Why?

[SSGT.]

I was looking at new pipes and came across this pipe that I kind of like then I see it is $1410.00. I realize I'm not as knowledgeable as most on this site, so I have to ask what some may think is a dumb question. What does this pipe do that my 30 dollar MM Emerald or my 200 dollar eagle claw Meers doesn't? does it make the whole tobacco experience orgasmic? or am I just cheap and missing the point?

 

[xrundog]

It would help if I knew what the pipes is. Will it perform better than your cob? It very well might. But beyond a certain point, a certain brand just enhances the experience. Will a range rover do a better job than my old jeep of getting me to my destination? Probably not. But I might enjoy the ride more.

 

[proteus]

Why does a McClaren P1 cost more than an F1. Because someone is willing to pay more based on perceived value. Both are fast cars. Both are exotic. But one is more so.

I personally think the F1 is the better car but some feel the P1 is more refined. The F1 is older and the P1 is the new darling. If you like the classics vs if you like the modern interpretation.

Value is in the pocket of the buyer.

 

[GardenStateoftheArtBriar]

Pipes can be bought and sold at market - that's why
some art works of art
some better engineered smokers
some duds
Just a number in Dollars and Cents - if they can get it - they get it - Capitalism

 

[Professor Moriarty]

Price is usually about rarity. Fit and finish also come into play, and some will pay more for "luxury" brands like Dunhill.

Brand reputation is important because there is always the risk of wasting good money on a pipe which does not smoke well.

I love the look of dense briar burl grain and birdseye as it plays across the curving surface of a pipe.
I am willing to pay a premium for a well-grained pipe.
When smoking a pipe, the darn thing is right there in front of your nose so you kinda have to look at it. Therefore it should be pleasing to your eye.

A flawless, smooth, flame grain pipe from a reputable manufacturer commands the highest price. Personally, I have no problem with a few small pits and fills, as long as the grain is good. And "good grain" to me does not necessary mean vertical, or even straight--"interesting" is my preference.

 

[bassbug]

The why is simple. Because they can.

The why you should or shouldn't buy is completely up to you. I don't know if a $1400 pipe smokes better than my $100-$150 ones because I've never owned one. We've seen posts here telling us that someone's $1000 pipe produces nirvana like smoking experiences and that same premium brand turned out to be no better than a basket pipe. I honestly think it's all about perception and confirmation bias.

 

[captainsousie]

A

Why does a McClaren P1 cost more than an F1. Because someone is willing to pay more based on perceived value. Both are fast cars. Both are exotic. But one is more so.

I personally think the F1 is the better car but some feel the P1 is more refined. The F1 is older and the P1 is the new darling. If you like the classics vs if you like the modern interpretation.

Value is in the pocket of the buyer.

Actually, an F1 goes for 8-12 million euro while a P1 goes for a touch under 2 million. Still the buyer's choice as you said.

 

[mingc]

It's a free market. You can buy and sell shit for as little or as much money as you like. Many of us think that that's a good idea.

 

[dottlejockey]

The answer is the same for many industries, whether it be cars (as before mentioned), wine, whisky, cigars, etc. Quality and performance only plays a solitary part in this process. Price is even more driven up by demand and availability. If someone churns out a million pipes on a machine the value will be lower than a carver that takes a week to make a piece and puts out 100 a year. As people talk and demand continues to go up on something that's limited production (like an artisan piece) or a no longer produced item then price will reflect that and eventually only those that can afford them get them. As long as there are people buying them the price will stay high.

I've had items from the upper tier cost-wise and it's not always better. Just more in demand due to perception, buying trends and availability. One can argue that if you want to buy for quality alone it's usually not necessary to buy the most expensive item on the market. The diminishing returns usually starts to occur somewhere in the middle. After that you're typically just paying for a name or reputation.

 

[anotherbob]

I was looking at new pipes and came across this pipe that I kind of like then I see it is $1410.00. I realize I'm not as knowledgeable as most on this site, so I have to ask what some may think is a dumb question. What does this pipe do that my 30 dollar MM Emerald or my 200 dollar eagle claw Meers doesn't? does it make the whole tobacco experience orgasmic? or am I just cheap and missing the point?
View attachment 328526

Less then learning how to smoke a pipe. The price isn't really about a better smoke. Especially when you consider that while a pipe can suck and smoke bad anything past that point is more of a matter of personal preference. A lot of what ends up from my understanding increasing the cost of a pipe are two things. Quality control. More briar rejected for things like flaws or to get a certain grain adds to the cost, how it's made. A handmade pipe versus factory is a lot slower process and takes more man hours to finish and that's part of what you're paying for. Handmade and process really effects their bottom line. There are more factors but those are the biggest.

 

[Professor Moriarty]

Price is usually about rarity. Fit and finish also come into play, and some will pay more for "luxury" brands like Dunhill.

Brand reputation is important because there is always the risk of wasting good money on a pipe which does not smoke well.

I love the look of dense briar burl grain and birdseye as it plays across the curving surface of a pipe.
I am willing to pay a premium for a well-grained pipe.
When smoking a pipe, the darn thing is right there in front of your nose so you kinda have to look at it. Therefore it should be pleasing to your eye.

A flawless, smooth, flame grain pipe from a reputable manufacturer commands the highest price. Personally, I have no problem with a few small pits and fills, as long as the grain is good. And "good grain" to me does not necessary mean vertical, or even straight--"interesting" is my preference.

