Thread: Pipe purchasing help

fwiw --

I haven't been an active pipe smoker for 30 years, but I've kept my old pipes. I just picked up a nice English briar pipe (branded by a Eugene, OR pipe store) for $5 at an antique shop. And that started me looking around the Internet. . . . [ I _refuse_ to get pipe acquisition disorder -- RAD is enough!!!!]

eBay has a host of "estate pipes" (any used pipe is an "estate pipe"). Prices vary, but decent name-brand briars (Peterson, Savinelli, and so on (but not Dunhill)) can be had for less than $50. Sometimes much less.

I also checked Tobacco Pipes, Smoking Pipes, Estate Pipes & Pipe Tobacco at Smoking Pipes .com . Much of their "new" stock is expensive, but there are quite a few 'estate pipes' in the $50 range. Nothing fancy, but they're good-quality old briar pipes.

I suspect that the situation with pipes is similar to that with straight razors:

. . . If you want to practice "conspicuous consumption", the sky is the limit;

. . . If you want something to smoke, you can find it for a reasonable price.

But the days of the $10 briar pipe are long gone, unless you get lucky (as I did) in an antique shop. There are many more briar pipes gathering dust there, than straight razors.

Charles

Originally Posted by cpcohen1945

I also checked Tobacco Pipes, Smoking Pipes, Estate Pipes & Pipe Tobacco at Smoking Pipes .com . Much of their "new" stock is expensive, but there are quite a few 'estate pipes' in the $50 range. Nothing fancy, but they're good-quality old briar pipes.
I suspect that the situation with pipes is similar to that with straight razors:

. . . If you want to practice "conspicuous consumption", the sky is the limit;

. . . If you want something to smoke, you can find it for a reasonable price.

But the days of the $10 briar pipe are long gone, unless you get lucky (as I did) in an antique shop. There are many more briar pipes gathering dust there, than straight razors.

+100 Thirty years ago when I first picked up a pipe $15-30 would buy you a very nice, good quality pipe, these days you pay that much for a varnished over Dr. Graybow filter pipe that hangs on a peg board at Walgreens. Luckily however, there are many estate pipes on ebay and other sites looking for good homes. Most of my current rotation consists of old Kaywoodies rescued from ebay, restored and currently smoking like a champ. In pipes as in straight razors, it's a simple rule, "Swagger doesn't always need to come with a big price tag."

Here's another question for what's become the "help the new guys" thread: What's the difference between the pipe tobacco in tins and the pipe tobacco in the jars at the tobacco shop? Dude must have about 30 big jars with different kinds of tobacco all over the store, and displays of tins here and there as well (but much less conspicuous). The jar tobacco runs ~$4/oz, which is pretty cheap. I don't know how much the stuff in tins costs but I'm pretty confident it's more than that.

Tins will cost more than bulk. Some guys think the same tobacco in a tin is superior to that in bulk but I've always gone for the bulk. Referring to non in store tobaccos. In store bulk could be store blended or factory blended, and may be very good, maybe not. The advantage is you can get a small quantity and some shops will give you samples. In the final analysis, it is all tobacco. Some guys like one blend and some another. You just have to try them to see what your preferences are. You're lucky to have a shop to go to. I only know of one pipe shop in my area and it is 30 miles away.

My biggest complaint with store bought bulk is that it seems most stores use stokkerbye recipes. That is fine if your a Danish fan, or somone who like Danish interpretations of English blends (And I do on occasion) but when I want a heavy on the Vitamin N Tobacco, or a specific brand flavor and feel the jars just dont cut it.

great to start out with, or use once youve landed on a tobacco you want to smoke every day. I have not found that after 7 years of looking.

Good luck and have fun! just remember slow and cool is the way to go.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

You're lucky to have a shop to go to. I only know of one pipe shop in my area and it is 30 miles away.

It is pretty lucky, the place is down the street from my work and they're a pipe and cigar shop (so I can get my fix all in one stop!). There's lots of other tobacco shops around but this one is convenient and the guys there are pretty cool. They've got a good selection of cigars, and like I said about 30-40 big jars of various pipe tobaccos, one section for "English" and one section for "aromatic." It's nice to be able to walk around and smell them all before making a decision, even though I find they are usually different when smoking than just smelling out of the jar. What's even better is there's usually a few guys just hanging out with pipes, and you can smell what they're smoking. I went in the other day and the owner was smoking some "vanilla custard." In the jar it smelled way to sweet for me, but out of the pipe it was pretty nice, so I grabbed an ounce. And if I don't end up liking it, $4 isn't going to kill me.

One of these days I'll change it up and grab a tin to see how I like it.

I don't really know why,but I have found the house blends at my local shop to be a bit bitey.I get tinned and I like it quite a bit.But then I like aromatics so it's easier on the tongue at least for me.

This guy seems to have a pretty decent selection of Estate Pipes
Pipeworks & Wilke; Estate Pipes - Pre-owned Pipes - Page 1

The wife was excited when I said I wanted to pick up the pipe. It reminds her of her grandfather I went and bought a no name bent apple and a pouch of Cap'n Black. I probably should have just bought a cheaper Peterson to get a better made pipe, but oh well. The bowl gets a little too warm and the chamber was coated in what looked like non-skid paint on a ship's deck. I'm going to hunt around the antique shops and see if i can find a bent rhodesian or a billiard.

Any preferences you guys have on filtered vs non-filtered?

Originally Posted by KingsRam

Any preferences you guys have on filtered vs non-filtered?

It is up to you. I think that many gents here use filters, but I do not because i do not inhale.
There are some heavily aromatized tobaccos that might have a nice scent (room note?) but the taste is (imho) something different. With these i would imagine myself using filters to cut the sharpest edge from the likely chemical tongue burn.