calabash
Full Member
Posts: 560
Favorite Pipe: Baki meerschaum, 1972 Dunhill
Favorite Tobacco: C & D Yorktown, Stokkebye Luxury Bullseye Flake, Gawith St James Flake
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Post by calabash on Aug 12, 2020 6:59:34 GMT -5
With the exception of Ron of RdPipes and Cramps pipes...I would not spend more than what either of them charge for a pipe...between beauty and function...neither of them can be beat in my opinion. Sure you can drop more $$ in a pipe but why? Unless you are just in love with spending the $$. My RDPipes poker is my most expensive pipe ($250).
Baki and Tekin meerschaums @ ~$200.
I have several birth year Dunhills, and spent an average of $175 for those.
I can't really see spending more than that.
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Post by Cramptholomew on Aug 12, 2020 8:53:31 GMT -5
With the exception of Ron of RdPipes and Cramps pipes...I would not spend more than what either of them charge for a pipe...between beauty and function...neither of them can be beat in my opinion. Sure you can drop more $$ in a pipe but why? Unless you are just in love with spending the $$. I'm in the $150-175 range, with exceptions lower than that. Right now, for myself, I'm still selling at what I think my time in the profession warrants. My pipes might be worth more than that, but I try to stay humble, and know I have a lot more work, and time to put in. To go back to the original question, pipes that cost $1K are either pedigree factory pipe, like Dunhill, or flawless execution of shaping, finish, and engineering. I see why some pipes go for $500+, and even $1K, but I don't think I could bring myself to smoke them. It's like a lamborghini vs a BMW. Both are well engineered machines, but one is put together by hand, with all the right bells and whistles - just so. When a stem is SO glassy and prefect that an errant hair could scratch it, a button absolutely uniformly shaped and slotted, a finish that looks so candy coated that the slightest handling could mar it, and engineering that allows for impeccable airflow, that's why you pay BIG bucks. |
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jay
Junior Member
Edward's Pipes....only Edward's pipes....and Buccaneer in the bowl
Posts: 442 
First Name: Jay
Favorite Pipe: Edwards handmade
Favorite Tobacco: Buccaneer, Special Balkan, Scottish Moor
Location:
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Post by jay on Aug 12, 2020 12:32:06 GMT -5
I've got a hand-carved Algerian briar. The briar block was about 500 years old (growing time), and the pipe really is flawless in it's final form. I paid $500 for it in 1985. At this point in my life, I can't imagine spending more than a few hundred dollars on a pipe, and it would need to be pretty dang spectacular for that to happen. My experience is that pipes from reputable manufacturers, or those quality independent makers, in the $100 to $200 range will smoke as well as any pipe made. I agree with the comments that paying more is for extras that have nothing really to do with the quality of the smoke.
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Post by CrustyCat on Aug 26, 2020 1:38:15 GMT -5
I haven't been at it long, but I buy mostly cheap pipes. I think the most expensive one that I bought was just over $100.
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Post by Legend Lover on Aug 26, 2020 5:18:55 GMT -5
With the exception of Ron of RdPipes and Cramps pipes...I would not spend more than what either of them charge for a pipe...between beauty and function...neither of them can be beat in my opinion. Sure you can drop more $$ in a pipe but why? Unless you are just in love with spending the $$. I'm in the $150-175 range, with exceptions lower than that. Right now, for myself, I'm still selling at what I think my time in the profession warrants. My pipes might be worth more than that, but I try to stay humble, and know I have a lot more work, and time to put in. To go back to the original question, pipes that cost $1K are either pedigree factory pipe, like Dunhill, or flawless execution of shaping, finish, and engineering. I see why some pipes go for $500+, and even $1K, but I don't think I could bring myself to smoke them. It's like a lamborghini vs a BMW. Both are well engineered machines, but one is put together by hand, with all the right bells and whistles - just so. When a stem is SO glassy and prefect that an errant hair could scratch it, a button absolutely uniformly shaped and slotted, a finish that looks so candy coated that the slightest handling could mar it, and engineering that allows for impeccable airflow, that's why you pay BIG bucks. I need to get one of yours before you up the prices!! If my mum's house gets sold and I get some money from that, I'm going to send you a message... |
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Post by Ronv69 on Aug 26, 2020 9:49:27 GMT -5
As a general rule, price has very little to do with the way a pipe smokes. With a cheap pipe it's serindipity and you can't count on a great smoke, but it does happen often. Above $100 every pipe should give an excellent smoke, but there are a lot of exceptions. I have Texaco gimme pipes from the 50s that smoke as well as my one 1950 Dunhill. My Radices are all in the $150-275 price range and they are all very good pipes. I have one very used Peterson estate pipe that is amazing, and it was originally a $300+ pipe, but I attribute it's smoking properties to the extreme breakin from the previous owner. It was completely full of cake when I got it.
Ron's pipes are the best that I own. If he was better known his pipes would be selling for over a thousand dollars easily.
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Post by kxg on Aug 26, 2020 11:09:38 GMT -5
I think focusing solely on the pipes may be missing the bigger picture. There is also the pipe smoker to consider. Consider this analogy. You can buy a cheap set of golf clubs at WalMart which will serve the neophyte golfer well. If you put a set of Pings in that beginner's hands they will feel a limited difference with the WalMart Clubs. Give that beginner a few years experience and the Pings will perform far better in their hands than the WalMart clubs. Will that average golfer benefit from buying a custom made set of clubs that a pro might use? Likely not. A pro golfer can feel and benefit from the differences between the mid-range "off the rack" clubs and a set custom made to his specifications.
I think the same is true with pipes. For me, with a couple of years of recent pipe smoking under my belt, I can usually tell the difference in the smoking experience between a $20.00 and a $200.00 pipe; usually, not always. Can I tell the difference between that $200.00 pipe and a $2,500 pipe? I doubt it, if we are talking about how it smokes. Give me another 10 years smoking experience and maybe I can tell the difference.
Put simply, I believe there is a scale of diminishing returns as you move from one end of the pipe expense spectrum to the other, and that scale shifts as you gain pipe smoking experience, learning what you like and don't like and expanding your capabilities.
On a related note: If my Social, Menu, and Financial Advisor finds I've purchase a $2,500 pipe, I will not need to worry about pipe smoking comparisons, so I may never know the true answer.
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