Estates Vs. New and the diffrences

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BuckeyeBoy34

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I was wondering what are the benfits of buying an estate(other than break in period) over a new pipe? I ve never owned an estate I have a thing about smoking another persons pipe, but I am looking at the estate market trying to learn a bit.
 
Biggest differerance is price. Estates run 40-60% of new price. Condition of the pipe is always a question with estates. Make sure you know what you are buying. You can get some good deals or get burned. When I started smoking, there was no such thing as an estate. Smoking a used pipe was just considered nasty and not done. Now it is quite common.
 
Smoker99":t3uqr7fc said:
Biggest differerance is price. Estates run 40-60% of new price. Condition of the pipe is always a question with estates. Make sure you know what you are buying. You can get some good deals or get burned. When I started smoking, there was no such thing as an estate. Smoking a used pipe was just considered nasty and not done. Now it is quite common.
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Some guys just don't dig the idea of "used" stuff I guess. Myself, it doesn't bother me at all. Some of my best pipes are estates. The price was right, I made sure they were in good to great condition and now I enjoy them as much as if I had purchased them new. Just my opinion.
 
If you had bought a number of really fine British pipes (branded or house labeled) new back in the 1950s-70s, you would now be enjoying some of the best of the best.

If not, and you were averse to smoking "somebody else's pipes," you wouldn't be.

Depends on what you want.

Pretty simple, really.

:face:

 
To my mind, success in estate pipes revolves around one's ability to clean up a pipe once you get it, unless someone else is doing that work, and there are certainly vendors who offer only very clean estates in good shape. But if you are just picking pipes off eBay, you never know what it's going to be like when it shows up - might look clean and be absolutely steeped in leftover Ennerdale smell or something..... so the ability to get things "right" before you smoke it is nice.
 
I agree with what Yak says and from what I have experienced, though limited, buying from a known dealer of Estate Pipes who does all the cleaning and such PRIOR to selling the pipe, is preferable to buying from a seller on the 'Prey who sells 'em "as is" and you need to do all the work. There usually is a significant price difference but to my mind, it's far easier to just get a pipe that you can start right off and smoke as when new. Of course we all hope to find that garage sale set of 3 ODA 1960's Dunhills that were "...grandpa's old pipes" and we get 'em for a $20.00 bill :cheers: That would be the ULTIMATE Estate pipe buy :p
 
Howdy Buckeye,

I am still new to this too, and so far I have 3 estates

2 of them are awesome, 1 of which is my absolute favorite when it comes to smoking Va's. When my rotation comes around to that pipe, and I go to grab it in the mornin, I think " YES !!! I get to smoke that pipe today "

Also, theres a feller at Walkerbriarworks that has an "Ozone machine" that will sanitize, and clean the smell out of an estate pipe. The price is really good too.
 
There is not much more I can say about this subject. other then going the "Estate" pipe route we may be able to purchase a pipe no longer made. You can not go down to the corner tobacconist and buy a Pre-Lane Charatan or a Pre-Trans Barlings. IMHO many of these older pipes have much better wood, where made better and just have that classic old time look. I imagine a lot of this comes down to how much coin one has in there pocket. Sure we would all love to have a 7 day set of Shell Briar Dunhills, but what it comes down to is whether we are smoking out of a dunnie or a $5.00 cob, if it is a decent cob your still gonna have an anjoyable smoke.
 
It's interesting reading this thread and the comments about estates vs. new pipes... As I was getting introduced to pipe smoking, and getting started with my own pipe collection I was sort of led to the belief that estates were how everyone got started... My first few pipes were either hand-me-downs or pre-smoked gifts.

I have about 30 pipes now (not counting MM cobs) and only one of the was purchased new by me. One other one was purchased by someone else, and I had the opportunity to buy it from him before he got around to smoking it, so it was unsmoked but pre-owned when I got it.

I just got a "new-to-me" estate pipe in the mail from Mattia today, and purchased 2 used (and quite nasty) estate pipes at a flea-market this weekend just to see if I could clean them up and make them presentable. (Side note: one of them has a HUGE cake that nearly obscures the bowl, and based on the color and smell I'm pretty sure that it wasn't pipe tobacco being smoked in this Grabow - but it was $1.00, looks cool, and if I can clean it up enough to look nice it will make a good decoration).

Anyway... I'm sure that I will own many more estate pipes before I walk into a B&M or order another brand new one online.

*plink-plink - my 2 cents.
 
