I used to be a straight guy.
Now I go both ways.
So much wrong with both of those sentences.
Anyways, my last couple pipes, both new Petersons, are heavily bent. And my favorite pipe shape of all time is the GBD 9456, also a full bent.
What Kind Of Pipe Purchaser Are You?
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Now I go both ways.
So much wrong with both of those sentences.
Anyways, my last couple pipes, both new Petersons, are heavily bent. And my favorite pipe shape of all time is the GBD 9456, also a full bent.
I've been smoking for about 2 years now and my 26th pipe just arrived today. A new Meer Churchwarden. Poker style with a basket weave.
All in all, I have about a 50-50 mix of new and estate pipes. All the pipes I bought "spoke" to me in some way. It was a shape, or a color, or a texture, or an oddity that grabbed my attention. Bulldogs, both bent and straight, seem to be a shape that I gravitate to, and Peterson shapes and finishes in general I just find beautiful to look at.
Many of the estate pipes I found at antique shops in really rough condition and I refurbished them for personal use. I have never sold a pipe that I refurbished, much to my wife's chagrin.
I don't really have a wish list, but when the next pipe speaks to me, Imma gonna listen.
All in all, I have about a 50-50 mix of new and estate pipes. All the pipes I bought "spoke" to me in some way. It was a shape, or a color, or a texture, or an oddity that grabbed my attention. Bulldogs, both bent and straight, seem to be a shape that I gravitate to, and Peterson shapes and finishes in general I just find beautiful to look at.
Many of the estate pipes I found at antique shops in really rough condition and I refurbished them for personal use. I have never sold a pipe that I refurbished, much to my wife's chagrin.
I don't really have a wish list, but when the next pipe speaks to me, Imma gonna listen.
I'm of the "only buy it if I'm reasonably gonna smoke it" camp. I love looking at old, unique, and beautiful pipes and maybe someday I'll buy them. But my current collection doesn't contain a single pipe that I've paid more than $50 for (although a couple are worth slightly more than that if I had paid full price). I have a good Stanwell I got new on a closeout sale, a couple estate Brogs and an Estate Dr. Grabow, but several of my pipes are just unmarked "mystery briars" I picked up used for cheap that still smoke good, although I've lately taken to gifting those to friends getting into pipes to pass on the hobby. I did just buy a great estate pipe from an old GBD subbrand today, but I still paid less for it than that and am replacing one of the unmarkeds in my rotation.
Beyond that, I mostly just buy by how comfortable the stem is and how easily I can smoke it while walking (I'm very much a clencher and usually have to smoke outside on my walks a couple times a day so that's mostly why).
Beyond that, I mostly just buy by how comfortable the stem is and how easily I can smoke it while walking (I'm very much a clencher and usually have to smoke outside on my walks a couple times a day so that's mostly why).
I am still smoking the Savinelli I bought when I first started smoking tobacco. I have smoked literally thousands of bowls with this one pipe; it has held up very well. That said I am expanding the number of pipes I have slowly. An estate pipe would be nice, how do you sanitize them?
I'm a mixed bag.
I have purchased several new pipes, but many, many more estate pipes. I too like to restore old pipes and clean them up.
I don't have any high end artisan pipes, but I have recently acquired a couple of Castellos, and they're fantastic.
I have purchased several new pipes, but many, many more estate pipes. I too like to restore old pipes and clean them up.
I don't have any high end artisan pipes, but I have recently acquired a couple of Castellos, and they're fantastic.
I've been playing around with pipes for almost 2 years I think. I say "playing around" because I am not a daily smoker... one or two bowls a week sometimes and then sometimes nothing for 2 weeks. I think I smoked a bowl last weekend, can't be sure. The first 3 or 4 pipes I bought have already been moved on to new owners. I like a partially bent pipe where the bit ends up at about the same level as the top of the bowl. I have a new 9mm Vauen coming on Monday along with a tin of that new C&D "From Beyond" release. I favor sandblasted or rusticated, although I have a Vauen Paris that is smooth and quite beautiful.
No, but it does teach you to slow down. Plips are good but I haven't smoked mine alot. The chamber size is tricky to pack just right for most blends, and the only blends I've decoders are keepers are not the favored ones for that pipe
I have nothing against estate pipes, all mine were bought new. I have 7 in total I think, and that's all I need. I'm not really a collector with pipes, so I guess I'm the type that isn't a pipe purchaser at all.
Thing I don't like about estates is hunting for the right one. There's certain things I want: acrylic stem and not setup for filter. At this point I won't budge on those two things (filter pipes yes can be smoked without a filter, but then the empty filter chamber needs constant cleaning even if you use an adapter, and that's why I won't do them because I hate the cleaning"ritual" chore, and I won't go vulcanite because fuck dealing with oxidation, that's just more unnecessary chores).
Then it's down to aesthetics and honesty, no shade on Smoking Pipes but I'm not paying those prices for an estate, even though it's a deal compared to new, it's a far better deal on eBay and stuff, but unlike SP, you can't really filter specs, so it's a lot of digging and going back and forth with a seller and annoyance. I don't enjoy the hunt, I'd rather farm raise venison than to sit in a stand for 12 hours covered in beaver piss or whatever, you know? And I get it with SP part of what you're paying for with their estates is that they're cleaned/restored and stuff and you're paying for the customer service and convenience.
I dunno, just buying estates seems like a lot of work unless you're a passionate collector.
