Dock
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2007
- Messages
- 1,934
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In preperation for NY in a couple of weeks I spent tonight looking at several hundred pipes on sites from e-bay to smokingpipes.com, to Iwan Ries, to Pulvers Briar and about a thousand others in between. The one thing that I came away with was that lack luster grained smooths are selling for an uncomfortable amount of money. Even some pipes in the $700.00+ range had signifigant washout around their bowls.
I truly think that there may be a REAL lack of great wood in the world and carvers are simply doing the best they can with the fair to good wood that they can obtain. The exception here is Austrian Peter Matzhold. For whatever reason he seems to turn out an amzing amount of killer smooths per year and most are reasonably affordable. I also suspect that the briar mills are taking VERY good care of some high paying European carvers and most all of the small supply of truly great wood is routed their way.
I've made the decision to no longer persue straightgrains. It's just too hard to justify the cost for what you get for your hard earned cash. I will instead spend my pipe money on sandblasts and select rusticated briars.
I wonder if others share my sentiments here?...
I truly think that there may be a REAL lack of great wood in the world and carvers are simply doing the best they can with the fair to good wood that they can obtain. The exception here is Austrian Peter Matzhold. For whatever reason he seems to turn out an amzing amount of killer smooths per year and most are reasonably affordable. I also suspect that the briar mills are taking VERY good care of some high paying European carvers and most all of the small supply of truly great wood is routed their way.
I've made the decision to no longer persue straightgrains. It's just too hard to justify the cost for what you get for your hard earned cash. I will instead spend my pipe money on sandblasts and select rusticated briars.
I wonder if others share my sentiments here?...