Considering getting my first "real" pipe

[dlow]

Hey gang,

I'm considering moving up from the trusty corn-cob pipe to something that's got a little more character. Don't get me wrong, I love my corn cobs, but I'd rather get a nice one at this point. I've been smoking pipes for about 8 months now and I smoke about once every two weeks (I'm mostly a cigar guy). Now that I'm sure that this is something I'm not going to get tired of, I think I'm ready to make an investment in something better. Maybe some of you veterans can help me?

My first question is: Would it be better to start with an estate pipe or a new one? It looks like estate pipes can save me a fair amount of coin, but I don't know if this is wise given that I'm pretty inexperienced. If I do go the estate rout, my guess is that I would be looking for one thats not burned around the rim, doesn't have any cracks or bad wear. Anything else?

Are there any brands I should be seeking? I'd like to spend somewhere in the $65 to $150 range. Any brands to stay away from?

Anything I should know about the shape of the pipes I consider? Does this affect the smoke any or is it just a matter of style?

Finally, should I even consider anything other than a briar pipe? I ask b/c some of the Meerschaum pipes are pretty darn cool looking, but they seem high maintenance.

For the record, I only plan to smoke unflavored tobacco in this pipe (primarily just one blend to be honest). I'll use the corn cobs for when I try the flavored stuff. Thanks ahead of time!

 

[Anthony]

I actually prefer my meerschaum to my briars, and I don't find it to be high-maintenance at all. In fact it's much more 'forgiving' as it always smokes cool and even, so I don't have to pay as much attention as I do when smoking the briar pipes.

 

[LilBastage]

$65-$150 opens up the gamut of some great pipes. Some reputable brands are Stanwell, Peterson, Savinelli, Boswell, and Nording in that range (among others). Danbark pipes are awesome in that range, but since Frenchy shut down I have no idea where to get one. Really, there are all kinds of great pipes in that price range. The above are my favorites not nearly an exhaustive list of quality brands in the range you're talking about. There are just as many places to buy them. pipesandcigars is a favorite online retailer of mine, but there are many other reputable dealers.

If you want to go the estate route, buy one from smokingpipes.com or pipestud on ebay. I'd stay away from ebay in general with a first estate purchase, but pipestud is very reputable and honest in my experience. A pipe from one of these will be ready to smoke and in the condition they say it is in. That keeps you from having to do a refurb on your first pipe. Save that for when you have more experience.

Meerschaum is a different beast and I don't have much experience there.

I realize this may not be much help, but the parameter of $65-$150 doesn't really narrow it down much.

 

[dlow]

I actually prefer my meerschaum to my briars, and I don't find it to be high-maintenance at all. In fact it's much more 'forgiving' as it always smokes cool and even, so I don't have to pay as much attention as I do when smoking the briar pipes.

What about cleaning it? I read that you're not supposed to let them build up a cake, but cleaning the needs to be done carefully due to the softness of the material. Unfortunately, my local tobacconist doesn't carry any meerschaum pipes, so I've never seen one in person.

 

[Fia]

I actually prefer my meerschaum to my briars, and I don't find it to be high-maintenance at all. In fact it's much more 'forgiving' as it always smokes cool and even, so I don't have to pay as much attention as I do when smoking the briar pipes.

If you were only to get one, I would go for a meer too. Try looking at http://altinokpipe.com/ or http://bestmeerschaums.homestead.com/bakipipes.html Cleaning is pretty easy just wipe them out with a couple bent pipe cleaners or a paper towel after every smoke.

$65-$150 opens up the gamut of some great pipes. Some reputable brands are Stanwell, Peterson, Savinelli, Boswell, and Nording in that range (among others). Danbark pipes are awesome in that range, but since Frenchy shut down I have no idea where to get one. Really, there are all kinds of great pipes in that price range. The above are my favorites not nearly an exhaustive list of quality brands in the range you're talking about. There are just as many places to buy them. pipesandcigars is a favorite online retailer of mine, but there are many other reputable dealers.

If you want to go the estate route, buy one from smokingpipes.com or pipestud on ebay. I'd stay away from ebay in general with a first estate purchase, but pipestud is very reputable and honest in my experience. A pipe from one of these will be ready to smoke and in the condition they say it is in. That keeps you from having to do a refurb on your first pipe. Save that for when you have more experience.

Meerschaum is a different beast and I don't have much experience there.

I realize this may not be much help, but the parameter of $65-$150 doesn't really narrow it down much.

Check out Marty Pulvers at: http://www.sherlocks-haven.com/ he has good prices and is a pleasure to deal with. You could call him and he could probably help guide you into something good and within your price range.

Good Luck

 

[Anthony]

To clean my meer, I bend a pipe cleaner into a loop for the bowl, and then run one (carefully) through the stem. I also use a paper towel in it after every few bowls.

 

[dlow]

Thanks everyone for the excellent suggestions. I'll let you guys know if/when I get one.

