pipe elitism

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Gentlemen,
Pipe elitism in any form is just plain wrong.
In NY, the same thing can happen, because too many people here can drop huge sums of money on famous names without even knowing how to light the pipe. When a pipesmoker starts spending time examining the pipes to see which pipe really "speaks" to him, the staff gets miffed. Lucky is the pipe afficionado who can have a detailed conversation with an interested pipe shop employee.

This elitism has propelled me toward eBay and wonderful forums like Brothers of Briar. Here, we meet like-minded people and no matter whether it's a $20 or $2,000 pipe, we can talk openly about it without fear of being looked down on as too poor (or parsimonious, as I am) to spend many hundreds on a famous name. Do I wish I had the big bucks to spend (or willing to shoot my retirement money) on those scrumptious big-ticket pipes? Of course!! But if tobacco fits into the bowl of a pipe and the flavor is pleasing, isn't that satisfaction enough?

I also have met some great pipesellers, like our own Dock Perry, and craftsmen like J.M.Boswell whose shop you can sit in for hours, puffing his tobacco, drinking his sodas and coffee, watching his big-screen TV, and end up unconsciously buying some great pipes.

Life is good.
Boo, elitism.
 
Lawyersmoker":m2bln0w2 said:
Gentlemen,
Pipe elitism in any form is just plain wrong.
In NY, the same thing can happen, because too many people here can drop huge sums of money on famous names without even knowing how to light the pipe. When a pipesmoker starts spending time examining the pipes to see which pipe really "speaks" to him, the staff gets miffed. Lucky is the pipe afficionado who can have a detailed conversation with an interested pipe shop employee.

This elitism has propelled me toward eBay and wonderful forums like Brothers of Briar. Here, we meet like-minded people and no matter whether it's a $20 or $2,000 pipe, we can talk openly about it without fear of being looked down on as too poor (or parsimonious, as I am) to spend many hundreds on a famous name. Do I wish I had the big bucks to spend (or willing to shoot my retirement money) on those scrumptious big-ticket pipes? Of course!! But if tobacco fits into the bowl of a pipe and the flavor is pleasing, isn't that satisfaction enough?

I also have met some great pipesellers, like our own Dock Perry, and craftsmen like J.M.Boswell whose shop you can sit in for hours, puffing his tobacco, drinking his sodas and coffee, watching his big-screen TV, and end up unconsciously buying some great pipes.

Life is good.
Boo, elitism.
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Well said Lawyer!
 
I'm not sure if I understand the term "elitism" as it is directed towards pipes.

Is the definition held by members here that if a pipe costs $300, or $500, or $1,000 it is an "elitist" pipe- or is it an "elite" pipe?

I just don't get it.

I can say this. There are things in this world that I can afford, and things in this world that I cannot afford- but aspire to afford. For the things I can afford I celebrate my good fortune and the effort to which I spent to get what I want, but at the same time I do not call what I cannot afford "elitist." I may call something elite! As in wicked cool- or the best of the best. But I'm not in any kind of denial and say that's elitist just because I can't afford something bigger or better or more expensive than what I own.

Again- I just don't get it.
 
Ian Minton":ldvzueis said:
I'm not sure if I understand the term "elitism" as it is directed towards pipes.

Is the definition held by members here that if a pipe costs $300, or $500, or $1,000 it is an "elitist" pipe- or is it an "elite" pipe?

I just don't get it.

I can say this. There are things in this world that I can afford, and things in this world that I cannot afford- but aspire to afford. For the things I can afford I celebrate my good fortune and the effort to which I spent to get what I want, but at the same time I do not call what I cannot afford "elitist." I may call something elite! As in wicked cool- or the best of the best. But I'm not in any kind of denial and say that's elitist just because I can't afford something bigger or better or more expensive than what I own.

Again- I just don't get it.
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I think you hit the nail on the head Ian.... If I were to offer any advice to new pipe smokers it would be to buy the best pipes you can afford and don't worry about a select group of collectors who happen to have deep pockets.

