Why Only Simple & Absurd "Counterfeit" Pipes Exist --- An Explanation

[georged]

You. You wrote this: "Lots of fakes in the 'sanitised and ready to smoke' end of the market though." We're talking about fake pipes, that's what the conversation is about. So. Show us some of these fakes. That's the claim you made. Now you're backing off and saying that what you meant is that some refurbs aren't done so well. That's an entirely different thing. I'm keeping the language clear so that we don't send anyone home wondering if their pipe is fake.

Good luck with that.

For some people, strength of belief in whatever makes them feel good constitutes the only reality. Facts are incidental. (They're either something conveniently supportive; or something to be denied, ignored, suppressed, or otherwise removed from their world.)

Why Facts Don’t Change Our Minds

New discoveries about the human mind show the limitations of reason.

www.newyorker.com

 

[jpberg]

I’m assuming he meant that the pipes are not what we could call cleaned and sanitised, despite being advertised as such. that’s how I interpreted the post anyways. I always expect to clean up estates upon arrival, which makes the welcomed but unexpected unsmoked pipe a nice surprise

Makes sense. Just a strange thread to throw that out in.

 

[Ahi Ka]

Makes sense. Just a strange thread to throw that out in.

Though I have seen some newer pipes (even cobs) beaten up and abused and then marketed locally as turn of the century antiques. Maybe this is technically a fake refurb? Lol

 

[sasquatch]

Good luck with that.

For some people, strength of belief in whatever makes them feel good constitutes the only reality. Facts are incidental. (They're either something conveniently supportive; or something to be denied, ignored, suppressed, or otherwise removed from their world.)

Why Facts Don’t Change Our Minds

New discoveries about the human mind show the limitations of reason.

www.newyorker.com

In the words of Graham Chapman:

It's spelled "Luxury Yacht" but it's pronounced "Throatwarbler Mangrove".

 

[Briar Lee]

Cool so depending on the pipe you might actually own a charatan sold out the back of the factory by the foreman

I own a Charatan, from some Lane or other era I cannot remember, but alas my Charatan was made by Frenchmen, and therefore I think it was about a $100 pipe, because it’s a Francophile Charatan.

It sure is a beautiful, well made, high dollar looking pipe, as any $100 pipe should be.

One blessed thing about American factory smokers. Is I know my “Harry Hosterman size” Dr. Grabow Grand Duke is the real coin, a genuine Dr. Grabow made in Sparta, because of the blue spade trademark on the stem.

On the other other hand, cheap imported pipes from England such as the Parker beside it, were sandblasted, and if the Parker stamps are worn off the bottom by long use, how would anybody know where or who made it?



Harry Hosterman bought and smoked Genuine spade trademarked Dr. Grabow pipes always about that size, but I’m sure Harry didn’t splurge for that upscale Grand Duke, unless Nona Fern or Wilda Mae gave him one for Christmas.

But there’s no fills on my Dr. Grabow.

Who could say about that Parker, the way it was sandblasted.

The Parker doesn’t even have a filter.

But it does have, a good snap fit between the briar and stem. Remarkably fine craftsmanship for a non trademarked imported pipe, I think.

 

[jpberg]

L'enfer, c'est les autres

Don’t start with all your Spanish lingo just because it’s Columbus Day.

 

[Duck]

L'enfer, c'est les autres

I've never had much time for Sartre and his assertions.

 

[georged]

Faced with a much similar problem of the distinct possibility, even near certainty, of unauthorized scoundrels, discontented former employees, and perhaps spurned former lovers duplicating a Pipe by Lee, The World’s Finest Pipe, Mr. Lee cleverly and with a great deal of effort avoided such easily faked trademarks as plastic spots and decided to inlet a certain seven pointed star in the stems of Lee Star Grade pipes.

Um, no.

Not the "cleverly and with a great deal of effort" part, anyway...

The only thing required to replicate such a star would be a drill-bit-length piece of hardened rod, a few touches to a spinning grinder to notch one end in a star pattern, some gold-colored foil, and an inexpensive arbor press. Even a drill press would probably work.

You just put the pipe in a cradle, align it, place the foil over the desired spot, briefly heat the star-ground rod end with a torch, and pull the handle. Voila. Instant inlay.

50-100 pipes per hour output, I'd say, even in a home shop. The cost of the foil and a single rod would be the total outlay.

