Best Pipes Under 100 bucks?

[free_byrd15]

Sorry for all the recent posts but I'm becoming addicted to learning all I can about pipes and expanding my knowledge.
Whats the best pipe under 100 bucks, both smooth and a sandblast/rusticated? I've looked an some sale pipes here
http://www.iwanries.com/Category_C518.cfma and they seem like a good deal.

I'm saving for a new pipe and I'm just curious what you all think

 

[Puff Daddy]

If I were to have to start over and had a limit of $100 per pipe or less (buying new pipes only) I'd go with Stanwell. They are simply very well made, they consistently smoke very well and are a great value.

Look here: http://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/new/stanwell/index.cfm

 

[Doc Manhattan]

As PD said, if you want to spend under a grip, Stanwells are a good choice. I like Kaywoodies as well in that price range.

But personally, my favorite under-$100 pipe is my Tsuge Arashi, same price and shape as this one.

 

[free_byrd15]

Are the pipes machine made or handmade? I'm assuming since they are cheaper ones they are machine made and hand finished??? I own a Boswell pipe that is a freehand, essentially all handmade. I love his pipes but I don't want to get stuck in a 1 dimensional pipe maker rut. His pipes run under 100 bucks, so to get away and try some other makers, they will have to be similar price points. I have seen some Don Carlos pipes I LOVE but they are too pricey for me

 

[ftrplt]

You might consider Barling, Hardcastle, or Parker in addition to the excellent recommendations above. FTRPLT

 

[Hermit]

My favorites in that price range are my Stanwells.
I have nine of em now.

 

[Mikem]

I would agree the with Stanwell suggestion. Two other names I will throw out there are the mid-grade Jirsa's (Czechoslovakia) and Vauen (Germany). Both machine made but very good quality smokers for the money.

 

[Justpipes]

All great suggestions that no one could argue with! The Stanwells are very good pipes for the money. I am partial to the newer made Kaywoodies but that is probably becasue they are American made. I am partial to the "new era" push stem designed Kaywoodies, particularly the Gold Series and Shellcrafts. Bill Feuerbach has done a wonderful job at S. M. Frank of resurrecting these old American standards.
http://store.pipesandcigars.com/kaelpi.html
http://www.wvsmokeshop.com/specials.aspx
http://www.grayfoxonline.com/kayshellcraft.html

 

[pipetongue1]

Boswell's.......Ken :tongue:

 

[free_byrd15]

Boswell's.......Ken :tongue:

What about them? Are you saying get another?

 

[Hermit]

I have one, a terrific poker.
Ya gotta check their site every day.
As soon as new pipes go up they sell out.

 

[LL]

Repairman's perspective:

I'm going to go against the flow by saying that a well executed "machine made" pipe is preferable to a "hand made" one that's not a fairly high grade. I see a lot of mid-and-lower handmades that just don't cut it. Thick, chunky stems, poor drilling, weird chamber shapes, and so forth.

In short, buy the PIPE, not its brand, and especially not according to the way it was made. There is NO net result difference between having a frazing machine rough out a block, or a pair of human hands do it with a spinning disk or rasp; while there definitely IS a difference between a machine drilled bowl, mortise, and airway vs. human hands unless the hands are truly expert. The machine made one is better.

Bang for the buck? Mr. Daddy's Stanwell recommendation is hard to beat. Savinelli also makes some nice stuff for the $. If you look them over carefully (because their QA tends toward the erratic), Petes can be delightful.

 

[Anonymous]

The stem engineering oF all three leaves a lot to be desired -- their airways are too constricted -- especially toward the bit. Have LL open one of these properly for you if there's room for it to be (better : replace it with a new, properly opened stem if it can't be) and a major light will come on.

Relative to the above, because it's too funny not to pass along :

Normally, I would apologize for a replacement stem that is also missing a logo, but with Savinelli, a replacement stem is almost always of better quality than the garbage they put on their pipes. I think it was Mike Penix who said, "$100 dollar pipe, 10 cent stem." Having worked on perhaps thousands of pipes, and all the brands you can imagine, and more, I strongly concur.

:face:

 

[LL]

The stem engineering oF all three leaves a lot to be desired -- their airways are too constricted -- especially toward the bit. Have LL open one of these properly for you if there's room for it to be (better : replace it with a new, properly opened stem if it can't be) and a major light will come on.

There's certainly no guarantee a handmade (or even a high grade handmade) will be any better. The tightest airway I've ever seen was on a $2400 piece whose maker has specimens in art museums. I've seen any number of Castellos with a pin hole airway, too.

For that matter, "opening" isn't always necessary. Everyone I know has some pipes that smoked spectacularly out of the box, and measure in the standard range. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

That said, the ODDS favor Yak's view, it just isn't a rule. That's why I think it's best to buy the pipe, not the brand or method of production.

Normally, I would apologize for a replacement stem that is also missing a logo, but with Savinelli, a replacement stem is almost always of better quality than the garbage they put on their pipes. I think it was Mike Penix who said, "$100 dollar pipe, 10 cent stem." Having worked on perhaps thousands of pipes, and all the brands you can imagine, and more, I strongly concur.

I love Marty's humorously pithy approach to the world, but honestly don't know what he's referring to. The mid grade Savs I see are no better or worse than any other brand in their price range. Maybe it's their bottom lines? Stands to reason that any company's cheapest pipes aren't proportionately represented in a repair shop because people just chuck 'em and buy a new one. But I don't know that.

All the Savs I have are either Golden Jubilees or Autographs, and their stems are quite good. Several of them are excellent. Those lines aren't typical, though, and all are at least 25 years old, besides.

 

[hazmat]

I have about 5 Savinellis that I purchased when I was just starting to smoke a pipe. All were in the $35-$50 range at the time(10 or so years ago) and every single one of them still smokes like a dream.

 

[old_salt]

Only have 2 Sav's ; both in the Hercules series, And they smoked great right out of the box..

They are in-expensive , since I don't think there is anything " cheap" about them