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Post by SailorBen on Jun 23, 2023 22:13:49 GMT -5
My Sister In Law wants to get a pipe for her husband and, feeling overwhelmed by the amount of options, asked for my help picking one out. I'm leaning toward briar over cob for longevity, since it will be an anniversary gift.
I've narrowed it down to a final 4:
- Rossi Vittoria 8616 Bent billiard
- Rossi Vittoria 8320 Author
- Morgan Bones Bent Egg
- Morgan Bones Little Bent Brandy
I'm thinking a bent shape for balance and clenchability while he works (he's a jeweler by trade and works on old Datsun trucks for fun), but a straight billiard or Dublin might work too.
What do you guys think? Which would you have wanted to have as a first pipe? What might best strike the balance between a workhorse for someone who's new and wants to try everything and something he can happily reach for in the rotation after acquiring a few more pipes down the road? Or am I off base and should consider something else entirely? Should she just go for a pear wood churchwarden from Eastern Europe on Etsy? Would love to hear your thoughts and ideas.
Thanks!
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Post by urbino on Jun 23, 2023 22:35:11 GMT -5
I'll go with the billiard. Classic. Hard to go wrong with. Lighter than an author, usually. Briar's a good choice, and so is Rossi.
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Post by Ronv69 on Jun 23, 2023 22:40:42 GMT -5
The 8320 is a great pipe, but not clenchable. A straight billiard is best to start with m
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Post by trailboss on Jun 23, 2023 22:57:15 GMT -5
I am no help...has he shown any interest in smoking?
Does he like cigars?
Is she trying to wean him from cigarettes?
My experience with people that have never smoked, is that everything in our society tells them that smoking is foolish, and unless they have shown an interest in trying it out, it will be a hard sell.
I would go with a cob and spend more time thinking about tobacco choices...top shelf Aro, English, Virginia blends, and guide him through the process to avoid rookie mistakes like freight training a bowl and roasting the tongue.
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Post by Silver on Jun 23, 2023 23:01:45 GMT -5
I have a Rossi Vittoria billiard with a slight bend. Great pipe for not a lot of money.
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Post by trailboss on Jun 23, 2023 23:49:20 GMT -5
I am no help...has he shown any interest in smoking? Does he like cigars? Is she trying to wean him from cigarettes? My experience with people that have never smoked, is that everything in our society tells them that smoking is foolish, and unless they have shown an interest in trying it out, it will be a hard sell. I would go with a cob and spend more time thinking about tobacco choices...top shelf Aro, English, Virginia blends, and guide him through the process to avoid rookie mistakes like freight training a bowl and roasting the tongue. Just re-read the original post: “ What might best strike the balance between a workhorse for someone who's new and wants to try everything and something he can happily reach for in the rotation after acquiring a few more pipes down the road?” I would still go for some cobs, concentrate on good tobaccos. |
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Post by turbocat on Jun 24, 2023 1:47:16 GMT -5
I think Charlie is completely on point suggesting a cob and focus on tobacco. It doesn’t have to be their lowliest cob either, the BWC #10, Diamondback and The Emerald are all nice pipes that would be excellent starters while still being pipes that would get reached for years down the road.
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Post by urbino on Jun 24, 2023 2:13:08 GMT -5
I think for most people who've never smoked a pipe and are being given one as a surprise, a cob makes the whole enterprise feel like a joke and they're a cartoon character. We all know the virtues of cobs, but as a gift for somebody's first pipe I think something that seems a little more grown up and real is the better path.
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Rattlesnake Daddy
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Post by Rattlesnake Daddy on Jun 24, 2023 9:20:13 GMT -5
I voted for a straight billiard or dublen. I like the bents as well, but those tend to have slightly larger/thicker bits. As Ronv stated, they can bee a little harder to clench. The Rossi 8106 looks to be a decent size.
RSD
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Post by SailorBen on Jun 24, 2023 13:33:46 GMT -5
Thanks, everybody, for the input! You really helped us narrow it down. I think she's going to go for a straight dublin, and keep a bent shape in mind for later.
