I'm in China, and I need your help!

[Growley]

That's one heck of a hotel!  Is the pipe shop located in the lobby???

Congrats on the adoption too!

Thanks! Yeah, the pipe shop is in the lobby off to the side, maybe where they'd normally have a trinket-type shop. It's only maybe 10'x10' total, but it's well appointed.

 

[Growley]

Great to hear the new addition to the family is fitting right in!

As far as the pipes, every piping man needs a Pete. I recommend getting one with a military mount or a Pete system pipe.

This^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^! You can't go wrong with a Pete. Best wishes to you, your family, and the wonderful little bundle of love.  

AJ

Yeah, It looks like it will most likely be a Pete, unless something just totally catches my eye.

 

[Growley]

Very happy for you sir! You've made it through the hardest part (supposedly) and your family is growing in what seems like a very positive way!

As for the pipes, being of Asian-American heritage, I can tell you the Chinese want to do 2 things: Make $$ and make it easy to get it from you. On behalf of the Chinese, I apologize for the state of things to a western disposition, but you have to understand it's a complete and pervasive cultural paradigm.

They will make things look more western, so they'll be more accessible. In the case of crafted goods like a pipe, you are not likely to know the "good" from the "bad" by name only. Nothing is sacred; you can get some nice deals, but more often than not things will be knocked off. :suspect: You're probably already wary of things, so I guess my advice is to aim low to avoid disappointment. :|

I understand that you're looking for a special commemorative item, but I don't know if it'll be quite up to par as the rest of the pipemaking countries of the world. The fact that the shop carries "other" makes might be promising, but you'd never until you smoke them and then is there any recourse if it doesn't turn out right? I guess that's the case for most things both abroad and domestically (USA for us I mean), so good luck!

Besides, couldn't you make your own "Chinese" pipe when you get back? Just judiciously use bamboo and...

Yeah, unfortunately I wouldn't know a fugazzi pipe too well. I'm not a major collector by any means. At least having made a good number of pipes, I can tell one that's put together well. Branding for branding sake won't matter much for this purchase. I'd never sell it anyway. But out of morbid curiosity on it's legitimacy, I'll definitely post some pics and see what y'all think.

 

[Growley]

how bout make a pipe while in China? it would then be Chinese right?

Sorry I am not of any help, but Congrats on meeting the little one I hope everything goes well for you and your family!

...and here's me half the way across the world, without my lathe. What was I thinking? :lol: 

 

[Growley]

I thought I'd give you all a quick update.

I've been China now for a bit over a week. We started out in Chongqing, which is a HUGE city and province. To me it's oppressive, dirty and overcrowded.

My adopted daughter is healthy as a horse so far, but my middle child came down with strep throat. We were getting very nervous for her for a while, but we were prepared with meds and had some great help from a doctor friend back at home. We did see a doctor here who was trained in Western medicine, but it was hard to tell. That's a long story.

I'm sick of creepy food. I ordered some szechuan chicken the other day thinking I might enjoy it. It even looked somewhat appetizing. What I bit into can best be described as stone cold chicken and bone-blood soup. I promptly pushed it aside.

I had the time of my life tonight though. I left the fam in the hotel to get ready for bed, and I hit the streets for some scrounging, or street shopping. I love looking at all the trinkets, trying to talk with the vendors and bargaining for better deals. I bought a very nice fake Rolex as MisterE (I believe) suggested. I told the guy selling them, "I know they're fake, but which ones are better fakes?". He nodded in admittance that they were fake and pointed me to the rolex with the automatic wind. It was one I was leaning towards to anyway, so I bought it for $50.

Only one more week here, and we get to all come home!

 

[BigCasino]

Hang tough buddy, it will all be worth it when it's done! good luck finding better food

 

[Natch]

Growley,

I spent six weeks in Shanghai a while back ('08) and found almost nothing of local pipe production with one exception.  I got to know Lesley Nyng, he owned Gloredo pipes and ran the Shanghai Pipe board (which had thousands of active members!).  He was looking to move production from Hong Kong up to Shanghai, but I don't know if he ever did it.  Great guy, we had drinks and dinner together with other members of his pipe board a few times and I was graciously treated by them all.

I've never seen Gloredo pipes in the US, and only at a very up-scale pipe boutique in Shanghai. Lesley indicated that he was trying to get into the US market, but there were problems.  They looked like really nice pipes.  All I found in pipes over there were horrendously overpriced Dunhills and other European brands that could be gotten for much less back in the States.  Finding decent tobacco was an even bigger problem.

What I pieced together is that the PRC has granted monopolies to several state run enterprises, and although "free-market" competition is growing, if you try to compete with a state run company, you will find all sorts of paperwork and permits tangling up your business.  All the business men  know what this is all about, and don't try to fight the system.  It turns out that tobacco production and cigarette production is a state run enterprise, so helping develop a pipe carving industry or producing decent pipe tobacco is viewed as competition to this cash cow.  

The government involvement with cigarettes creates a rather interesting dichotomy; on one hand they know what the long-term health impacts of cigarette smoking creates (1/3 of all cigarette smokers on Earth are in China, and their tobacco is cheap, harsh, nasty, and many of their popular brands do not have filters) and seem to be trying to curtail smoking (they passed a smoking ban in certain public places in April of 2011, but I think it was mostly in tourist areas were Westerners were complaining of the lack of smoke free environments).  Yet it makes a lot of money for them.  

