Which Pipes do I Choose?

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wolfshade

Lurker
Sep 24, 2013
20
0
Portugal
Hi all, I'm new to the forums. First of all I shall say my name is Sérgio, I'm 21 years old, I'm from Porto, Portugal.

I started smoking pipe on August, my first Pipe was a Vauen Pipe of the Year 1997. I bought it online from someone but it had never been used and let me say it's a fine smoker, I love it!

I bought two more pipes not so long ago, one was a Savinelli Gran Prix and the other is a Bristol Deluxe (took a hell of a lot of cleaning). The later one is not in such good conditions, but the Savinelli doesnt look old nor like it took much use. Both smoke well but the Savinelli is better. I just dont like the shape much because in a place with a bit more wind it makes the first half of the bowl tobacco fly away, or the ashes.

I paid 53 dollars (40€) for the Vauen and 5.3 (yes, 5.3 dollars, 4€) for both the Savinelli and the Bristol so I think all of them were a bargain somewhat, although I bought the Bristol because I am sure it's quite old and I liked that fact.
Now, unto my question.
I have been looking for more pipes, I usually look for used ones, but I did come across Capitol pipes which someone is selling here for 6,7 (5€). They have never been used but I doubt of their smoking qualities.

I am going to post some pictures of them here, I don't know wether they are briar or ebony though.

Pictures here:
img_218991601_1379006465_pbig.jpg


img_218991601_1379006458_pbig.jpg


img_218991643_1379006621_pbig.jpg


img_218991643_1379006619_pbig.jpg

I have also seen a couple of estate ones which I like but don't know if they are any worth, pictures follow:
439202605_5x.jpg


The ones above are being sold for 6.7 dollars each aswell, belonged to the grandfather of the guy who is selling them but he doesnt even know if they have a brand or how to see if they do... I do like the large one though
Then there is someone selling a collection of some old pipes aswell, I don't know if they have been used or not, some of them dont look like they had any use while others dont seem to be worth it, I will display some pictures from the pipes though.
Fotos-de-Cachimbo-EM-Madeira-Antigo-Com-Marca_434453857_1.jpg


The one above is a Bruyere for 13.50 dollars (10€)

Fotos-de-Cachimbo-Antigo-EM-Madeira-Com-Marca-Bruyere-Loordes_434582815_1.jpg


He says this one is a Bruyere - Loordes, I like the big stem, my girlfriend really wants this one. Price is 20 dollars (15€)

Fotos-de-Cachimbo-Antigo-EM-Madeira-Com-Marca-ES-Rezo_434582843_1.jpg


And the last one from his collection that pleases me, an E.S Rezo for 27 dollars (20€)
Then there is also a Peterson from someone else which was bought in the 90's but he sent it to Peterson to get the stem replaced and the pipe cleaned apparently and only smoked more 3 or 4 times after it came back from Peterson, price is 33 dollars (25€). Pictures as follows:

Fotos-de-Cachimbo-Peterson-de-cor-castanha_439109307_1.jpg


439109307_2x.jpg

There was also someone selling a collection of used pipes but I think she was asking way too much for them. She wants 67 dollars (50€) for a Pierre Cardin, 74 dollars (55€) for a Butz Choquin. On the picture Pierre Cardin is the first and the Butz is the second:
442620015_2x.jpg

She also has a pretty Kriswill but the stem is unfortunatelly broken, she wants 20 dollars for it (15€)

442620015_5x.jpg

Anyways this topic is far too long and I apologize for that, any answers are welcome and appreciated, thanks.

 

nhbard

Lurker
Sep 19, 2013
10
0
Hello Sergio, and welcome to the forum. I'm new here too, and a new smoker as well, so consider that when you read my advice. It appears to me that you have some pretty nice pipes available for very reasonable cost. As a new smoker myself, I find one of the challenges I face is how do I not spend a lot of money on something that 1) I don't know how well I'll take to, and 2) even if I take to it, it will likely be a VERY part time thing.
In my opinion, assuming all are in reasonably good condition, there's not a bad choice for the amount being spent. Like you, I'd probably balk at the $60 and up pipes at this point in my pipe smoking "career", but the others that are $25 or thereabouts seem like good buys to me.
I'd love to hear others' opinions on this.
Good luck.