Best,
D.J.
 
Danish_Pipe_Guy":861uln9d said:
Ian Minton":861uln9d said:
I'm not sure if I understand the term "elitism" as it is directed towards pipes.

Is the definition held by members here that if a pipe costs $300, or $500, or $1,000 it is an "elitist" pipe- or is it an "elite" pipe?

I just don't get it.

I can say this. There are things in this world that I can afford, and things in this world that I cannot afford- but aspire to afford. For the things I can afford I celebrate my good fortune and the effort to which I spent to get what I want, but at the same time I do not call what I cannot afford "elitist." I may call something elite! As in wicked cool- or the best of the best. But I'm not in any kind of denial and say that's elitist just because I can't afford something bigger or better or more expensive than what I own.

Again- I just don't get it.
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I think you hit the nail on the head Ian.... If I were to offer any advice to new pipe smokers it would be to buy the best pipes you can afford and don't worry about a select group of collectors who happen to have deep pockets.

Best,
D.J.
Click to expand...
:)
 
I think the original intent of the thread was directed toward these tools in some of these B&Ms that think they know everything there is about pipes and automatically assume you don't. I was recently told I must be mistaken, that I didn't have a Dunhill pipe. Not that there is anything special about that at all. But this guy behind the counter seemed to think they were out of the price range of any normal human. It wasn't so much that he was an idiot that bothered me, it was his condescending nature about the entire thing.

I should have known when the best pipe they had was a Butz Choquin and it wasn't much less than I paid for my Dunhill. :lol:
 
jhuggett":sc9jcb01 said:
I think the original intent of the thread was directed toward these tools in some of these B&Ms that think they know everything there is about pipes and automatically assume you don't. I was recently told I must be mistaken, that I didn't have a Dunhill pipe. Not that there is anything special about that at all. But this guy behind the counter seemed to think they were out of the price range of any normal human. It wasn't so much that he was an idiot that bothered me, it was his condescending nature about the entire thing.

I should have known when their most expensive pipe they had was a Butz Choquin. :lol:
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Jeesh that's a bit crazy- and unfortunate. The employers of Pipe establishments should know better than to allow their employees from such an egregious faux pas. It's rude, thoughtless, and absent of character.

But glad to see you made it through the confrontation without committing an assault misdemeanor, I'm not sure I would have;)
 
Oh I can handle that just fine... it's when I walk into a computer store and have some pimple faced geek try to explain to me why I don't want to buy such and such part that I want to go to fists. :lol:
 
The same snobbery occurs in luxury car dealerships. If you are not wearing a suit, you may not get served for a long time.
 
CP":z3f0qlr2 said:
The same snobbery occurs in luxury car dealerships. If you are not wearing a suit, you may not get served for a long time.
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Not where I live. I go into luxury dealerships all the time in Tshirts and Jeans since I don't wear suits anymore, and service is great!
 
Snobery is almost everywhere!. I was curious about mead and went to several sites to read about it. They were all set up for people that already knew about it. I stated that I didn't know anything and wanted to lear. The answers I got back were people looking down their noses at me with almost nasty answers. I could not get one of them to recomend a book to read about it.. At least I know which ones not to deal with. Some how, some way I will learn about it. I know the history about it but nothing else. I am still a little pissed about it but I will get over it and stay with it and find a book that will tell me about it. There is a slight chance thaat I'll have to make my own to get and learn about it, That takes a lot of money that I'd rather spend on tobacco and pipes- almost LOL, rant off!! :sunny: :affraid:
 
Ian":2tpyyqr2 said:
I go into luxury dealerships all the time in Tshirts and Jeans since I don't wear suits anymore, and service is great!
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When Surrealistic Pillow went over the the top, Grace Slick is said to have walked into the Lamborghini dealership in San Francisco looking like . . . looking like Grace Slick. The sales guy probably only talked to her to see if hippie chicks were as free with their favors as they had the reputation of being (and whether it might be his lucky day if they were). He thought she was playing a joke on him 'til she counted the price of the one she picked out on his desk in cash.