Another factor in pricing is the amount of briar you are getting. All else being equal, more expensive is a large pipe with thick walls and long shank.

The analogy with cars is imperfect because briar is a naturally occurring substance. No human can produce a briar burl--each of which is unique.

This brings us to another consideration--metallic doodads on a pipe--silver bands, fittings, rims...
Personally, I tend to avoid them.

 

[lraisch]

That looks to be a very handsome Dunhill, with good grain, thick bowl walls and a well cut stem. I have little doubt that it might smoke better than either of your pipes.

As to the price, if they dropped the initial $1000 on that I would be envious, since I can't justify even a $400 pipe. At the listed price, I merely shrug.

 

[Alejo R.]

I was looking at new pipes and came across this pipe that I kind of like then I see it is $1410.00. I realize I'm not as knowledgeable as most on this site, so I have to ask what some may think is a dumb question. What does this pipe do that my 30 dollar MM Emerald or my 200 dollar eagle claw Meers doesn't? does it make the whole tobacco experience orgasmic? or am I just cheap and missing the point?
View attachment 328526

In principle the question should give a little more information. You only posted a photo. I guess you are missing the point.

 

[Alejo R.]

Unlike the 1984 protagonist, dressed in grey overalls, living in an apartment exactly like hundreds of other apartments, eating exactly the same food as his neighbors, in real life we live a life of choices and for those choices we pay money. Some choose to smoke a $10 corn cob, some choose to smoke a $1400 briar pipe, and some choose not to smoke and save their money for a Ferrari, as the joke goes. Just like that.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

I was looking at new pipes and came across this pipe that I kind of like then I see it is $1410.00. I realize I'm not as knowledgeable as most on this site, so I have to ask what some may think is a dumb question. What does this pipe do that my 30 dollar MM Emerald or my 200 dollar eagle claw Meers doesn't? does it make the whole tobacco experience orgasmic? or am I just cheap and missing the point?
View attachment 328526

There are a variety of factors that come into play when it comes to perceived value when it comes to pipes or any item someone might be passionate about (rare books, records, cars, you name it). With pipes, after you get past the mechanics involved in providing a problem free smoke, you get into the subjective territory of aesthetics and their appeal, and more intangible qualities that can heighten someone’s enjoyment of smoking a particular pipe: pride of ownership (maybe someone loves the idea of having a pipe made by an Ivarsson or any other legendary pipe carver); historical significance (a really old pipe from an important maker going back over 100 years or more); a pipe that belonged to a favourite actor or celebrity (the Charatan pipes that @JimInks regularly smokes come to mind that were formerly owned by William Conrad). It’s difficult to put a price on those factors. Is it worth paying more? A lot more? Sometimes. I collect rare books. A two dollar paperback may contain the same words as an expensive 1st edition of the same novel, but my enjoyment of knowing the expensive 1st edition is the copy that was dedicated to the author’s close friend and inscribed by that author to the dedicatee is immeasurable! It’s priceless.

 

[elvishrunes]

You're right to question, because it’s nuts, and no they don’t smoke better. If someone will pay it that is their choice though, doesn’t bother me. Could be a Dunhill, IMO, the most overrated pipes on earth. Mostly average mediocre factory pipes at artisan prices, because of their reputation. Without searching I recall they start at 800$ and up. For 1/2 that price you can get a top level Italian artisan, for 1/8 or less you can get a decent factory Brigham. You can find a nice new poker for 75-150 I’m sure.

https://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/new/Brigham/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=622660

BTW, my rant is more against Dunhills, that could be a rare famous estate pipe.

 

[woodsroad]

I have to concur with my pragmatic friends here. With a few important variables aside, in the USA (and to a lesser extent several other countries), we are free to allocate the spoils of our labor as we see fit. For some, the accumulation of dollars is the goal, for other it’s the acquisition of stuff and some fortunate bastards get both. I choose to convert the dollars into happiness, and if that pipe made me happy, I’d buy it.

I am fortunate though that smoking any pipe makes me happy, even one of my MM seconds that cost me a buck.

 

[sablebrush52]

I was looking at new pipes and came across this pipe that I kind of like then I see it is $1410.00. I realize I'm not as knowledgeable as most on this site, so I have to ask what some may think is a dumb question. What does this pipe do that my 30 dollar MM Emerald or my 200 dollar eagle claw Meers doesn't? does it make the whole tobacco experience orgasmic? or am I just cheap and missing the point?
View attachment 328526

It probably doesn’t make that much of a difference. You didn’t mention the make. Certain carvers, like Bo Nordh, achieved such a following that the pipes reached stratospheric prices.
Many years ago I asked a friend, who owned Nordhs, along with other ultra high end makers, if they smoked that much better. His response was that they smoked as well as his Grabows.

 

[bullet08]

Price of anything is the price that buyer is willing to pay for. Does Rolex tell better time than my cell phone? Hell no! But I like my Rolex better than my cell phone. Does Dunhill White Spot smokes any better than my Peterson pipes? I don't know, but I'm not willing to pay for a bird drop than my Capital P.

 

[jpmcwjr]

It's actually quite rational to those who have the means to buy whatever pipe they fancy. Folks with no dough will tend to look to the practicality of a cob or cheap briar and see no reason to pay more.

On the other hand, aesthetics play a large part in how much one enjoys a smoke. That's different from how the pipe smokes, which as pointed out by some greats, the physical smoke can well be the same in a $15 estate briar or new cob as a $1,000+ briar or Meer.