Nording

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loco pony

loco pony

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What do ya know about 'em? I just got one my first actually brand new briar pipe. All the others I have are estates , except my meers those I bought new.
I love this pipe. I would post a picture but my phone is ill equipped for the job. Ill see if I can post a facebook link.
 
Below is solely my personal experience with nording pipes:

In my earliest days of pipesmoking, I bought a freehand bent horn shape from Nording because I thought it looked very cool and its only around 60 dollars.

It is quite frankly (no offense to the nording lovers) the worst pipe I own. The drilling's completely off, the bowl wasn't even done properly and it smoked so wet that I just want to throw it in the fireplace!

I still have it tho cause I don't have the heart to throw it away and it'd be way too cruel to try and sell it on ebay.
 
A lot of people say the same thing about them as Isagar states, maybe the newer ones I'm not sure.
I have several, all estates, having only smoked them a few times I can't say mine smoked wet or had any problems with them other then they won't pass a pipe cleaner to my satisfaction.
 
Nording makes pipes all over the place in quality and price. I own two and neither are your run of the mill freehand. I have a small group two billiard that smokes like a champ. Great little guy. The second is the infamous "Duck" pipe with the windscreen. I haven't smoked it, but every time I see it I smile.

Keep in mind when looking at Nordings, especially the typical freehand, is that these guys are turning out a ton of pipes at break neck speeds. Shape something crazy on the wheel, slap a stem in it and call it good. The downside is that there are bound to be more than a few that are lemons. On the upside they are very reasonably priced. I personally would NEVER buy a Nording I didn't inspect personally first.
 
They may succeed in making better pipes but......... it will be one hell of a job to make them uglier :twisted: :twisted: 
 
I've got two Nordings and both smoke wonderfully well ... particularly, the bent Dublin ...
 
Bought 2 and gave 1 away and threw the other away - I agree - bad drilling - unbalanced, and heavy and a huge bowl that smoked hot and even gurgled a lot. Never do a Nording again. sorry!
 
I have one Nording I bought because it was 60.00 bucks, and I needed another "knock around pipe." It does gurgle, every time I smoke it. the stem showed up at my door with a chip in it. I am very disappointed with the pipe.
 
Glad you are enjoying the new pipe. Hope that enjoyment wasn't damaged. Its nice to step outside your norm like you did and I'm sure the pipe will give you much pleasure.

Don't feel bad. I've seen similar remarks out there for many big name factory pipes. You can be every bit as proud of your ebay finds. It looks like you've done well there too.
 
Over the years I have owned and smoked a lot of Nording pipes. Still own several that are fantastic smokes. From my perspective the higher grade pipes (the numbered ones) are beautiful hand made pipes and I've always had excellent results with them. They are expensive unless you can score some on the estate market. The grain and finish on these higher grade pipes is as good as any IMO. However the lower grade freehands are turned out by the hundreds if not thousands like others have said here.
Buying one of those pipes is a crap shoot IMO, and I regard them as basket pipes. That doesn't mean that there isn't a good one in there somewhere but I think the odds are against you.
 
I bought this one from a B&M so I got to look at at it and feel it. Its not a freehand as it were . Its a sitter and I got to check the thicknesses of the walls and the bottom. The drilling was pretty nice too. So I got it,.
 
loco pony":86vadi6m said:
I bought this one from a B&M so I got to look at at it and feel it. Its not a freehand as it were . Its a sitter and I got to check the thicknesses of the walls and the bottom. The drilling was pretty nice too. So I got it,.
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Pics, pics, pics!!!!!!:D 
 
I own a hand made Nording from the 60s.I have smoked it till hell won't have it and it delivers a perfect smoke and looks brand new. This is why you buy an (artisan ) pipe.Quality! The problem as eluded to by Ocelot is Nording has everyone else making his pipes.When they get expensive, He may make it, I don't know. What I do Know is, he has a lot of people working for him now and has evan branched out into cigars.When I got my pipe, He was a great carver. Ocelot is right.There are a lot of pipes all over the place in price and quality. Thats a pipe carver becoming a pipe factory of sorts. Lets not forget however, Nording has forgotten more about pipes than most will ever know.imho.
 
docwatson":ifp094v8 said:
Over the years I have owned and smoked a lot of Nording pipes. Still own several that are fantastic smokes. From my perspective the higher grade pipes (the numbered ones) are beautiful hand made pipes and I've always had excellent results with them. They are expensive unless you can score some on the estate market. The grain and finish on these higher grade pipes is as good as any IMO. However the lower grade freehands are turned out by the hundreds if not thousands like others have said here.
Buying one of those pipes is a crap shoot IMO, and I regard them as basket pipes. That doesn't mean that there isn't a good one in there somewhere but I think the odds are against you.
Click to expand...
This.

I have friends who own a Nording "Signature" pipe and love everything about it. Still, I equate the lower end Nordings to low end (even some mid-range) Petersons -- Caveat Emptor -- inspect these pipes carefully before purchase; if you buy one from an online vendor, be sure to check it out carefully before you fire 'er up.
 
One of the first pipes I traded for in my early years trading circle was a Nording. It was a walnut colored smooth brandy. It wasn't shiny. I prefer a matte smooth finish, and this had an oily feel to it. Of course, it wasn't oily, but it felt oily, almost like how olive wood feels. A little natural wood texture that hasn't been buffed to ultra smooth. This would have been a pipe maybe made in the 80s. Was this a common finish for Nording? If so, was there a name for it or the grade? Any Nording experts out there?
 
.I also have a Nording "Signature" pipe, natural unstained briar. Smokes well enough; just never did anything for me!!! I think I still have it in a box somewhere!! FTRPLT
 
I bought a freehand briar last year at the MCX. There's a little pipe shop there. I believe it was $100. I smoked it one time and a big chunk of the bowl fell off near the top. I took a pic and emailed it to Nording. The reply I got was "Sometimes the wire wheel we use to remove the bark from the briar before carving doesn't get all the bark off. It looks like a piece of bark fell off of the bowl. It doesn't affect the performance of the pipe and we consider that "character." ummmmm OK. Whatever. Nording wouldn't do anything for me since it was "only cosmetic". Since the bowl was stained a dark color and the big freaking chunk of bark that fell off left a sandy spot the size of a pea, I painted it black with a sharpie.

From now on I'll keep my money and Nording can keep their tree bark.
 
I have 3 or 4. They all smoke okay but not as good as my Petes, except for the freehand Extra grade 1, but that was a $140 pipe. Don't think I will ever buy another.
 
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