Hello, this is my first post!
I had a Grabow pipe back in college, and then quit smoking it after a couple of years. Now I would like to start again, but feel totally unprepared to choose a pipe. 8O
I have tried shopping at a couple of websites, and just felt lost. The closest store that sells pipes is quite a distance from me, and they seem to only sell higher end pipes. I don't want to spend more than $100 for my first pipe.
As to shape, I know that I prefer a bent pipe, but beyond that I feel lost. Do you have any advice for a total novice on choosing a pipe? Where is a good and reliable place to shop online? Any suggestions as to manufacturer?
Thank you in advance!
Steve
Choosing my first pipe - help please!
Steve,
You might find that the people on ASP will better be able to answer this question for you. If you don't know what that is, go to google, click groups, and type in alt.smokers.pipes and you will find plenty of pipesmokers eager to help you.
As far as suggestions for first pipes, I would say that you would do well to check out ebay. I would buy an estate Stanwell, which you can pick up for $30-50. Or, for around $100 you can pick up an estate Dunhill. That is, if you don't mind smoking a used pipe.
Hope this helps,
Jeff
You might find that the people on ASP will better be able to answer this question for you. If you don't know what that is, go to google, click groups, and type in alt.smokers.pipes and you will find plenty of pipesmokers eager to help you.
As far as suggestions for first pipes, I would say that you would do well to check out ebay. I would buy an estate Stanwell, which you can pick up for $30-50. Or, for around $100 you can pick up an estate Dunhill. That is, if you don't mind smoking a used pipe.
Hope this helps,
Jeff
Steve,
You have asked a kind of big question. I am sure my post will be followed by a flood of others from individuals who disagree with my advice. I will attempt to give you some honest advice form my experience as a pipe shop manager (mind you that was 15 years ago while I was in college).
Simply put, your first smoke should be a good one. What I mean by that is that the last thing you want to do is suffer through a rough break-in period with a pipe when it smokes hot and can taste like burning wood. Don't know if you are aware but "most" pipes need to be smoked 10 - 20 times before they smoke well. This break-in period will leave a cake of carbon on the inside of the pipe. After this has formed it will smoke cooler with a much cleaner taste.
The point is that it can be very beneficial for a beginner pipe smoker to start with a pipe that has already been broken-in by someone else. You can stay within your price range, under $100, and get a very respectable used pipe but we don’t like to call them “used”. That sounds bad. So what we call them is “estate” pipes. There are many sites who sell estate pipes. If you pick a pipe in the $75 – $100 range at one of these sites then you should be getting a pipe from a recognized maker of decent quality. Sandblasted and rusticated finishes are generally less expensive than smooth finishes but they smoke just as well, if they are from the same maker as the smooth finished pipe. Rusticated tend to be the least expensive then sandblasts. They are the same wood as the smooth pipes. It is just that he outside surface has been handled in a different way, generally for esthetic reasons (i.e. the wood wasn’t attractive enough to be a smooth finished pipe). So, buy a rusticated or sandblast because you will get more bang for your buck.
Once you have enjoyed smoking this pipe for a while then you will know better what you like about it and don’t like about it when you seek to buy a second and then third pipe. It generally takes a while to come up with one’s own “favorite” shape or style. Some people don’t ever find it and prefer to have many different styles and shapes.
E-mail the site and ask them questions as to whether they have refurbished the pipe or not. Ask as many questions as you want in order to feel more comfortable about your purchase. If they aren’t helpful and forthcoming then don’t buy from them and just buy from someone else, instead. I strongly recommend that you ask them to smell the inside of the bowl. If it has been properly refurbished then it will smell of “nothing” and you can smoke whatever tobacco style you like in it. If it smells of aromatics (sweet, vanilla, apple etc) then the pipe had aromatics smoked in it and it will not smoke well with English tobaccos. If it smells of latakia or perique (even if you don’t know these tobaccos, the seller will be familiar with them) then English tobaccos were smoked in it and it will taint the taste of aromatic tobaccos. So, if you like aromatic tobaccos then get an estate pipe that had aromatics smoked in it and vice versa if you like English tobaccos.
Here are some links for checking out estate pipes:
http://www.vtpipes.com/clearance.html
Look at this one in particular. It is a very good deal and well within your range!!! CL-13. CHARATAN black carved Billiard with new rubber saddle stem. Was $95.00 Now $60.00
Here are some others.
http://www.fineoldebriars.com
http://www.thesmoker.com/pipes.html
http://www.vtpipes.com/estate.html
Worst case, I, and I am sure many other people on this forum, would be willing to sell you an estate pipe in your price range.