He has expressed interest in pipes before, so it's not quite an "out of the blue" kind of gift. Also I think your recommendations to focus on the tobacco and building good technique to enjoy it properly is spot on. Their anniversary is next week, so I'll let you know how the gift goes over.
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Post by Goldbrick on Jun 24, 2023 14:48:36 GMT -5
The 8320 is a great pipe, but not clenchable. A straight billiard is best to start with m And there is the issue...if you can get a Rossi in a 8606, he'll have a well balanced bent billiard with an ample sized bowl. I have around 200 pipes and I'm still loving my fifth pipe purchase, from by in 79, a Savinelli Estella 606, in fact I've smoked it a few times this week. I don't own a 320 for the reason above, but I do have a 616, and like it...I just don't love it. |
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Post by Ronv69 on Jun 24, 2023 19:34:54 GMT -5
The 8320 is a great pipe, but not clenchable. A straight billiard is best to start with m And there is the issue...if you can get a Rossi in a 8606, he'll have a well balanced bent billiard with an ample sized bowl. I have around 200 pipes and I'm still loving my fifth pipe purchase, from by in 79, a Savinelli Estella 606, in fact I've smoked it a few times this week. I don't own a 320 for the reason above, but I do have a 616, and like it...I just don't love it. He might not be a clencher. Time will tell. If he isn't, he'll want a 320. |
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Post by don on Jun 26, 2023 10:45:30 GMT -5
And there is the issue...if you can get a Rossi in a 8606, he'll have a well balanced bent billiard with an ample sized bowl. I have around 200 pipes and I'm still loving my fifth pipe purchase, from by in 79, a Savinelli Estella 606, in fact I've smoked it a few times this week. I don't own a 320 for the reason above, but I do have a 616, and like it...I just don't love it. He might not be a clencher. Time will tell. If he isn't, he'll want a 320. He can hold the 320 and clench his butt cheeks.🤪 |
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Post by johnlawitzke on Jun 27, 2023 17:36:19 GMT -5
One aspect that no one else has mentioned… for a new pipe smoker, I would go with straight over bent because they tend to smoke dryer.
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Post by urbino on Jun 27, 2023 18:03:44 GMT -5
One aspect that no one else has mentioned… for a new pipe smoker, I would go with straight over bent because they tend to smoke dryer. Good point. |
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Post by adui on Jun 27, 2023 20:23:08 GMT -5
I know it probably doesn't help much, but I picked other. As a carver on a tight budget, I would carve my brother my best and gift it.
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tree16
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Post by tree16 on Jul 11, 2023 11:33:54 GMT -5
Is the jury still out on the straight Dublin or is he already bit by the PAD bug?
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Zach
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Post by Zach on Jul 13, 2023 20:52:59 GMT -5
You made a good selection. While I'm a massive proponent of cobs, I'd also tend to agree it's just a poor choice for a first pipe these days. As a gift, a cob can come across as very cheap because outgroup folks do look at cobs as if they're not possibly serious to smoke out of consistently. I've had numerous people throughout the years question if a cob I was smoking was really made out of real corn cob, or if it was made to just look like corn cob. Those folks typically can't even believe you can even smoke out of a corn cob, and they think it's a prop. If the guy does happen to become a convert and starts really pipesmoking, he should of course get several cobs. Nothing smokes better.
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Post by Gypo on Jul 14, 2023 19:09:32 GMT -5
You made a good selection. While I'm a massive proponent of cobs, I'd also tend to agree it's just a poor choice for a first pipe these days. As a gift, a cob can come across as very cheap because outgroup folks do look at cobs as if they're not possibly serious to smoke out of consistently. I've had numerous people throughout the years question if a cob I was smoking was really made out of real corn cob, or if it was made to just look like corn cob. Those folks typically can't even believe you can even smoke out of a corn cob, and they think it's a prop. If the guy does happen to become a convert and starts really pipesmoking, he should of course get several cobs. Nothing smokes better. Very well written and I too would did not want to start smoking a cob but after about two years became a convert. I enjoy my cobs very much I have about 18 cobs in my hutch. |
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