Best Pipe at $100

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Thomas Tkach

Thomas Tkach

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What is the best value? Are there any talented new artisans offering things in this price range? What's the best value in machine made at this price point?
 
A Stanwell, Peterson, or Savinelli are all quite good and can be bought for around $100. That's the price. The price point I couldn't say. You'd have to ask the companies' bean counters that...
 
Peterson and Savinelli are probably your best choice for a GOOD, well made and smoking production, machine made pipe. ( theses are really "made by hand" as humans operate the machines in the myriad steps needed to produce one) Remember, ALL these pipes at the price point you stated WILL have fills in them. you WILL NOT find a PERFECT fill free pipe under around $150.00 these days and certainly NONE in the "ARTISON" category. But BOTH these firms make good smoking values in the price point you are looking at.
 
I like Stanwells for new factory pipes at that price point. Then again I haven't bought any new Stannies since they moved production to Italy.

At that price point old briar is a good option.
 
Yup. Agree with all the above.

I've bought several factory Pete's, Sav's, and Stannys over the past years and they all perform just fine.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

 :drunken: 



Cheers,

RR

 
The only artisans that comes to mind in the $100 area are:

Mario Grandi (found on eBay)
Polinski (also on eBay)
Alexander Zavvos (eBay)
David Jones (eBay)
UniqueBriar (eBay)
BriarGuy (eBay)

Briar Spirit Pipes (our very own here on B&B)
Bruno Robalos (some of his pipes are close to $100, slightly over).

So there are plenty of options out there. For$100. I have a few savs and a Pete too, those are the handmade ones I can think of.
 
MisterE":buqx2go2 said:
A Stanwell, Peterson, or Savinelli are all quite good and can be bought for around $100. That's the price. The price point I couldn't say. You'd have to ask the companies' bean counters that...
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Savinelli, Stanwell and estate Petersen. The bowls of new Petersen pipes are decorated with paint, inside and outside. Makes them unsmokable.
 
As mentioned, Savinelli makes a nice pipe. I like Stanwells but they may exceed your budget.

Are you averse to estate pipes? If not, there is will be a multitude to choose from. Look at pulvers and briar blues. Both are very reputable.

Decide on shape and finish (sandblasted, carved/rusticated, smooth) and go from there. Give those guys a call and chat briefly about your desires.

I would also encourage you to think about size. Unless you have more than an hour to dedicate to puffing, shoot for a bowl size no larger than a dunhill group 3. There are plenty of posts about what that means.

Good luck.




 
French made pipes are the most overlooked pipes in our hobby. They have over a century of history and excellence in making pipes from the St. Claude area of France.
There are many sizes, and shapes from which to choose and they are great smokes. Many will be on the smaller size like the old time pipes but there are Geante/Giant sizes which are not really that large if you are looking for a bigger size.
Chacom, Genod, and ESPECIALLY Sebastien Beaud make some fine pipes. Sebastien Beaud pipes are frazed machine made pipes just like many of the Stanwell and Savinelli pipes but are actually all hand finished like all pipes are. the one difference between all these makers is that Sebastien's pipes have NO fills whether sandblast or smooth. That's really saying something for a pipe that retails for under $90. Good luck in your decision, any of the pipes mentioned in this thread are excellent smokers.
 
Good advice above.  I don't know if you're pinched for funds or just don't care to exceed the $100 barrier for other reasons, but good pipes can be had for much less.  I have a hunch that this one, for example, is pretty good.  For 29 bucks including shipping, I'd bite.  I've had good luck with old English no-names or obscure names (anyone ever hear of Afflick & Co.?)   I'd go for this one, except: a) in the event of it being a turkey, I don't need another beater, and b) my credit card that links to PayPal was just hacked, so my PAD and TAD are on hold for a few days.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/RESTORED-BY-MASON-PIPES-SELECTED-STRAIGHT-GRAIN-MADE-IN-ENGLAND-TOBACCO-PIPE-/171196548878?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27dc1c070e
 
Thanks for all the replies! I have this budgetary constraint since I should be receiving a check from youtube ad earnings in a few months for about $100. I have never bought a new pipe for myself, so I thought this might be a good time to do so. I have dozens of estates, many of which I really like. A lot are vintage, so I have most of the classic shapes I like. That's why I probably won't go for a Peterson or Savinelli--I already have a few of each. I'm looking for something with a little more flair, but I don't like complete free-hands or over-the-top shapes like blowfish or whale or ramses. My favorite carvers are guys like Rad Davis, Armentrout, and Teipen who do classic shapes with a good dose of danish flair. I like the playfulness of some Italian pipes, too. I don't mind another estate if I can get something really nice that really strikes my fancy, but a lot of artisan pipes don't go for cheap, even as estates.

Thanks again!

Also: I'm a clencher, so a deep bend, slender shape, or short stem/shank are nice.
 
For that price mark (new) I'd go Stanwell, Savenelli, or with one of the Peterson blasted finish models made specifically for Smokingpipes.com. I have a Pete 03 Wicklow that I bought new from them and it smokes like a champ. The blast on it is pretty nice. I'll say one thing, it's a heck of a lot better than the smooth finish pipes from Peterson in that price range which can be be full of fills. Also I have heard good things about Sebastian Beo pipes, although I have read that they can be on the small side.

If you're okay with estates, Nathan at Viking Club Pipes always has some nice under $100 pipes up for sale. I have purchased about 5-6 from him and each one was in great shape.
 
docwatson":dz3kj7o5 said:
and ESPECIALLY  Sebastien Beaud make some fine pipes. Sebastien Beaud pipes are frazed machine made pipes just like many of the Stanwell and Savinelli pipes but are actually all hand finished like all pipes are. the one difference between all these makers is that Sebastien's pipes have NO fills whether sandblast or smooth. That's really saying something for a pipe that retails for under $90.
Click to expand...
Second the Sebastien Beos. I have three: no fills and each one drilled to perfection. Two have a reasonably decorative grain to boot. The engineering/smoking quality for the price is really remarkable, at least in my experience. I've owned a Peterson and several Stanwells and, while good enough, they don't compare to my Beos.
 
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