When I was first getting interested in pipes, there were certain things -- finishes, shapes, styles -- that I did not like that I now do. I think pipe making has something to do with some of these shifts. For example:
Rustication and Sandblasting -- two finishes that I now like. Pokers -- A shape that can still be very uninspired, but is also a shape that I have seen many examples of that I would love to own. Prince -- A shape I at first found rather girly, the practicalities of this shape have won me over: small, thick walls, comfortable. It wasn't unitl I made one that I came to appreciate this shape.
By contrast, several things that I did like, I no longer do:
Big Pipes -- Since I clench a pipe in my teeth, and since I enjoy flake tobaccos, I have moved to smaller and smaller pipes. 60's-style Danish freehands -- These clumps on a stick remind me too much of clumps on a stick. Swirly Acrylic stems-- excepting amber stems, "colorful" pipes stems do not do it for me. Very much in the same way that crazy straws are no longer my favorite way to drink my beverage of choice.
I'm sure there are more things that my opinion of has shifted...what about you?
Tyler
Last edited by Tyler on Mon Apr 12, 2004 10:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I would have to say that the <a href="http://go-advertising.com?go=poker">poker</a> was a shape that I did not get. Untill I started making them and that shape is the quickest to sell when I have one on the web pages.
As for the clump one the stick, I enjoy making that shape, but I don't smoke any.
Bulldog- I dont own any and don't make them ( not yet )
I would say that my tastes as a smoker haven't really changed. I still love bulldogs, rhodesians, and saucers. Other long standing favorites are dublins and zulus/woodstocks. I also like danish freehands, and do clench them - but they more hang and rest against my bearded chin, so I prefer deeply bent ones. I have added billiards though - I didn't used to like these untilI started making them.
As a maker, I *love* to make bulldogs and rhodesians. I've recently gotten quite good at them, whereas I really sucked even a few months ago. I also like danish eggs and freehands of all types. I've always hated making dublins and zulus, and I still do. Mostly that's because I don't have a suitable tobacco chamber bit - I hope to fix that soon.
It's funny, but I still own a lot of my old pipes, and I still smoke them regularly (pipes I've had for 18-19 years), so I guess my tastes haven't changed too much over the years. I have traded/sold several pipes over the years, mostly bent one's and a few lumps on a stick (these were still quite popular when I started smoking pipes). I used to have one full bent pipe, but got rid of that a few years ago. Every time I exhaled through my nose, ashes went everywhere.
I prefer straight pipes, always have, and most of my pipes are straight. Big, small, I don't care. The big one's stay at home and get smoked while watching movies with my wife. I do have a few bent pipes, but they are either special pipes, or they just smoke too good to get rid of.
Ever since I saw my first panel, I have loved that shape or just about any flat side/square shank variety. I have several varieties of panels, from several manufacturers (all four of my Ashtons are panels of some sort or another, two of my three Jacono's are panels for example). The first and third pipes I made were panels (not pictured on my little web page, but I hope to remedy that at some point), and I have incorporated panels or square shanks in two others I made (pipes 5 and 7 on my web page).
WOW... I'm lost as to the shape names you guys are throwing out there. I can recall having seen a "prince" that tyler mentioned and I love bulldog pipes but as for the rest, where would be a good place for me to go and see the shape behind the name?
There is debate on some of the shapes. Also, the varieties on each in limitless, so some shapes get a little fuzzy as to which "family" of shapes it belongs in.
The one thing that has really changed for me, since I got interested in making pipes are the asthetics. I used to swear by saddle bits. On any pipe. But once I started looking at a pipe as an artistic piece, or for asthetic value, the tapered stems seemed much more appealing. The same with stem inserts. I never saw much value in them. But from an asthetic point of view, they are wonderful.
Overall, I have developed a much greater appriciation of the value of a pipe's asthetics. A billiard or a pot is just pure funtion over form. Nowdays, I find myself drawn to artisitic interpritations of clasic shapes.
I initially was drawn to the Churchwardens and Cuddys. I now find the CWs cumbersome and difficult to do anything else while smoking them. They are nice to look at in the rack and always draw the attention of admirers, but I dont forsee myself owning any others. I did however, buy a few of the Lord of the Rings pipes by Vauen. Very pretty.
Pokers remain my least favorite if not downright disliked and unimaginative pipes to me...The look like a cut tree branch with a stick still attached and a stain.
The freehands are far and away my favorite...particulalry the Preben Holms and Wades. I smoke one to keep the bugs away while fly fishing in my favorite trout stream...that's livin.
Interesting discussion!
I think that, in fact, my preferences for pipes haven't changed.
I still own nearly all the pipes I bought, and they are mainly very classical, I mean billiard and bent billiard.
When I look pipes on Internet, I think Whoww!! when looking spectacular shapes, briar treatment and so on ; I also think I shall buy one, but...I never do, because the pipes that really fit me are the classical ones.
And I have to add that the pipes I generally prefer are industrial pipes, may be because generally they are...so classical.
Those pipes are generally cheap, smoke very correctly, are not too heavy in the mouth ( I like to clench a pipe in my teeth for smoking it). They are harmonious and peaceful.
May be the pipe culture of my country has a great impact on me ; I am french and most of the french pipe smokers are very traditionnal in their wants and tastes. That is surely why my prefered pipes among those I own are a Butz-Choquin maître pipier (french pipe), a Genod machine made (french pipe).
For some moment I felt in love with meerschaum pipes, but was looking with them for the pleasure I have with the briar ones...So I got back to the briar!
I also like Falcon pipes, for the mix of metal and briar, different an classical at the same time.
As you see, my case is hopeless.
But, to salve me :-) I have to say that my preferred tobaccos are not french ones, NOT AT ALL ! They are Dunhill tobaccos, Wessex tobaccos, and generally tobaccos from english factories.
And, to carry out my destiny I have to confess that the next pipe I am going to buy is a Dr Grabow pipe!
Friendly,
Best regards
Emmanuel, french pipe smoker
My preferences have definately changed! I started off thinking the more rustic looking the better. I don't even mean rusticated, necessarily. I mean ugly, "manly" looking. It's probably because of what I associated pipes with in the past.
As for shapes, I was into the outlandish. Anything bizarro!
Now I'm into small, elegant tweaks on classical shapes. Not that the occasional outlandish pipe doesn't appeal to me, but they are not my favorite. And I most definately enjoy smooth pipes more than rustic one's.
I guess my path is probably quite conventional. From the most gnarly to high grade, elegant, pristine, smooth, etc.
As to pipe shapes, I made one radical change and since then have remained a traditionalist. When I first stared pipe smoking, at 18 or so, I smoked only meerschaum pipes. When my collection got up to about 120 of them , when I was about 25, I was starting to shift over to Dunhills and briars. I traded/sold off all but a few of the meerschaum pipes for briars.
I have a few nontraditional pipes but the vast majority are bent billiards (Dunhill 120, 56, 1022 etc). I am a clincher who loves latakia. So, I have always liked small, preferably sandblasted, bents........but I am really starting to like some of my lovats and canadians.......
