to remove the stem and it broke off. I looked closely and saw that it had been superglued to the pipe due to having been broken off before. The seller was strict about no returns and I had to get eBay involved. I got a full refund and the seller told me to keep the pipe. That taught me to ask for pictures of any pipe disassembled before buying online.

BTW, I re-glued the stem back on and the pipe and it actually smokes very well despite the glued on stem. I can't ever sell it for anything near what I paid but.... live and learn.

But you got a full refund?......

 

[philobeddoe]

As others have already stated, I essentially paid for a pipe education in buying pipes that failed in one way or another. The thing that took me the longest was learning which bowl chamber dimensions just don’t work for me. I kept trying to like pipes of all sizes, but I was finding that certain pipes just never got picked up, while others just went on getting smoked over and over. Finding which brands and which carvers I was really comfortable with was actually the easy part, but coming to the realization that certain chamber dimensions just weren’t going to work, no matter how much I liked the outside was much more difficult.

 

[mso489]

I like to buy a pipe that is completed and that I can assess as is. Commissioning a pipe is a delightful idea, and often results in a highly satisfying experience, but it can never be as certain. Likewise, though I treasure my up-market pipes, some of them gifts, I prefer the mid- and lower end of the market for purchases, since with some knowhow, I often end up with all of the good smoking characteristics. This is an individual point of view and not for everyone, but I thought I'd offer it as one way to approach this. Spending $300 or $1500 in no way assures an excellent pipe. It may have flaws, or equally often, it might be a fine pipe but just not for you, after all.

 

[sablebrush52]

From a financial standpoint that's an easy question to answer. The first pipe. It lead to all of the others.

 

[burleybreath]

Meerschaums. I've bought three: a Baki, and two SMS. I still have one of the SMSs. It's OK. The other two I tossed. If I had to do the acquisition thing all over again, I'd probably stick to cobs only, with one Dunhill Group 4 Shell billiard for dress. As I gaze upon my two large racks of briars, I realize my entire life has been a lie.

 

[jcsoldit]

Now, I'm not saying that I've never overpaid for a pipe, but my biggest disappointments purchasing online have involved the dimensions such as size and weight of a pipe (no jokes please).

 

[peteguy]

Some good stories in here, thanks for starting the thread. Interesting that a lot of complaints are about the price paid. I look at $$ for a pipe as a use cost. Every time you smoke that pipe the cost per use drops. Smoke it for 30 years and it will pennies per use. If you don't like the pipe, doesn't feel right, smoke right, etc., I say sell it as the use cost will never drop.

Mine was my first ebay purchase. Didn't do my homework, ask for better pictures, you know the drill. The first time I used a reamer the bowl split in half. The inner wood dark a burned 90% of the way through to the outside of the briar walls.

 

[anotherbob]

nope never had any regrets with buying a pipe. I've been happy with every purchase. I only even once had a temporary regret and it was pretty bad. I bought a estate unsmoked Rattrays pipe (that name I just can't not see a Rat named Ray) and it just clogged and clogged and kept clogging up. I worried that I didn't send the pipe back to smoking pipes soon enough. I did they fixed it and I have to give them credit because the first e-mail exchanges they did a good job of covering up their incredulity. Turned out the reason it clogged was because someone got a pipe cleaner bit stuck in the bend (S.P. put it in a little ziplock baggie, the kind that jewelers and drug dealers seem to love) and the pipe smokes amazingly now. I regret that I gave myself extra stress by not sending it back right away (while still under warranty). And one thing I don't regret is buying from them because in all honesty that would have been in their rights to say look at our policy you are clearly S.O.L.. Instead they fixed the issue and got the pipe back to me in a really short amount of time.
Two more things (sorry for dragging you through this much of my meandering thoughts). When getting anything custom made always get an estimate it doesn't matter if you can afford it it matters if you think it's worth that much. And check out the measurements on your pipes. Always check out the measurements and if you can't imagine it get out a ruler and make a rough drawing.

 

[anotherbob]

Some good stories in here, thanks for starting the thread. Interesting that a lot of complaints are about the price paid. I look at $$ for a pipe as a use cost. Every time you smoke that pipe the cost per use drops. Smoke it for 30 years and it will pennies per use. If you don't like the pipe, doesn't feel right, smoke right, etc., I say sell it as the use cost will never drop.

Mine was my first ebay purchase. Didn't do my homework, ask for better pictures, you know the drill. The first time I used a reamer the bowl split in half. The inner wood dark a burned 90% of the way through to the outside of the briar walls.

Sorry to do this. I used to not buy any pipe over basket price. Until I bought a Peterson for over 100 (I felt like that was a lot for a pipe). After getting that bad boy and smoke it regularly I realized it cost me pennys per smoke and suddenly 100 for a good pipe seemed like I was ripping off the maker.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

There a several buyer types. Some buy up recognized brands like an old Electrolux floor model. Some take their time and accumulate hundreds over decades.

Most of us have paid for education in one form or another. Just consider your experience tution. And please. smoke and enjoy that custom pipe. Wear it out.

That's one silver lining, I doubt I will ever find another pipe like this one. It's not unique for artistic flare but just a combination of general dimensions that I've never seen in a factory pipe. This is my definitive "Flake Pipe" and I will probably rely on it for smoking a lot of the best blends.

Some sage advice up above… for me, the biggest mistake is holding on to a pipe that I’m pissed off at.

Get rid of that sucker, sell it on to some other schlepp and go get yourself another pipe (or two) that you like better.

Life is too short for bad pipes.

— Pat

And here's the other kind of maybe silver lining.

I've always wanted a Ser Jacopo, and suddenly having one pipe worth a lot more than most of the others in my collection kicked off a knee jerk splurge.

The middle three pipes arrived from Al Pascià last week.
Radice (right), Ser Jacopo (center), and Viprati (left).
(Plus a Rossi on far right and Brebbia Fat Bob on far left, I call this set the "Italian Invasion".)