 

[Briar Lee]

I just won this big handmade artisan sitter on eBay for the sum of $26.95 delivered.

I don’t think it’s counterfeit briar, but I suppose it could be.

The seller said the maker’s name has been rubbed out by polishing, to where he can’t make out the words.

A pipe needs a trademark on the stem, or else it can get lost among the other briars.

 

[georged]

I just won this big handmade artisan sitter on eBay for the sum of $26.95 delivered.

I don’t think it’s counterfeit briar, but I suppose it could be.

The seller said the maker’s name has been rubbed out by polishing, to where he can’t make out the words.

A pipe needs a trademark on the stem, or else it can get lost among the other briars.

View attachment 102061View attachment 102062

What, exactly, does that have to do with counterfeits?

A thread staying on track is difficult at the best of times, but a dozen photos of an anonymous basket pipe shoehorned into a thread is pretty lateral even by those lax standards.

Like, srsly, dude? (<=== behold my overt display of hipness. A yarn cap and full beard will be next.)

 

[sablebrush52]

What, exactly, does that have to do with counterfeits?

A thread staying on track is difficult at the best of times, but a dozen photos of an anonymous basket pipe shoehorned into a thread is pretty lateral even by those lax standards.

Like, srsly, dude? (<=== behold my overt display of hipness. A yarn cap and full beard will be next.)

Exit Sartre

 

[sablebrush52]

Mostly, fakes are pretty bad, even stupid, like the smooth "Dunhills" stamped with a SHELL stamp. Fake claims regarding the condition of a pipe are another story entirely.

 

[BlackSwampPiper]

In my mind, a good pipe is a good pipe. If it smokes well and I find myself reaching for it, that’s a good pipe. If I want something to know it’s a certain brand or style I’ll buy it new or from a reputable source.

 

[ssjones]

Do tell.

Lots of fakes in the 'sanitised and ready to smoke' end of the market though.

Fake means - Not genuine or counterfeit

"Sanitized and ready to smoke" is a subjective statement that can be interpreted differently by person. That's why I use the phrase "the pipe has been cleaned, and by my standard, ready to smoke" in my ads.

 

[sasquatch]

 

[sandollars]

Mostly, fakes are pretty bad, even stupid, like the smooth "Dunhills" stamped with a SHELL stamp. Fake claims regarding the condition of a pipe are another story entirely.

Thought:

What if the STAMP is a GENUINE Dunhill stamp? That would make the PIPE a genuine Dunhill...

 

[telescopes]

Thought:

What if the STAMP is a GENUINE Dunhill stamp? That would make the PIPE a genuine Dunhill...

No, no, no.

 

[sablebrush52]

More co

Thought:

What if the STAMP is a GENUINE Dunhill stamp? That would make the PIPE a genuine Dunhill...

More correctly a genuine Dunhill stamped fake.
So it would be a genuine fake.

 

[jp267nh]

Really I've seen just about everything you can imagine being counterfeited sold on Canal St. in NYC and on several trips to Hong Kong on business. Usually they're so horrible you could spot them as a counterfeit miles away. Any item with a luxury brand name is fair game. I'm fairly certain on one visit to HKG I saw someone selling pipes stamped as Davidoff a few years back. It was obviously not Davidoff and very low quality and rudimentary.

On Canal St. in Chinatown NYC they've sold counterfeit Dunhill and Mont Blanc pens for years. Again they look terrible and are obviously fake. Cost is usually around $30 or so.

It wouldn't entirely surprise me to see counterfeit pipes with luxury names attached if pipe smoking was more popular and they could sell enough of them. Given the limited space for counterfeit merchandise and the high rents of lower Manhattan it probably wouldn't make sense to sell them. However, I'd be fairly certain they're out there.

When I used to inspect manufacturing facilities in China it wasn't uncommon to run off the book third shifts using the machinery and lower quality supplies to be destined for the counterfeit market.

 

[warren]

Lots of fakes in the 'sanitised and ready to smoke' end of the market though.

In fairness, the quotation marks were probably placed to stress his point, used as many use "air quotes". Still, hard to decifer his meaning simply reading the post. Probably could have written "Lots of fakes in the, so-called 'sanitised and ready to smoke'" end of the market." But, the post is still not germaine to the OP.