 

pruss

Lifer
Feb 6, 2013
3,558
372
Mytown
Welcome Sergio, to the world of pipes & tobacco, to the forum, and to your first case of PAD. Sounds like you're hooked, pal.
I came back into the pipe collecting hobby through estate pipes, and still purchase most of my pipes on the estate market. I have some capacity for cleaning pipes up, and have a small shop which allows me to do this. Even still, there are some basic questions I like to answer before hitting the "Buy it Now" or "Bid" button, or before pulling the trigger on a deal. Those questions are:
1) What does a pipe of the same model, and maker cost new or fully restored? Check BriarBid, eBay, online estate re-sellers and shops, and determine what that pipe you're looking at would cost if you were buying it ready to smoke.
2) What kind of work will it take to clean it/repair it, and put it in your rotation? When I started, a pipe like the Kriswell you have listed above would have scared the crap out of me. Now that I know I can get replacement stems made for between $15 - $45 (depending on quality/process/vendor), I might pull the trigger on that purchase because the grain on that Kriswell is stunning.
3) What can I afford? You will hear MANY people say, "Buy the best pipe you can afford." This is a solid piece of advice, and one that has kept me from spending money on many lower quality pipes, which leads to an easier time getting the hang of prepping/packing/lighting/enjoying a pipe. I would encourage you to pick up a passel of cob pipes (I bet you Missouri Meerschaum ships to Portugal!), to build out a small rotation, and then spend a little more on building up your briar collection.
4) Do I want that pipe REALLY BADLY? If the answer to this question is, "Yes. I can ONLY think about that pipe," then just buy the thing. You'll mourn its loss if you don't and someone else does.
Have fun Sergio. This is an awesome place to learn about this new hobby of yours.
-- Pat

 

numbersix

Lifer
Jul 27, 2012
5,449
62
Welcome wolfshade - good to have you here.
+1 on everything pruss wrote.
Some of the pipes you show are okay and the prices are (for the most part) reasonable. However, IMHO, most you're not going to enjoy these choices long term if you stick with smoking a pipe. I would urge you to hold out for an exceptional pipe and value before rushing to add pipes. You can grab much better pipes at the same price or a little more if you take your time. Estates are a tricky business. It pays to be very patient and very selective.
Some examples (not gloating mind you!):
A Peterson Meer for $20 USD:
pete-meer2-600x442.jpg

A 1940s-50s Peterson Killarney for $29 USD:
killarney4-600x424.jpg

$50 USD for an unsmoked Bari (great pipe btw):
bari-600x405.png

A 1962 Dunhill for $124 USD (expensive yes, but cheap considering it's a pristine Dunhill):
dunhill62-1.jpg


 

andrew

Lifer
Feb 13, 2013
3,076
463
Winnipeg, Canada
Honestly I find most pipes smoke well, it's usually the person smoking them isn't using a good technique and blames the pipe. I like the first 2, 6-7 dollars is a steal. I also like the 13.50 briar. 60$ is too much for a butz choquim imo, however it looks like it's in great shape and a nice pipe. Personally the most I've spent on an estate is 22$ and that was for a stanwell second Danish Sovereign. I see tons of good pipes on ebay for 20-30$, I'd stick to the lower end prices when your starting out personally, just my 2 cents. I'd grab those first 2, they look nice actually. Brand doesn't mean much in my opinion.

 

wolfshade

Lurker
Sep 24, 2013
20
0
Portugal
Thanks for all the kind replies, I'll deffinately keep them in mind when buying a new pipe.

I have one disadvantage, I cant buy pipes from ebay because I do not have a paypal account, unfortunatelly.

And yes pruss, I am indeed hooked up into pipes, I don't know wether I'm more hooked into collecting or smoking 8O

I will keep your hints in mind, they proove very valuable.
Andrew, yes, the pipes I have so far smoke well, it seems to me some smoke better for some stuff then others, or it might be just me. I have not tried anything non aromatic so far but it seems like my bristol prefers non aromatic tobaccos, the savinelli is good for smoking them but none can be compared to the Vauen, it smokes quite sweet, in fact I think it's the briar itself that makes it taste so good at smoking, the tastes seem to be enhanced through the Vauen. Anyways I bought it for a bargain I believe, I paid 53 dollars for it with shipping costs already in the price. It's such an amazing smoker, I'd deffinately get another Vauen pipe if I could find one.
Anyways, I also have my eyes on a Hilson pipe I saw in a store, its a 75 dollar pipe, it's quite pretty, it's bent, black and has a nice stem with some smoke effects and it seems like the part where the smoke goes through is transparent. I fell in love with it instantely but I don't know if it would be any good for the price it has for a new pipe. I do want to buy it though, that and the kriswill pipes are the ones I'd really like to get so far.

 

teufelhund

Lifer
Mar 5, 2013
1,497
3
St. Louis, MO
Welcome to the forums! Six, where are you finding all those beauties? This is a great site and looks like you're very enthusiastic about our hobby. best of luck to you wolf.