Bottom line, unless a lot has changed, I doubt you'll find any deals (especially in such an up-scale hotel/boutique, where high-end Western prices are the norm).  The only locally made pipes I ever found were poorly made of unknown wood (one looked like it was carved from a treated 2/4?) with funky metal inserts at the bottom of the bowl (looked like a poorly designed dope pipe to me, not that I would know what one would look like, mind you 8) ) that had what I am convinced was used motor oil dripping from the inside of the bowl (a most interesting curing process).  

Natch

 

[Growley]

Yeah, while I was out last night, I saw two pipes, but these were most likely not for normal tobacco... They reminded me of an old tire iron.

I decided against buying one of those.

But, I did find some interesting pieces of horn that I'd like to use for extensions and such. I'm nervous to buy too much fearing I'll get thrown in a Chinese prison...or even a US one for that matter. Any thoughts on bringing horn into the US?

 

[monbla256]

Yeah, while I was out last night, I saw two pipes, but these were most likely not for normal tobacco... They reminded me of an old tire iron.

I decided against buying one of those.

But, I did find some interesting pieces of horn that I'd like to use for extensions and such. I'm nervous to buy too much fearing I'll get thrown in a Chinese prison...or even a US one for that matter. Any thoughts on bringing horn into the US?

Since real horn is an animal by-product you might want to check with the US Customs office at the embassy about any regs concerning bring this item back into the US. Sounds like your having a nice trip anyway   

 

[rx2man]

Not to hi jack the post. I like rep watches and if you go to the forum replica watches giude at the bottom is a trusted dealers section. $50 is a fair price on a Chinese Rolex. Its probably got a 21 jewel movement. They dont run as fast as the real thing. There are better movements that bump it up but a a lot more money than the 21 jewel. If you look at the second hand, the 21 jewel will twitch 6 times a second ish. The faster movement is 8 times. Does not sound like a lot but the 8 twitch movement is a lot smoother.

Looks like a fun trip, I was there in 1990 and China has changed A LOT since then.

 

[Growley]

Not to hi jack the post.  I like rep watches and if you go to the forum replica watches giude at the bottom is a trusted dealers section.  $50 is a fair price on a Chinese Rolex.  Its probably got a 21 jewel movement.  They dont run as fast as the real thing.  There are better movements that bump it up but a a lot more money than the 21 jewel.  If you look at the second hand, the 21 jewel will twitch 6 times a second ish.  The faster movement is 8 times.  Does not sound like a lot but the 8 twitch movement is a lot smoother.  

Looks like a fun trip, I was there in 1990 and China has changed A LOT since then.  

No no...hijack away. I'm no longer there, and didn't find a pipe, so let's talk about the watch!

Here's a pic of what I got, it's not a Rolex, it's an Omega Seamaster "Planet Ocean" special edition. It's a self-winding watch, and tends to lose 8-10 minutes at night on the nightstand.

I'm curious about the dials at the bottom. One obviously shows the hour in military time, but what do the other two do? Each one is controlled by a button, which makes the hand jump one marker with every click. I'm wondering if they're actually used for anything, or just there for looks. Any thoughts?

 

[mejoshee]

Not to hi jack the post.  I like rep watches and if you go to the forum replica watches giude at the bottom is a trusted dealers section.  $50 is a fair price on a Chinese Rolex.  Its probably got a 21 jewel movement.  They dont run as fast as the real thing.  There are better movements that bump it up but a a lot more money than the 21 jewel.  If you look at the second hand, the 21 jewel will twitch 6 times a second ish.  The faster movement is 8 times.  Does not sound like a lot but the 8 twitch movement is a lot smoother.  

Looks like a fun trip, I was there in 1990 and China has changed A LOT since then.  

No no...hijack away. I'm no longer there, and didn't find a pipe, so let's talk about the watch!

Here's a pic of what I got, it's not a Rolex, it's an Omega Seamaster "Planet Ocean" special edition. It's a self-winding watch, and tends to lose 8-10 minutes at night on the nightstand.

I'm curious about the dials at the bottom. One obviously shows the hour in military time, but what do the other two do? Each one is controlled by a button, which makes the hand jump one marker with every click. I'm wondering if they're actually used for anything, or just there for looks. Any thoughts?

The 2-5-7 dial is the day of the week, the other clock is for setting a time in a different zone.

 

[Growley]

Awesome! That makes total sense. I knew it was something totally obvious... either that or just fake dials to make it look pretty.

 

[rx2man]

I have a Omega PO, but no sub dials. I have a Rolex as well but everyone knows a Rolex and I think a lot assume FAKE. Not that I try to pass one off as real either. I always say its a "Chinese .........." and people know. Wearing a non Rolex always gets a conversation going. I love the P.O.'s, nice looking watches. Yours looks good. Hopefully it lasts a while. If you are not wearing it everyday you may not want it on a winder. My understanding with the knock off is they run dry. The people assembling them would over oil them which caused more problems than no oiling. Well sorta, the watch will eventually grind itself apart but I think people say they get a good couple yrs out of em. I only wear mine occasionally so hope it will last longer.