What Pipe Would You Buy Again?
- Thread starter snagstangl
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Even though I've recently shifted my focus towards vintage British briar, I'd still probably get yet another Stanwell 63M if I came across any of the older ones...these pipes never fail me!
Pitchfork, that bottom pipe, minus the band, could pass as the brother of my La Rocca Piccola. Despite its size, it's a great smoker and indispensible companion when I'm traveling. As for pipes I wish I could own again, it's the Dunhill billiard from the sixties; the one I had had a fractured bowl, and it broke my heart to discover the crack and have to return it. I'll never run into a pipe like that again.
As many of you know I collect pipes made by North American carvers. But I also try (TRY) to limit it to one pipe per carver. However there ARE a few carvers of whom I have more than one. These are the pipes I HAVE "bought again":
Scott Thile
Grant Batson
Joe Nelson
Jody Davis
Ryan Alden (this is actually 1 and a half. I bought one of Ryan's, and he finished one I started at the Chicago pipe making seminar)
Scott Thile
Grant Batson
Joe Nelson
Jody Davis
Ryan Alden (this is actually 1 and a half. I bought one of Ryan's, and he finished one I started at the Chicago pipe making seminar)
Although I'm pretty certain I'd repurchase just about any of my pipes, I would definitely and without a second thought or doubt purchase my Peterson St. Patty's Day 2013 pipe again. I'm sure some of my others still have some breaking in to do, but the Pete is without a doubt my best smoker currently. It might be a tad heavy for clinching, but I'm not much of clincher anyway, and it feels like it was custom made for my hand. Great all around pipe. :D
There's only a couple of my 30 some odd pipes that I would not buy again, those being a Dr. Graybow Belvedere and a Kaywoodie Ruf-Tone. The only reason I wouldn't buy this again is because they have stingers. I have another Graybow, a Royalton , that I wouldn't take anything for. I would most definitely buy all of my Petersons again, especially my "03's". Out of my 10 Petes , 6 of them are "03's". I would also have no reservations about repurchasing my Savenellis, Nordings, Ehrlichs, Old Englands, Charatan, MMs, and even my basket pipes! I don't think I left anything out.
Any Dunhill Root Briar, Amber Root or Bruyere that I liked. Savinelli Giubileo D'Oro, any smooth pipes from Benni Jorgensen or Adam Remington, any Hilson Vintage.
I would buy any of the pipes in my collection again. But there is one example where it proved difficult to do so. some time ago I contacted "mysmokingshop" in the UK to secure a Peterson Straight Grain. They told me that years could go by without them having one. Then a couple of years ago I saw one on "cup'o joes" website - a new #304 sitter. It was expensive and I had to pay a lot extra for international postage. It is a perfect pipe, and ever since I have been trying to find another. Then a month ago there was an identical pipe on cup'o joes'. I couldn't resist it! I now use the older one for my black twists and the new one for my brown ropes. I smoke them regularly and try not to feel smug!
I have a savinelli estella rusticated, kinda looks like crinkled paper, that smokes great, I have been looking for another one but Im just not willing to pay enough for one just yet.
Two from my tiny collection that are favorites: Peterson Aran bent dublin and a Molina Sera. Nice pipes at a great price.
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I already responded once with the Dunhill bent billiard I aquired from Harris via BriarBlues. I will also add all three of my Pre-Republic Petersons. They are awesome smokers and very cool to boot!
Edit: IPad and big fat fingers. Need I say more?
Edit: IPad and big fat fingers. Need I say more?
Pretty much all my pipes I would buy again with a few exceptions. A couple weeks after I got into pipes I was in Manhattan and stopped at De La Concha (spelling?). They were having a Dunhill trunk show and I attended. Not knowing much about pipes, I thought Dunhill was "the pipe" and I ended up buying 5 of them (I did get a 30% discount off retail for buying 5). I have only ever smoked one of these - not long after this, artisan pipes caught my eye and I was into that. Still have 4 boxed and unsmoked Dunhills sitting in my pipe closet. A pretty stupid move, but that's always part of the learning process. I also have that really ugly ardor (bought from Briar Blues - thanks Mike!) that I displayed on here once - it is certainly different, but I am sure I would make a different choice today.