Smoker99":1y0fv46r said:
When I started smoking, there was no such thing as an estate. Smoking a used pipe was just considered nasty and not done. Now it is quite common.
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pre-70s? trading and selling used pipes was everywhere in the 80s. I suspect it was also common in Europe in the 70s.

I always thought buying a brand new car was silly, too.
 
Part of what I like about estates, other than price and being able to buy quality builds you can't easily get now, is that if you find the right one it's perfectly seasoned.
I've never really enjoyed the seasoning process with newer pipes. But that's definitely a personal thing.
 
Did you you ever snatch yourself back from the brink?

When I started buying briars back in the '60s in a college town with a great pipe and tobacco shop, I was steered toward nice Brit pipes, even though I thought the prices were steep. Then, maybe six months ago, I idly inventoried the value of my collection and tried to estimate the value on eBay. I was shocked. Shocked. I started to share this info with my missus. Then I snatched myself back from the brink of husbandly idiocy.

So my solution has been to buy the pipes new and add them to my estate:)

Still, I enjoy my more recently bought Stans and Petes, and probably couldn't tell the difference between estate and (almost) new in a blind taste test. But a classy old pipe's marque is nice to have, kind of like buying a classy old Jaguar sedan in great shape than, say, one of those new fishy-looking Asian sedans that are built to a price.
 
KevinM":g816f2e6 said:
Did you you ever snatch yourself back from the brink?

When I started buying briars back in the '60s in a college town with a great pipe and tobacco shop, I was steered toward nice Brit pipes, even though I thought the prices were steep. Then, maybe six months ago, I idly inventoried the value of my collection and tried to estimate the value on eBay. I was shocked. Shocked. I started to share this info with my missus. Then I snatched myself back from the brink of husbandly idiocy.

So my solution has been to buy the pipes new and add them to my estate:)

Still, I enjoy my more recently bought Stans and Petes, and probably couldn't tell the difference between estate and (almost) new in a blind taste test. But a classy old pipe's marque is nice to have, kind of like buying a classy old Jaguar sedan in great shape than, say, one of those new fishy-looking Asian sedans that are built to a price.
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I also believe back to the 60s even they had a better supply of briar. It was aged longer and that makes for better smoking. I can't remember where I read this but it was concerning Dunhills and it went like this. A knowledgeable pipe smoker was offered a brand new, current year, never smoked Dunhill. He was also offered a well taken care of Patent Dunhill. Which one do you think the knowledgeable pipe smoker took. I know which one I would take and want!!!!!! Something to think about
 
I forgot to mention that I also have no problem with estate women... So any of y'all that won't take a perfectly fine woman, in fair to great condition, simply because she is used... Send 'em my way :lol: :cheers:
 
I prefer estate pipes. I subscribe to the old school quality was better theory. Additionally it's like finding buried treasure. Makes and Models that are no longer available. You can find older brands, and major brands that were jobbed out for Mom and Pop Shops. I find a certain amount of satisfaction bringing a shelved pipe back to life. Someones Grand Father or Father enjoyed the Estate pipe, and to think that it is sitting on a shelf, or shoved in a box until it was sold just breaks my heart. Pipes carry a persons Mojo, and they soak up more than Tobacco flavors and smells when being used. They were a persons anchor point for memories, and touch stones for people when they are thinking and contemplating, or just having a pleasurable moment. All this energy is absorbed by the pipe. I know that sounds all touchy feely and new age'ish but it carries some weight with me, at least.

When you come across that $200 1960's beauty at the flea market or antique store and plunk down that $20 Bill; you walk away feeling like the King of the World. The only feeling that is better; is when you clean that baby up and light it the first time.
 
Well I have a very interesting collecting focus. I kind of specialize in Edward's pipes and the private label pipes Edward's made for non-Edward's shops and in some cases continues to make. Many were purchased as estates and some were purchased new.

Some of the estates I purchased full well knowing I was gonna need to spend a little time and money on to get the pipes back to right. If the bowls are in good shape, I don't mind dropping $20 or more in some cases to have a new stem cut for it if need be.
 
All and all this stemmed an intresting debate with plenty of good ideas and advice.

In all likleyhood I am goind to dip my feet into the estate market, because I can't afford to buy a new Dunhill and some of the other top end brands I want to smoke. Plus I rather enjoy working on and cleaning my pipes and I love a good deal (who doesn't).I have four or five new old stock pipes that were made in the 60s and I have been quite impressed by their quality. As with anything else its buyer beware and know what your getting into. Thanks for the ideas guys!

 
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