 

wolfshade

Lurker
Sep 24, 2013
20
0
Portugal
Teufelhund, thanks, I really am. Through this forum I can find some confort as the only other person I know who likes to smoke pipe with me once in a while is my girlfriend, although she prefers to smoke cigars since they do not require so much maintenance as our hobby does, but that's the part I love the most, taking care of them after a nice smoke.
Rothnh, thanks for the reply. Indeed they seem to do, I really love the one I mentioned, shame I can't find it anywhere, I am pretty sure some here would enjoy it's sights.

Anyways I am now as we speak trying to buy the kriswill, seeing if the prices get any lower or if the shipping costs can be included into the price :P. I don't know where I will find anyone here who can get it repaired for me but I wouldnt mind to pay for it as it is one pipe I deffinately love. I just like the nordic pipes, they all look exceptional.
The only pipe repair shop I have found in Portugal so far is in Lisbon and it is quite far from where I live. I will keep searching, I might find someone eventually.
Thanks again everyone.

 

wolfshade

Lurker
Sep 24, 2013
20
0
Portugal
Thanks for the great info rothnh, I just want to buy it so far, after I get it I will look after someone to repair it. The owner doesnt seem too interested in selling any prices due to the ridiculous ammount of money she is asking for them considering they've all been used and at least 2 are broken, the kriswill and a dunhill which she glued the stem into the bowl... In fact, I just remember she said the Kriswill could be easily repaired by glueing the stem into the bowl. Oh well... lol

 

numbersix

Lifer
Jul 27, 2012
5,449
62
Too bad you can't do ebay WS, but sounds like you have some decent options anyway. Good luck and please post a pic when you're done.
a dunhill which she glued the stem into the bowl
Ouch!!

 

wolfshade

Lurker
Sep 24, 2013
20
0
Portugal
Update guys, I am going to get the Kriswill for around 17 dollars with shipping costs included in the price. It's not really a bargain but I really liked the overall looks of the bowl itself, it looks quite good to me and I have always been wanting to get my hands on a nordic pipe. I might try to get a lucite stem as vulcanite tends to oxydize a lot and gets bite marks quite easily, I also get a bitter taste from them sometimes when the smoke is a bit hotter, opposed to that of the lucite one I have on my vauen, or maybe I smoke too fast.
Numbersix, indeed, I thought "ouch!" aswell... I told her it's hard to get a good cleaning of the pipe if the stem is glued into the bowl.
Duckfat, what do you mean getting sucked down into the rabbit hole? :?

 

andrew

Lifer
Feb 13, 2013
3,076
463
Winnipeg, Canada
You just have to clean the vulcanite and it will be like new, you can either soak it using oxyclean, a mixture of water and bleach, then sand it and repolish it, or I like to use the heat method where you use a lighter or candle to heat the vulcanite and then wipe it with a wet paper towel. I prefer the heat method as you don't need to sand after, and the stem is like new then. Look for more details on the heat method before you do it, basically you hold the flame about an inch away from the stem, heat it for about 4 seconds and then wipe it with a paper towel. Repeat until done. I find I can do one in less than 10 minutes, whereas sanding can take quite a bit of effort and time. An ebay account is very easy to set up, you simply have to have a chequing account, enter the account number, they deposit a small amount of money, like 18 cents, then you verify the account by telling them how much money was deposited. If you do get an ebay account, which is highly recommended for this, keep some money in it or it takes about a week for money to clear before you can use it. If you don't have the money in the account it asks for a credit card, but if you deposit the money and then let the check clear you're basically paying the cellar with an ebay check. Restoring pipes is actually quite easy, I'm no handy man or wood worker and find it to be a part of the pipe smoking experience.

 

wolfshade

Lurker
Sep 24, 2013
20
0
Portugal
Thanks Andrew, I had read about the heat process thing before, I tried it at my girlfriends house with the old Bristol I bought to start my own restoration experiences, but I forgot I needed to rub a wet paper towel so I burnt off a bit of the stem, nothing too bad though, afterall it's more of a experience pipe anyways, it was cheap aswell and my idea was to study restoration using it :P. I will try with a wet paper towel soon. Thanks for the good advice.

I do have an ebay account, I just don't have a paypal account because I still don't have a chequing account of my own, I just finished studies and I am now looking for a job in such a big unemployment wave.
Duckfat, I got it now but I do have a serious case of PAD/TAD, I don't mind it though, it's one of the things in life I actually don't mind at all... :P

 
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