Thing I don't like about estates is hunting for the right one. There's certain things I want: acrylic stem and not setup for filter. At this point I won't budge on those two things (filter pipes yes can be smoked without a filter, but then the empty filter chamber needs constant cleaning even if you use an adapter, and that's why I won't do them because I hate the cleaning
Then it's down to aesthetics and honesty, no shade on Smoking Pipes but I'm not paying those prices for an estate, even though it's a deal compared to new, it's a far better deal on eBay and stuff, but unlike SP, you can't really filter specs, so it's a lot of digging and going back and forth with a seller and annoyance. I don't enjoy the hunt, I'd rather farm raise venison than to sit in a stand for 12 hours covered in beaver piss or whatever, you know? And I get it with SP part of what you're paying for with their estates is that they're cleaned/restored and stuff and you're paying for the customer service and convenience.
I dunno, just buying estates seems like a lot of work unless you're a passionate collector.
For the OP: The first 12 years or so of pipe smoking, I bought around 300 pipes. Nothing too high end, because I usually couldn't wait and save up enough to get them since I was scarfing up fun lower cost pipes that I really enjoyed. Now I love to crack a pistol case (where I store my briars and meers) and just pick one to take for a spin. The funny thing is, during my quest for vast numbers of pipes I got 4 or so 'bags of smokeable seconds' from MM when they were cheap and plentiful. Now I find that 80% of my smoking is done in a cob. They withstand VAAAAST amounts of punishment, are handy as all heck, and I can smoke them outside doing farm work with zero fear of breaking or losing them (easily replaceable).
I love older US pipes: Linkmans Grabow, Older Kaywoodies, Tom Howard, Wally Frank, Mastercraft, Marxman, etc. Oh and I had to track down a Disney pipe, too. lol . I also love Charatans pipes. The fun they had with odd shapes are just fun. I have carver pipes too, Mike Butera, Steve Weiner, Rad Davis, Bruce Weaver, Tom Eltang, Van Erck, etc.
About 5 years ago, my income changed. I saw it coming and bought right up until I couldn't. I am so happy to have what I have. I feel really blessed. It is so cool to see people here with so many nice pipes. There are some I wish I had gotten, but when I went to the Muletown pipe show, I was pretty surprised to see what pipes are bringing in now. It seems to me like there are less and less overall pipe smokers, but it is the older 'one pipe, one tobacco' guys that are quitting. The new breed of smokers take their pipes seriously and shell out a lot of coin for them.
More power to the carvers, but I am not in a position to support that economy, generally. I focus on getting tobacco when I have any money to spend.
As to shapes, I love odd pipes. Almost all the basic shapes are great to me. I am picky about Pokers, though. I like bulldogs and princes, but if you hold a gun to my head, I think bent pipes smoke better. I think that was the older generations way to keep a pipe hanging better and closer to the mouth. Moder carvers make nosewarmers, of which I am not a huge fan.
@Sig Thank you for the education about knives. I have a couple of decent ones, but you have inspired me to maybe search for a decent budget blade, maybe for my son.
I love older US pipes: Linkmans Grabow, Older Kaywoodies, Tom Howard, Wally Frank, Mastercraft, Marxman, etc. Oh and I had to track down a Disney pipe, too. lol . I also love Charatans pipes. The fun they had with odd shapes are just fun. I have carver pipes too, Mike Butera, Steve Weiner, Rad Davis, Bruce Weaver, Tom Eltang, Van Erck, etc.
About 5 years ago, my income changed. I saw it coming and bought right up until I couldn't. I am so happy to have what I have. I feel really blessed. It is so cool to see people here with so many nice pipes. There are some I wish I had gotten, but when I went to the Muletown pipe show, I was pretty surprised to see what pipes are bringing in now. It seems to me like there are less and less overall pipe smokers, but it is the older 'one pipe, one tobacco' guys that are quitting. The new breed of smokers take their pipes seriously and shell out a lot of coin for them.
More power to the carvers, but I am not in a position to support that economy, generally. I focus on getting tobacco when I have any money to spend.
As to shapes, I love odd pipes. Almost all the basic shapes are great to me. I am picky about Pokers, though. I like bulldogs and princes, but if you hold a gun to my head, I think bent pipes smoke better. I think that was the older generations way to keep a pipe hanging better and closer to the mouth. Moder carvers make nosewarmers, of which I am not a huge fan.
@Sig Thank you for the education about knives. I have a couple of decent ones, but you have inspired me to maybe search for a decent budget blade, maybe for my son.
None anymore but I used to collect Bruce Weaver pipes straight from his workshop. I also loved getting skull pipes and figural meerschaums.
Yup.
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That's honestly pretty cool. I imagine those are pretty hard to track down. I wonder what company actually made them?
Not sure on mine. Kinda has a comoy feel to it. They got them from many companies over the years.
Good question, but not for me. It is about distribution of the smoke though.
You'll have to try to know if it's for you.
I buy pipes in fits and starts, mostly when I am avoiding work. Nothing is really speaking to me at the moment.
But I am at the point in my pipe-buying journey where I thought about adding a Sherlock Holmes Lestrade to my collection, only to realize I already had a Sherlock Holmes Lestrade in my collection.
But I am at the point in my pipe-buying journey where I thought about adding a Sherlock Holmes Lestrade to my collection, only to realize I already had a Sherlock Holmes Lestrade in my collection.
Most all of my smokers are briars, and I usually buy them used, clean 'em up, and put churchwarden stems on 'em.
The only non-briar I smoke is a calabash that I bought 40 or 50 years ago. It smokes great, and I'd like another, but looking at ebay, I can hardly afford one anymore, new or used.
The only non-briar I smoke is a calabash that I bought 40 or 50 years ago. It smokes great, and I'd like another, but looking at ebay, I can hardly afford one anymore, new or used.
I’m mainly a new pipe buyer. Estates don’t really appeal to me, unless they’re unsmoked, or smoked very little, and are unique in their color or design. I like the process of breaking in a pipe myself. I know how it’s been cared for, and that means a lot to me. An estate pipe with bite marks on the stem is especially off-putting.