I must just be lucky (or simple?) but I would buy most of my pipes again. I love them. And after some experimentation they all seem to find their favorite tobacco blend.
A small number I would probably pass on, but those were mostly low-end beater type pipes and I smoke then when I'm working outside.
A small number I would probably pass on, but those were mostly low-end beater type pipes and I smoke then when I'm working outside.
Hmmmmmmm. Amongst my American made pipes, in no particular order:
Lee Von Erck fully rusticated ring grain pipes. The rustication is visually stunning and these all smoke sweet.
Tony Fillenwarth - Really open draw, no break in required, interesting design. I've commissioned two wax drips that are stunning.
Paul Tatum - great smokes and great witty design.
Brian Ruthenberg - solid, great blasts.
1920's and early '30's Kaywoodie - superb wood that was air dried - closest to my Barlings for quality
Ehrlich - smokes as well as anything in my motley collection
British pipes:
Barling, whether Pre-Transition, or later, all great smokes. I especially like the large pots. I also like my Barling calabash from 1908, a 1907 Barling bull dog, one of only two bulldogs in my collection (I'm not partial to that shape), Pre-War quaints, Pre-War billiards, and bents, and a 1909 bent apple with the domed sterling windcap.
Dunhill - a 1927 shell that looks like a meteorite and which smokes like a dream. A 1949 black dot bruyere billiard that is covered with gorgeous birds eye. Since falling under the Barling spell, I rarely touch my other Dunhills.
Sasieni - A wonderful post war patent bulldog (yep, that's the other one) with exquisite 360˚ straight grain and a Mayfair. I also have a selection of Pre-War 8 Dots that I will probably sell off some day. I just don't like how they smoke.
A wonderful tiny old cased Comoy's 1920's era Old Bruyere. The bowl would easily fit inside the chamber of an EXEXEL pot. It's a hoot to smoke and provides the perfect 5 minute puff.
Danish:
A huge Preben Holm Frasorteret - smokes wonderfully well.
A Preben Holm carved Ben Wade that is carved like a cubist sculpture. The bowl features 360˚ straight grain and the carved facets along the shank pull out every bit of birds eye possible. Excellent smoker.
My Nording "bee's butt" pipe. I call it a bee's butt because the stem is composed of stripes of black and yellow lucite. Great smoker and stunning in appearance.
Lee Von Erck fully rusticated ring grain pipes. The rustication is visually stunning and these all smoke sweet.
Tony Fillenwarth - Really open draw, no break in required, interesting design. I've commissioned two wax drips that are stunning.
Paul Tatum - great smokes and great witty design.
Brian Ruthenberg - solid, great blasts.
1920's and early '30's Kaywoodie - superb wood that was air dried - closest to my Barlings for quality
Ehrlich - smokes as well as anything in my motley collection
British pipes:
Barling, whether Pre-Transition, or later, all great smokes. I especially like the large pots. I also like my Barling calabash from 1908, a 1907 Barling bull dog, one of only two bulldogs in my collection (I'm not partial to that shape), Pre-War quaints, Pre-War billiards, and bents, and a 1909 bent apple with the domed sterling windcap.
Dunhill - a 1927 shell that looks like a meteorite and which smokes like a dream. A 1949 black dot bruyere billiard that is covered with gorgeous birds eye. Since falling under the Barling spell, I rarely touch my other Dunhills.
Sasieni - A wonderful post war patent bulldog (yep, that's the other one) with exquisite 360˚ straight grain and a Mayfair. I also have a selection of Pre-War 8 Dots that I will probably sell off some day. I just don't like how they smoke.
A wonderful tiny old cased Comoy's 1920's era Old Bruyere. The bowl would easily fit inside the chamber of an EXEXEL pot. It's a hoot to smoke and provides the perfect 5 minute puff.
Danish:
A huge Preben Holm Frasorteret - smokes wonderfully well.
A Preben Holm carved Ben Wade that is carved like a cubist sculpture. The bowl features 360˚ straight grain and the carved facets along the shank pull out every bit of birds eye possible. Excellent smoker.
My Nording "bee's butt" pipe. I call it a bee's butt because the stem is composed of stripes of black and yellow lucite. Great smoker and stunning in appearance.
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