Buying my first "nice" pipe...need advice!

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If (since) money is an issue : Note that a pipe, like a car, depreciates around 50% the moment you buy it and smoke it/drive it off the lot.

This being generally the case, the $250 pipe you figure you can't (in good conscience) afford is probably a $120 "estate" somewhere. Like on one of our members' sites.

Look around. And check Marty Pulvers' site while you're at it.

Given a choice between a big pipe and a group 4, people new to this typically go for the big ones. And eventually end up smoking them not much after a while. FWIW.

Happy Hunting 8)

:face:
 
petertschantz":40corzmn said:
crap, I went and checked out Nathan's site. I feel a bad PAD attack coming on...
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I agree, he sells nice pipes, I have bought a few, couple on ebay and one at a pipe show. Didn't know he had his own website though, what is it.

Lower grade Tinskys and Cavicchis are just above your target price. Barring that, there are some nice old English pipes on ebay for under $100, just do your research though and know what you are buying.
 
Smoker99":xzkt8bc8 said:
petertschantz":xzkt8bc8 said:
crap, I went and checked out Nathan's site. I feel a bad PAD attack coming on...
Click to expand...
I agree, he sells nice pipes, I have bought a few, couple on ebay and one at a pipe show. Didn't know he had his own website though, what is it.

Lower grade Tinskys and Cavicchis are just above your target price. Barring that, there are some nice old English pipes on ebay for under $100, just do your research though and know what you are buying.
Click to expand...
http://vikingclubpipes.com/
 
Ocelot55":99rbcvdu said:
Save a little more scratch and commission an artisan pipe. You can request whatever features you want and you will have the knowledge that you have a one of a kind pipe made specifically for you.
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This.

Plus check out Marty's site like Yak says. He's always got some great deals on some beautiful pipes.
 
I've bought estate pipes from pipeworks and wilke and been very happy with them. Carole polishes them up to "like new"condition which, in the case of certain pipes, is kinda funny, because she was the "finisher" when they were new.
 
I have nothing sarcastic to say. So there. :mrgreen:

What's the end goal of the "nice pipe?" To smoke or to stare at? To impress your friends? To guarantee a "perfect smoke?"

I think cobs are nice pipes, and no one will steal them. They smoke arguably more consistent from model to model, pipe to pipe than any other made. They're cheap. They also float like a cork when landing a fish from a kayak. Don't ask me how I know this. :lol: Pretty nice, though.

8)
 
Kyle Weiss":sgx0xdy2 said:
What's the end goal of the "nice pipe?"
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I'd assume it'd mean getting the pipe you liked. In this case, a Pete 999. One may think....

Big Tex...he's aiming this question at you.
 
deepbass9":6rduu20q said:
Kyle Weiss":6rduu20q said:
What's the end goal of the "nice pipe?"
Click to expand...

I'd assume it'd mean getting the pipe you liked. In this case, a Pete 999. One may think....

Big Tex...he's aiming this question at you.
Click to expand...
Oops! Well I guess the end goal is to get a pipe whose fit and finish is better than my current one, while still being a great smoker. I do love the 999 in Kilarney though...
 
Big Tex, check out my thread on Moretti pipes. I have more of them in my collection than any other brand. Fit and finish are always impeccable, and you are buying directly from Marco Biagini, which saves you increased costs associated with wholesalers and middle men.

https://www.brothersofbriar.com/t19870-let-s-see-some-pics-of-your-moretti-s
 
A "military mount" pipe, also known as an "army mount" pipe ("military" to avoid discriminating against the other services I presume), has a stem (the mouth piece) cut in a conical shape where it goes into the shank of the briar bowl. Most briar pipes have a straight column that inserts from the stem into the shank, and since the two pieces (vulcanite or lucite stem and wooden shank) are of two different materials, they cool at different rates and restrict their dimensions at different rates when they are separated. That was a very bad sentence. My point is that in a traditional joint between the two, a column shaped "tenon" piece which inserts from the stem into the shank, when you pull the two pieces apart when the pipe is hot, they will start to cool at different rates, thus changing their sizes in relationship to one another. If a pipe is pulled apart hot in this way, several times, the tight joint between the stem and the shank will be lost.

However, on a military or army mount pipe, the stem fits into the shank with a slightly conical insert instead of a columnular one, so it's only a matter of pushing the military stem into the conical recess of the shank, or pulling the two apart even when hot. The tightness of their joint, when pressed together, will never be lost. (And they're great to carry in a breast pocket separated without risk of breakage.)

The point for this thread, that the military mount doesn't need to worry about passing the pipe cleaner test, is that when one goes to use a pipe cleaner mid-smoke on a hot military mount pipe, one first separates the stem from the shank and runs the pipe cleaner directly into the shank and separately directly through the stem. Thus the need to insert a pipe cleaner at the button, say, and run it all the way through to the bowl bottom, as in a regular mount pipe, doesn't arise.

I love the fun of military mounts. It brings out the hardware store gadgetry lover in me.
 
Definitely recommend the estate route as many have mentioned. Other than my Peterson Zippo set which was my first nice pipe purchase that I got new off of Amazon the end of 2011 mine have all been estate pipes. I got my Cavicchi for $90 in basically new condition and they go for double that new. Still a great value for what you get at the new price but can't beat an even better deal as an estate. I also got an unsmoked Boswell estate for $95 and an estate Savinelli 320 for $40.

Estates are a great way to build up a collection and get more bang for your buck. I've approached pipes like I did guitars when I was heavy into collecting them. I set a price of no more than $1000 for a guitar and was able to get some great guitars that were much more than that new and saved a lot of money. Right now in my collection building phase I have decided to not go above $100 for a pipe. It can be slightly limiting but it helps you get more pipes and build the collection which is nice.

There's definitely lots of nice brands that are in your range though as new pipes. I really like my Peterson and Savinelli a lot. I've heard great things about Stanwells as well and actually had one ordered as an Estate last week but it was sold right before I checked out so didn't get it. There's great people with great advice and knowledge on here so just do your research and enjoy whatever you do end up adding to the collection.
 
For new pipes, the best you will get in that range are the higher end Stanwell, Savinelli, Bringham, Peterson's, Luciano, Nording, etc.

All excellent choices and mostly dependent on your aesthetic preferences.
 
I just bought 5 estates off ebay for $150.00. No name pipes are a third of what you pay for a name pipe. Trouble begins soon as it says Radice, Charatan or Cavicchi. Artisan pipes are a good bit better made, but arguably Stanwells are not. If you do your research you can find pipes made by a name maker that were seconds or whose stamp does not name the maker, sold to a pipe shop that was under contract.

I used to think that buying quality meant buying an estate between $150.00 and $250.00, and I must admit doing so secured me more desirable pipes. But I don't think buying as above is going to yield only fair smokers. We'll see.
 
Hello, when i was in search for a new pipe i stumbled upon a store called Boswell. its a family owned business where they make there own pipes from carefully selected briar. they are the nicest people. and there pipes are awesome, so check em out if in need of any kind of pipe or baccy
 
You can pay a lot extra for a name on a pipe. But you can't taste it. 8)

:face:
 
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