:face:
 
Yak":i0gqmpdm said:
Ian":i0gqmpdm said:
I go into luxury dealerships all the time in Tshirts and Jeans since I don't wear suits anymore, and service is great!
Click to expand...
When Surrealistic Pillow went over the the top, Grace Slick is said to have walked into the Lamborghini dealership in San Francisco looking like . . . looking like Grace Slick. The sales guy probably only talked to her to see if hippie chicks were as free with their favors as they had the reputation of being (and whether it might be his lucky day if they were). He thought she was playing a joke on him 'til she counted the price of the one she picked out on his desk in cash.

:face:
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Hee hee- yep- that'll do it:)

Nothing like convincing somebody of reality with cold hard currency:)
 
Long ago, on a far-away planet,
PeeBee":7w2uk0q5 said:
I'm definately in the classic camp, with just a lil bit of freehand.
Bent squashed elongated tuna puffs, and half blast bearded upside down chamber swirlly trumpets??? You can keep em! I dont care if TokaSkovogradten made it. Don't forget collectors, the fewer people that can pronounce the carver's name, the more it's worth.
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:face:
 
I feel that I've actually been shunned on another pipes board simple because I smoke the higher end pipes! I guess pipe elitism works in this way too :lol:

Best,
D.J.
 
I can remember about 10 years ago on ASP there was resentment by some
people about some of the members posting about high end pipes they owned.
So childish it made some guys just give up on posting there.I'm glad to have not seen that on this board,if someone scores a beauty all the guys are happy for him.
I like this board,a moderated board where bullshit is kept away.

Winslow
 
Yak":m1381emp said:
Long ago, on a far-away planet,
PeeBee":m1381emp said:
I'm definately in the classic camp, with just a lil bit of freehand.
Bent squashed elongated tuna puffs, and half blast bearded upside down chamber swirlly trumpets??? You can keep em! I dont care if TokaSkovogradten made it. Don't forget collectors, the fewer people that can pronounce the carver's name, the more it's worth.
Click to expand...
:face:
Click to expand...

That was along time ago....hehehehe

I still favor classic shapes. Dublins,lumbermen/canadians, etc etc etc
I also still like a little freehand, some platue or maybe a bit of off classic flair.
I Still don't like Blowsnails, or Hornyoctabirdstoes... The only exception is Horns, which could be argued as a classic shape.


And I never ment for that to sound as reverse snobbery as it does, I was just getting tired or hearing about pipes that cost more than my home.
 
I know what you mean pb and I am in the same camp. I surely don't begrudge anyone the purchase of an expensive pipe, more power to them. It is undoubtedly just my background but if I had a grand to spend in a pipe shop I am way more likely to snag a few $150-$200 pipes and spend the ballance (if any) on tobacco than to plunk it all down on one pipe. As far as "elitism" goes, in either direction, I would hope that the very nature of what makes a pipe smoker a different animal would prevent this. Just my two cents worth. (Which probably isn't really worth that much, but there you go.) :D
 
To me the whole thing is just utterly rediculous!

In the Summertime my family and I attend alot of car shows and cruise nights. My Dad's got an old Rolls Royce.My Mom's got a vintage custom hearse and I have a vintage police car.None of our cars are exceedingly valueable though all are well kept and well loved.At these shows there are folks with cars that the proud owners have 75K to 100K invested in. Are we jealous or spiteful becasue they bring them to these shows and usually win the big trophies with them? Of course not! That would be silly. We appreciate that they bring their cars and we enjoy seeing them.Their priorities are with their automobiles and they spend on them accordingly!

The same arguement holds true for those of us who smoke expensive pipes.They are OUR priority and we spend most of the extra cash we have on them.I won't ever appologize for doing so either....

Best,
D.J.
 
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