Thread: Pipes: what is your favourite?

Originally Posted by mhailey

The true African Calabash is made from a gord with a Meerschaum bowl insert. There is an open air space between the bottom of the Meerschaum bowl (in the gord) which cools the smoke. It is supposed to give a very cool smoke. I have never had one, because I have other things I would rather drop $150+, but if and when I come into extra money, and I have no major other need/desire, I would get one.

See here: Calabash Pipes

Matt

pretty much. they are rumored to be some of the easiest smokers out there, and also i think they look really classy.

Dunhill and Stanwell. For shape I prefer a bent and am a sucker for Oompauls. Oh, and cob pipes for some of the sweeter tobaccos such as Mac Baren Mixture. Briar pipes need a latakia blend for my taste buds.

I like Castello pipes but any pipe if it looks and feels right is a good pipe. here are some of my favorite pipes. Top, left to right: Ill Ceppo, Von Erk, Dunhill, Ascorti, Ascorti, Radice, Radice, Radice, Cavichi, Preban Holm, Don Carlos, Charles Fairmorn.
Bottom, left to right: BBB, Castello, Castello, Castello, Castello, Castello, Castello, Castello, Ashton, Von Erk.
One Castello is missing that is in for repair after my dog jumped up and knocked it from my mouth onto a hard slate floor, you get the idea

PuFF

wow, it looks like you really like rusticateds and blasts! I have always like a good rusticated or well done blast too.

for smoking, my absolute favorites are pokers that are made right, meaning they sit. I have a really gorgeous poker that is borderline, it barely sits on its own, but with tobacco in it the balance works out good. It is carved to look like a tree, bark wise at least (I'd been looking for something like that for years) the maker is an American in England and pipe name is Larryson.

sadly his US distributor was Mike Gukler of briarblues which I was horrified to learn has closed. I seldom smoke a pipe any more so haven't been buying for a long time.

next favorites for actual smoking are anything that sits well (this comes from smoking in the shop and working on computers needing to set the pipe down in different places without it tipping over). I also like a full bent.

I have had lots of pipes and have found good savinellis to be pretty consistent. I had a cheap peterson billiard that was a fantastic smoker. I had a Walt Cannoy custom made medium size sitting 3/4 bent in his wax drip (nobody did a better wax drip pipe than walt cannoy). it smoked very well but I made the mistake of selling it at one point along with an unsmoked savinelli autograph vifte panel (the fan shaped one, very difficult to find) and I still regret that to this day.

I also have a particular fondness for volcanos and have two custom volcanos at home, one of which is amazing in the fact that it balances just on the heel of the pipe. I've yet to smoke that one.

I also find Tinsky's pipes (american smoking pipes) to be a very good value and consistent smokers. some of his shapes are great. he does a good rustication, he calls coral carve, that is comfortable to hold onto.

I personally have never brought myself to spend more than 250 for a pipe, but have been mighty tempted on some occasions.

I have to this day not tried a rhodesian or bulldog and have always wanted to. I have just never found one I liked at a reasonable price. too picky I suppose.

My funniest memory is a really exotic wasp waisted freehand I had, I don't remember if it was a preben holm or what, a name you'd recognize if I remembered it. huge plateau top with a wasp waist, 1/2 bent. cool looking pipe. caught my chest hair on fire smoking that one (with the lighter not the pipe, funny at the time, still funny now).

Red
PS
I have a poker/hawk that was custom made for me as well, I really like that pipe, and I normally HATE hawks (this one does not have the extreme angle they so often do that I find ugly).

Like you red, I like Poker pipes but have yet to find one that I am willing to keep. I had a Dunhill poker that came with the bit extension to convert it to a churchwarden that came very close to a keeper. Bowl size was more a dedicated flake pipe which was a factor in my selling it on. One day I'll find my ideal poker.
I have a passion for straight grain now that is hard to kick and Agide has some great looking Castellos that are seriously calling to me atm

Would love to see some of you guys pipes if possible..it's therapeutic to ogle pipes you know

PuFF

I have owned pipes made by artisans like Jess Chonowitsch, Lars and Nana Ivarsson, Rainer Barbi and even Bo Nordh. I love my Pre-Trans Barlings the best. However I own a Former which is very special to me.

A nice old meerschaum.

hey nun that thing is colored great man!!!

I'll try tomorrow to get some pics up. I love sharing, I wish I had pics of some of the ones I've let go. I know where there is an autograph vifte right now, local shop, but they want I think 350 for it. shoot, that's a custom razor!

I have a ser jac poker coming back that I loved, waited 8 months to buy, negotiating with my the not yet my wife, then they offered it to me 20% off, I couldn't say no. then gave it to my friend, he recently died so his son said I could have it back, a momento. I don't know what condition it will be in, he really used his stuff, but I'm looking forward to seeing it again. I also gave him a smaller bekler sultan. he told me he really liked it. I didn't know it would survive up there, he lived in montana.

I prefer smaller bowls, as I don't usually get long stretches to smoke. I have a stanwell king that smokes great, has some awesome straight and flame grain.

Red

I have a Chacom sitter, which I quite like. It's my go to and my travel pipe; being able to set it down without a stand is really nice too. This summer I decided I wanted to give meerschaum a shot, so I got an Austrian block carved like a traditional pipe. It's quite nice and was also coloring nicely, so I wanted another meerschaum. For xmas, my brother got me a smaller claw holding a lattice bowl and an acrylic stand.

Just today, I was looking at the lighters thread, and that got me internet shopping. I came arcoss some pictures of Karl Erik pipes and decided I wanted one. So, on something of an impulse, I went out and bought one at a local smoke shop (not my usual one, which is closed on Sundays). I rationalized the purchase; I didn't really get myself anything for Christmas, and it's been a while since I've bought myself anything in general.

I am currently having a smoke in the KE; an English blend (house blend at the shop) that I also picked up today. Lotta Latakia; me likey.

There are some great American carvers out there...some post up some pics PLEASE

PuFF