I absolutely recognize this; that is why I said some in the community rather than some on this board. I have been impressed flipping through the pages here both with the pipes posted and the responses. A MM pipe will get as many likes as an expensive piece of briar. It is more the photograph than somebody's preconceived notion of what makes a good pipe or tobacco that seems to matter. I will confess that I have never owned a MM; drug stores up here do not sell pipes anymore, the tobacconists do not carry them (likely not enough profit margin?) and I had not really considered ordering one online. After going through the pages and seeing some serious MM pipe porn I will be searching one out soon.
I just always feel like ranting when somebody feels that they need to put up a defense of their choice in either tobacco or pipe. As Nosewarmer has just stated: as long as you enjoy it that is ALL that matters.
I had spent a lot of money chasing the perfect pipe in the past based on other boards where one poster would declare a Dunhill patent the ultimate smoke, another a pre-transition Barling and yet another poster say that only a high grade will ever satisfy the quest for the ultimate smoke. I do not know that I ever found the perfect pipe, though I have a strong sense of my personal preferences (none based on price or maker- all based on shape, grain, size etc.)
I find that I have really enjoyed this thread and appreciated all of the pictures with extra credit objects. It has the creative juices flowing.