I really wish I could get something like this, but it's a bit out of my price range: http://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/estate/united-states/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=49052

 

[Anthony]

I got this guy on Ebay for under $20. It's Turkish block meerschaum, and it smokes great.

edit: photo

 

[rramstad]

There are some great suggestions in this thread.

In that price range, I'd probably go for a Castello Sea Rock estate. Should run right around $100 or so, depending on size and shape.

In general, I like to buy estate pipes. I don't like breaking in new pipes, and I like the savings.

There are some very reputable sellers on eBay if you want to go that route. One that I've used in the past with great success is username great-estate-pipes and another is mkelaw-pipes. These guys carefully clean and restore everything before they sell it.

I've bought pipes from pipestud too and he's a good guy, gotten some great buys there, but he doesn't do anything to them -- no cleaning or restoration -- so you have to be prepared to take care of that for yourself.

 

[Devil Doc]

You'll be better off with an estate, at the rate that you smoke. You can enjoy it right off the bat. It would take you a month of Sundays to properly break in a new one, and it's not a pleasant experience, in my opinion. Keep in mind I'm a bit more fussy about break ins than most, but I think you'll be happier. As regards shape, that's very personal. If you smoke flakes you need be concerned with bowl size and thickness. Small bowl. Thick walls. Other than that, check around pipe shops and see what feels good in your hand.

Doc.

 

[PhatCat]

This thread has some great advice in it. I have a corn cob pipe as well as inheriting one of my dad's cheap Willard pipes.

I'd like to find a briar like Bing Crosby had in the movie "Holiday Inn." I'm still learning the shape nomenclature. But I think it's a panel type. It's a square-ish bowl and sits on his piano nicely. It struck me as a cool shaped pipe. If anyone knows the proper type of pipe that is, I'd love to know. I'll try to do a screen capture to get a pic of it.

The meerschaum pipes look great too. I like the one you got on eBay, Anthony.

Bill

 

[LilBastage]

There are some great suggestions in this thread.

In that price range, I'd probably go for a Castello Sea Rock estate. Should run right around $100 or so, depending on size and shape.

In general, I like to buy estate pipes. I don't like breaking in new pipes, and I like the savings.

There are some very reputable sellers on eBay if you want to go that route. One that I've used in the past with great success is username great-estate-pipes and another is mkelaw-pipes. These guys carefully clean and restore everything before they sell it.

I've bought pipes from pipestud too and he's a good guy, gotten some great buys there, but he doesn't do anything to them -- no cleaning or restoration -- so you have to be prepared to take care of that for yourself.

Huh, the two I got from him were completely clean and ready to go. Maybe whoever had them on consignment did the cleaning.

 

[Gunpowder]

Go w/ an estate. Your budget is wide

I got the following estate pipes:

Nording-Ebay (ready to smoke) -$35
Stanwell-Ebay (ready to smoke) $35 shipped from Australia if I recall
Original Ben Wade- Local store (Ready to smoke) $45

Dunhil, Guildhall (Comoy second), Kaywoodie, Digby (GBD second), Hardcastle, + 3 others -local find for $11 (requiring cleaning)

Keep looking as there are great deals out there or look for a pipe show where hundreds of estate pipes will be present.

 

[Q_The_Cop]

This thread has some great advice in it. I have a corn cob pipe as well as inheriting one of my dad's cheap Willard pipes.

I'd like to find a briar like Bing Crosby had in the movie "Holiday Inn." I'm still learning the shape nomenclature. But I think it's a panel type. It's a square-ish bowl and sits on his piano nicely. It struck me as a cool shaped pipe. If anyone knows the proper type of pipe that is, I'd love to know. I'll try to do a screen capture to get a pic of it.

The meerschaum pipes look great too. I like the one you got on eBay, Anthony.

Bill

Savinelli says they made pipes for Bing, and one of these maybe the one you're referring to. Payless is where I bought my pipes from. Good people!

Savinelli Bing Crosby Pipes

 

[PhatCat]

This thread has some great advice in it. I have a corn cob pipe as well as inheriting one of my dad's cheap Willard pipes.

I'd like to find a briar like Bing Crosby had in the movie "Holiday Inn." I'm still learning the shape nomenclature. But I think it's a panel type. It's a square-ish bowl and sits on his piano nicely. It struck me as a cool shaped pipe. If anyone knows the proper type of pipe that is, I'd love to know. I'll try to do a screen capture to get a pic of it.

The meerschaum pipes look great too. I like the one you got on eBay, Anthony.

Bill

Savinelli says they made pipes for Bing, and one of these maybe the one you're referring to. Payless is where I bought my pipes from. Good people!

Savinelli Bing Crosby Pipes

Thanks Q!

 

[dlow]

Thanks all for the excellent suggestions. I'm still looking but, I'll post as soon as I find one (or more) that I like.