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Neill Roan thought it'd be fun to post some well known pipe maker's buttons on his blog for us to guess at. It's much harder than I expected. There were two that were obvious, but the rest... sheesh!

Try your luck and see how you do:

http://passionforpipes.squarespace.com/ ... ttons.html

I saw that too, but the problem--uncharacteristically for Neill--is that the photos are not good enough to tell. Take stems off of all those pipes and put them in my hand, and I could do somewhere around 90%+--with the exception of the Russian guy who I don't know, and Comoy, which I really couldn't give two shits about. It's a really cool idea, but it doesn't translate over the computer. The first one is obviously Jess, and you can tell Lindner's and Mischa's because they're so distinctive, but I don't even know which one is mine! The point, however--at least how I interpret it--holds! Your button/slot is the connection between you and the smoker. It had better be damn good. It is like the first handshake at a business meeting--it conveys a great deal, and you want to make a good impression.

TJ

I couldn't find mine either! I kept saying that one's mine, no wait, that looks like mine................

Like you, I could easily spot Mischa's, but I don't think I've ever really seen a Lindner button.

Rad

This is a Thad Johnston lip button:



And this is a Rod Davies:

Dat's gross Bruce.

I was pretty surprised at how little variation existed (or at least showed) in the photos. I thought 3 of those buttons looked like something I'd want to smoke.

"Your button/slot is the connection between you and the smoker. It had better be damn good."

This is bang on. I really think it's easy for a new pipe maker to be cutting stems that are pretty mediocre, and it's difficult and you're afraid to wreck them by sanding through etc, but the reality is, this is the business end of the pipe, and if it isn't great, the pipe isn't great. I don't pretend to cut the thinnest or most elegant stems in the world, but I sure try to make it comfortable and useful.

The result is that I get a lot of comments about pipes being favorites for... "no real reason" or "it's just... somehow the pipe I always reach for". At least one reason is that the user is able to have the pipe in his mouth for the duration of the smoke and it's balanced, comfortable, and not a distraction.

For those on the board who have not seen or used a really top quality hand-cut stem, I would urge you to find one. Not a Stanwell (although they are probably the best factory bit) - all the stems you see on Neerups, Johs, Savinellis, Petersons etc are huge fat pieces of shit. If you have a Ser Jacopo that's getting in the ballpark for the button, but the stem could be 1/3 less thick if it was drilled smaller and widened by hand. There literally isn't a production pipe right now that has an acceptable stem (that I know of). Took me a long time to realize this.

I feel I've gotten pretty good at identifying some bits. For example 60s-70s Dunhill bits are very distinctive. There are also others that are dead give aways. Linder has some interesting and very distinctive bit-work, as does Eric Heberling. Speaking strictly about the thickness of the bits Stanwell bits are every bit as thin as some of the older Dunhills, JC Ashtons, my Scott Klein, & Kurt Huhn. Thinnest bit in my collection? Get this: an old Golden Parker from the 70's. It is also one of my best smokers.

What the Stanwell bits fail at is having a deep smoothed out slot. Italian pipes seem to be the worst offenders when it comes to the slots. Many times it looks like just a line and a hole in the center. Even the fishtail Petersons seem to have decent slot depth compared to many Italian pipes.

Worst feeling bits in my collection? Those darned P-lips for starters. I also have a 2011 Dunhill with an awful bit. Much thicker than the old models. Finally, and I am ashamed to admit it, my own bits are pretty thick. I get them down to 1.5" and then leave em. I'm always afraid of sanding through into the airway. I've done it more than once.

Dead sure ours is number 4.... the Ferrari of the bunch

geigerpipes wrote:Dead sure ours is number 4.... the Ferrari of the bunch

Oh, I assumed that one was a RandomOnePiece (TM). I'd give it "Toyota" status, not Ferrari. If it were a Ferrari, the owner would probably have to ship it back to Modena once a year to have it re-drilled at a cost of $125K USD!

TJ

I don't know the answers but they all suck because they are rounded.