You have asked a kind of big question. I am sure my post will be followed by a flood of others from individuals who disagree with my advice. I will attempt to give you some honest advice form my experience as a pipe shop manager (mind you that was 15 years ago while I was in college).
Simply put, your first smoke should be a good one. What I mean by that is that the last thing you want to do is suffer through a rough break-in period with a pipe when it smokes hot and can taste like burning wood. Don't know if you are aware but "most" pipes need to be smoked 10 - 20 times before they smoke well. This break-in period will leave a cake of carbon on the inside of the pipe. After this has formed it will smoke cooler with a much cleaner taste.
The point is that it can be very beneficial for a beginner pipe smoker to start with a pipe that has already been broken-in by someone else. You can stay within your price range, under $100, and get a very respectable used pipe but we don’t like to call them “used”. That sounds bad. So what we call them is “estate” pipes. There are many sites who sell estate pipes. If you pick a pipe in the $75 – $100 range at one of these sites then you should be getting a pipe from a recognized maker of decent quality. Sandblasted and rusticated finishes are generally less expensive than smooth finishes but they smoke just as well, if they are from the same maker as the smooth finished pipe. Rusticated tend to be the least expensive then sandblasts. They are the same wood as the smooth pipes. It is just that he outside surface has been handled in a different way, generally for esthetic reasons (i.e. the wood wasn’t attractive enough to be a smooth finished pipe). So, buy a rusticated or sandblast because you will get more bang for your buck.
Once you have enjoyed smoking this pipe for a while then you will know better what you like about it and don’t like about it when you seek to buy a second and then third pipe. It generally takes a while to come up with one’s own “favorite” shape or style. Some people don’t ever find it and prefer to have many different styles and shapes.
E-mail the site and ask them questions as to whether they have refurbished the pipe or not. Ask as many questions as you want in order to feel more comfortable about your purchase. If they aren’t helpful and forthcoming then don’t buy from them and just buy from someone else, instead. I strongly recommend that you ask them to smell the inside of the bowl. If it has been properly refurbished then it will smell of “nothing” and you can smoke whatever tobacco style you like in it. If it smells of aromatics (sweet, vanilla, apple etc) then the pipe had aromatics smoked in it and it will not smoke well with English tobaccos. If it smells of latakia or perique (even if you don’t know these tobaccos, the seller will be familiar with them) then English tobaccos were smoked in it and it will taint the taste of aromatic tobaccos. So, if you like aromatic tobaccos then get an estate pipe that had aromatics smoked in it and vice versa if you like English tobaccos.
Here are some links for checking out estate pipes:
http://www.vtpipes.com/clearance.html
Look at this one in particular. It is a very good deal and well within your range!!! CL-13. CHARATAN black carved Billiard with new rubber saddle stem. Was $95.00 Now $60.00
Here are some others.
http://www.fineoldebriars.com
http://www.thesmoker.com/pipes.html
http://www.vtpipes.com/estate.html
Worst case, I, and I am sure many other people on this forum, would be willing to sell you an estate pipe in your price range.
Thank you both for the helpful information! In all my years on the internet, I have only rarely used the alt newsgroups, so thanks for the suggestion. And Brendhain, thank you for the detailed response. I saw references to estate pipes a lot in my research, but didn't know what that meant till now. Thanks again guys!
Steve
Steve
Brendhain has excellent advice regarding estate pipes. You can find terrific values on the estate market. I have bought many estates over the years that I have been very happy with (still own most of them, too).
If you prefer to buy a new pipe, however, I highly recommend looking at the websites of some of the fellows that post on this board. Some of them sell new pipes in your price range, and I have read posts and reviews that are very complimentary on their pipes. The benefit of buying one of their pipes is not only will you be getting a hand made pipe, but you will also get a chance to know the maker, something that many collectors enjoy. You will also get the opportunity to buy one of their pipes before they get really popular, and their prices rise. As their prices rise, the estate value of your pipe will rise over time as well.
Good luck in your search.
If you prefer to buy a new pipe, however, I highly recommend looking at the websites of some of the fellows that post on this board. Some of them sell new pipes in your price range, and I have read posts and reviews that are very complimentary on their pipes. The benefit of buying one of their pipes is not only will you be getting a hand made pipe, but you will also get a chance to know the maker, something that many collectors enjoy. You will also get the opportunity to buy one of their pipes before they get really popular, and their prices rise. As their prices rise, the estate value of your pipe will rise over time as well.
Good luck in your search.