Question?

Brothers of Briar

Help Support Brothers of Briar:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
paddy-boy

paddy-boy

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 28, 2009
Messages
316
Reaction score
0
My pipe collection consists almost entirely of Stanwells and Petersons.
I have become intrigued by Kaywoodies.
How do the new ones smoke compared to the ones of yesteryear?
 
I'm not an expert but I have a few oldies and a couple new ones (mostly 13B's). The older models all have the screw in "stinger" bit (which I've cut off one I smoke regularly), some of the new models have the push in bit. The problem I've had with the stinger is I can't pass a pipe cleaner so moisture gurgle becomes a nuisance. The wood on my older models is thicker and aged more and has a better grain.
They have some nicer grade pipes which can cost a few bucks more but IMO the cheapies (~$30) smoke just fine.
I hope JustPipes wades in here as he is the Kaywoodie expert.
I have found some great deals on ebay.
Good luck.
 
I was browsing Cup o' Joe's section today
Which prompted my question
 
Most every Kaywoodie I have is a good smoker. Now, are they the best pipe on the market? No.

BUT, for the money, you can't hardly go wrong with a Kaywoodie.
 
Check out Grey Fox online for some fancier modern Kaywoodies--the ones I have are fine smokers.
 
There is a huge gap between the cheapo 25 dollar kaywoodies with a metal stinger in them and the higher grade pipes. The "new era" kaywoodies are pretty good value, certainly equivalent of Stanwell etc.

If you are looking for a "better" pipe than a stanny or a pete, then I would pass on the stinger woodies, myself.
 
I bought a Kaywoodie Shellcraft in an apple/brandy shape from GreyFox. Took a bit to break in, but it's a more than decent pipe. FTRPLT
 
Well what can you say? Kaywoodies are Kaywoodies..................

Let me say that I am by no means a Kaywoodie expert, but rather just very fond of them and that my judgement is probably clouded with bias.

I have to agree with much of the sentiment above. I collected quite a few of the older Kaywoodies all the way back to when they were originally push stems in the KBB days before the stingers were invented and many with the stingers. I never have been fond of the the Kaywoodies with the stingers for the reason EJ stated above, in that you can't run a cleaner through them while smoking. Still the older ones are great smokers and are carved out of some of the best briar that has ever been available. The old briar and nostalgia is what attracts me to them. I don't have many of the old ones left as I have refocused my Kaywoodie collecting to the "new era" productions. IMHO they are some of the best and most under rated pipes on the market still being produced by one of the oldest American pipe manufacturers still in operation. I would stack some of Bill Feuerbach's Handmade and POY line pipes up against any highgrades in the world. Bill's remake of the old Thorn rustication IMO is the best in the business. His sandblasts are awesome too. You can pick up a Kaywoodie Handmade or POY for under $200, usually in the $140 range, and the ones that I have are just as nice as any $500 pipe that I have ever picked up. I am sure there are those that would argue it but I am sticking by it. Will they be worth much years from now? Who knows? But I can guarantee you that they will give you a lifetime of smoking pleasure.

One of the things that I like most about them is that they are carved specifically for smoking John Middleton Walnut............. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Couldn't resist that! :D

Unfortunately Gray Fox online store is down right now due to Pat Okey's accident. Apparently he was severely injured and is in ICU right now. It does sound like a good prognosis but no one knows how long the store will be down.

Below are a few resources.
http://www.smfrankcoinc.com/
http://www.pipesworld.com/pipes/search.php3?PIPEMAKER=Kaywoodie&SEARCH=
http://www.parklanetobacconist.com/webstore/index.php?cPath=24_43&&page=1
http://www.wvsmokeshop.com/specials.aspx
http://store.pipesandcigars.com/kaywoodie.html

Below are a few photos of some of my Kaywoodies.







 
One point concerning the stinger on certain Kaywoodies: While it is true that you can not run a pipe cleaner through it without unscrewing the stem, it should also be taken into consideration that you can usually smoke quite a bit without the need to run a pipe cleaner through it.

When I carry a Kaywoodie all day, I just unscrew it when I am finished with a bowl and wipe off the stinger. Most of the moisture collects there, so there is really not much need for running a pipe cleaner through it every time. Of course, it all depends on what you are smoking :)

I would also like to second JP's opinion on this subject, as I feel Kaywoodie is probably THE most under rated pipemaker on the market today. My pipe rack contains some relatively pricey pipes, but more often than not, my favorite smokes come from a Medico or Kaywoodie pipe.
 
KW's are intesting pipes. I've heard so much hype and those that like them are so passionate about them, that I couldn't wait to try them. My first gold series was a bust, just never smoked right. I traded it to someone who had it back up for trade pretty soon.

I have some stinger pipes, and I don't like them either.

There are some very good KWs, but not the economy line. The sterling series are good pipes as well as their thorn and bamboo pipes. I used to like the POYS, but they are so damned big, I don't bother with them any more.

The only 2 in my rotation are a bamboo and a sterling full bent.

Having said that, I hope that you enjoy them much more than I do as others have. I believe if I were in your situation, I'd stick with Peterson and Stanwell.
 
Texas Outlaw":gn8n5qd1 said:
I hope that you enjoy them much more than I do as others have. I believe if I were in your situation, I'd stick with Peterson and Stanwell.
Click to expand...
That's just plain un-american TO!!!

:lol!: :lol!: :lol!:
 
Sasquatch":95iaig6w said:
Find me a kaywoodie that doesn't come from Italy.
Click to expand...
From what I have read, that would be most every Kaywoodie ever made (with the exception of a few years in the 1980's).

From their website: "In 1980, S. M. Frank & Co. moved to its present location in Peekskill, NY, a small city 50 miles north of New York City on the east shore of the Hudson River. With the closure of the Richmond Hill plant in the early 80's, pipes were produced by several Italian pipe makers. The quality of these pipes were not up to our standards and soon this arrangement ceased in favor of a domestic pipemaker, an ex-employee who had started his own pipe business. In 1992, S. M. Frank purchased their domestic supplier to maintain better control of quality and production. All briar Kaywoodie, Yello-Bole, and Medico pipes, as well as private label pipes, are produced at our manufacturing facility in Tampa, Florida"
 
They grow briar in Tampa?

Yes, there is American production/assembly of Kaywoodies, and certainly it is more "American" than Peterson or Stanwell. But I also know that Bill gets some stummels from Italy (that's where my Thorn came from). I don't know if it's limited to the new era stuff, or the high end new era stuff, or what.

My point was really that you can assemble pipes in the USA, but you can't really call them a product of the USA the way you can certain other manufactured goods. Pipes are international travellers.
 
You are right about that. I misunderstood, as what was produced a while back in Italy for Kaywoodie was pretty poor stuff (if the ones I have owned are any indication).

The briar is imported. They do, however, 'grow' the dreaded "brylon" for low-end Medico and Yelo-Bole's at their New York factory. I don't know all of the ingredients they use to make that stuff, but for some reason I always feel like I'm smoking my tobacco out of an old tire when I pick up a brylon pipe :pale:
 
Top