I have always ALWAYS heard people say this. BUT then again I have also always heard people argue about whether bourbon needs to breathe or not, and whether neck pours of bottles are actually bad.
What's The Cure for Briar -and does it Make A Difference?
- Thread starter Dreadlock Holmes
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I have always ALWAYS heard people say this. BUT then again I have also always heard people argue about whether bourbon needs to breathe or not, and whether neck pours of bottles are actually bad.
There are also people who believe that the earth is flat.
My absolute best tasting pipes are older (pre1970) factory pipes. Most were used and a few were NOS.
GBD, Comoys, Barling, Yorkshire, Sassini, Kaywoodie.....all great tasting pipes.
Maybe a decade ago someone on the old Smokers Forums had a bunch of these NOS Irwins, a GBD second for sale.
This one is still unsmoked....for now.
I have 2 others that are great smoking and tasting pipes.
These were "Rum Matured".....if that's not a gimmick I don't know what is.
But, they are very well made. Drilled perfectly, nice finish and the briar is very light and heavily grained on all of them. There are a few fills which I assume is why they are seconds.
This one is called a PAPOOSE.
No clue when they were made, but they were made in England.
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Is this "rum maturing" possibly one of the things that influenced him?
Were they even "matured" in other spirits?
This whole discussion is based on an assumption, and paints the whole scene with a wide brush. Sounds to me like something a B&M owner would engage in. I try not to talk to much to B&M owners, but I like to visit these shops when I travel. I'll drop a few bills on them to help support them, but I get along better with them when I don't talk to them.
And, I am sure that there are some very wise and intelligent B&M owners out there. But, I don't think one of these guys are going to be making youtube videos.
If you want to listen to the full episode here it is
Pipe and Tamper: Hill and Hill Tobacconist with Jim Simon
EP06 - In this episode of Pipe and Tamper, your host Mike starts by reviewing Mac Baren HH Latakia Flake. He then chats with Tobacconist Jim Simon of Hill and Hill Tobacconist. The final segment of the episode is Behind The Pipe featuring Devil Anse Hatfield.
pipeandtamper.com
No idea, this is the only time I've seen any booze maturing. The 2 of these pipes I've smoked did not look or taste any different than any other pipe. Of course they sat unsmoked for many decades.Is this "rum maturing" possibly one of the things that influenced him?
Probably depends on whether you're in da sun.Do the blue stems still smoke cooler ?
Regardless, da red ones go fasta. 
I'd also say that people love old pipes for the same reason they love old cars, guitars, rifles, etc (to reference our previous conversations lol)... because of the nostalgia and yearning for times/styles gone by... especially in a hobby like this where basically the whole premise is nostalgia to begin with... we're a pretty self-selecting sample group.
I definitely also believe that (just like with the small batch tobacco trend) we are in a market where the number of smokers is constantly decreasing, so the strategy of these companies is to make higher end offerings/larger collections in order to sell more/more expensive things to fewer people.. just like with craft beers.
I have no idea how this affects actual quality... whether differences are perceived or actual (if someone pays $500 for a pipe they're gonna convince themselves it's 10x better than a $50 one no matter the objective reality otherwise they wouldn't pay it lol) But those are just the trends I am noticing, and I think it comes mostly from the bare necessity of leveraging that strategy to deal with the concrete demographic problems of this industry/hobby...
Most woods for any long term use is cured for stability. If they didn't do that, we would see a lot for pipes cracking.
W
Wait… you’re telling me it’s not?
The earth isn't flat. It's hollow. That's where the majority of earth's population lives.
@Dreadlock Holmes you need to go and spend some time with Mr. Simon if you are nearby and have time to waste. He will tell you all kinds of truths that he believes about pipes, cigars, and tobacco. He will also tell you about Sparky Anderson and his other famous customers. Interesting fellow who enjoys an audience.
Which reminds me of a conversation I had with a collector of Danish high grade pipes, including Bo Nordh, which can go for five figures.
I asked him if his Nordhs smoked better than his other pipes.
His response? “They smoke as well as my Grabows.”
Yeah I think pipes are like most fine products of culture... wine, etc.
I always say, there's a ton of difference between a $10 bottle and $100 bottle, but not nearly as much difference between the $100 and $10,000 bottles.
With pipes I think the 2 main things are their construction and briar quality.. and probably in that order. I think going from the $40 MM Cob/Bones to the $200 Vauen/Boswell can make a pretty decent difference... going from the $200 Vauen/Boswell to the $5000 *fill in blank artisan* will probably get you a similar diminishing returns in actual "performance" because at that point it becomes more about art/personal preference.
Ouch! Factory pipes made with the accumulation of 174 years of experience, knowledge, experimentation, and more? I have seen and used more briar in a year than most artisan pipe makers will ever use, and Bill did in thirty years more than most pipe makers combined. I can spot poorly cured briar, and flawed briar, and poor smoking briar better than most. I can smell it when working it. I can see moisture rise when drilling it. People buying less than $150 factory pipes are getting some of the oldest briar on the market. Yes, decades of dry time does help, but maybe I am a used car salesman.
Before I just open my flow of contingents up and dig in to an argument, I need clarification. Are you arguing that the OP is correct, or just disagreeing with my analogy on this one point?Ouch! Factory pipes made with the accumulation of 174 years of experience, knowledge, experimentation, and more? I have seen and used more briar in a year than most artisan pipe makers will ever use, and Bill did in thirty years more than most pipe makers combined. I can spot poorly cured briar, and flawed briar, and poor smoking briar better than most. I can smell it when working it. I can see moisture rise when drilling it. People buying less than $150 factory pipes are getting some of the oldest briar on the market. Yes, decades of dry time does help, but maybe I am a used car salesman.
Ouch! Factory pipes made with the accumulation of 174 years of experience, knowledge, experimentation, and more? I have seen and used more briar in a year than most artisan pipe makers will ever use, and Bill did in thirty years more than most pipe makers combined. I can spot poorly cured briar, and flawed briar, and poor smoking briar better than most. I can smell it when working it. I can see moisture rise when drilling it. People buying less than $150 factory pipes are getting some of the oldest briar on the market. Yes, decades of dry time does help, but maybe I am a used car salesman.
I just paid $100 retail price for a Kaywoodie Birkshire at the Missouri Meerschaum factory.
It was expertly made in the United States of America by an American using well cured and over fifty years aged imported briar, and it’s a goodern!
Make us more Flame Grains!
Sing one Merle!
Yes, like a Lindt Truffle with a creamy, nougat center.... unlike the moon's which is more akin to Sharp Cheddar flavored spray-can Eazy-Cheez...
God, I never even thought about this.. thanks, now I gotta start looking for a spoiler to give my Savinelli +25 Horsepower...Probably depends on whether you're in da sun.
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