elric
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Post by elric on Jun 14, 2019 0:16:09 GMT -5
Any Patchers who own & smoke Kirsten pipes?
I've got a few Falcon pipes & they're all good smokers.
I've had my eye out for a Kirsten pipe, a Sitter or one with the aftermarket bits that make them a Cavalier style, but they are so expensive.
One Kirsten Sitter that I've had my eye on was $225.95usd. With postage, import duty & 10% GST, that makes it closer to $270usd.
That's $390.75 in Aussie dollars.
Standard Kirstens are around $125usd. With postage, U.S. import duty & 10%GST, that would still cost around $250aud. No metal pipe that I've yet to see is worth that much.
Why are estate Kirsten pipes so expensive? Are they rare & sought after?
There's been talk for a while that the owners of Kirsten pipes are intending to restart making pipes. Hope they do.
As they would not be expensive to make, I'm wondering what a new pipe would cost.
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Post by peteguy on Jun 14, 2019 0:26:49 GMT -5
They are back to making pipes. Their website is slow and sometimes doesnt work. www.kirstenpipe.com/pipes.htmlThey are nice pipes but not $300 nice IMO. I think if you look keep hunting on ebay you can find a decent sitter Kirsten for $75-$125. |
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Post by smellthehatfirst on Jun 14, 2019 0:28:22 GMT -5
Kirstens are very expensive to make. All the metal bits are handmade by a machinist in Washington state, which is not cheap. There’s no “factory” per se.
A brand new Kirsten starts at $130 for the base model with a simple bowl. The top models are around $300.
They still have some in stock at the shop as of last week, per a buddy who dropped by. The pipes are made in batches, whenever they run low on stock.
Used Kirstens can be had very cheaply on eBay, if you can settle for a straight instead of a bent.
The aftermarket modified Cavaliers are expensive for the same reason as the original item: the adapters and new stems are handmade by the DK Metal Pipes proprietor.
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Post by smellthehatfirst on Jun 14, 2019 0:30:53 GMT -5
A straight Kirsten on eBay usually goes for $20-40, depending on condition.
It’s the bents and sitters that are rare and expensive.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2019 2:05:55 GMT -5
Elric.........here is a picture of my Kirsten.........one with the straight stem and the other with the Bent System. I purchased this fully restored from a gentleman in Florida that “ only “ restores and smokes metal pipes. The pipe also came with a Kirsten bowl. Please take note that the two bowls pictured are custom made by Don Warren. Both bowls were $65.00 each......excellent smoker. Definitely smokes a bit cooler then my Falcon pipes. The long fat metal shank on a Kirsten acts just like a reverse Calabash pipe, your next Puff is cooler once you learn the method of smoking a Kirsten. I paid $90.00 USD.....the pipe arrived flawless with a high polish. This gentleman from Florida makes and sells his own Kirsten bowl adaptors and the Bent System. His name is Doug, a real nice guy to do business with as well.   |
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elric
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Post by elric on Jun 14, 2019 2:34:40 GMT -5
They are back to making pipes. Their website is slow and sometimes doesnt work. www.kirstenpipe.com/pipes.htmlThey are nice pipes but not $300 nice IMO. I think if you look keep hunting on ebay you can find a decent sitter Kirsten for $75-$125. The main hindrance is that every Kirsten that I've seen for sale so far on ebay, are U.S. sellers. For some reason U.S. sellers mostly use expensive postal services (It's common to see $75usd postage for one pipe) plus U.S. import duty plus Aussie 10%GST makes buying pipes from the U.S. way to expensive. I've yet to see a Kirsten from European sellers. |
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elric
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Post by elric on Jun 14, 2019 2:37:58 GMT -5
Elric.........here is a picture of my Kirsten.........one with the straight stem and the other with the Bent System. I purchased this fully restored from a gentleman in Florida that “ only “ restores and smokes metal pipes. The pipe also came with a Kirsten bowl. Please take note that the two bowls pictured are custom made by Don Warren. Both bowls were $65.00 each......excellent smoker. Definitely smokes a bit cooler then my Falcon pipes. The long fat metal shank on a Kirsten acts just like a reverse Calabash pipe, your next Puff is cooler once you learn the method of smoking a Kirsten. I paid $90.00 USD.....the pipe arrived flawless with a high polish. This gentleman from Florida makes and sells his own Kirsten bowl adaptors and the Bent System. His name is Doug, a real nice guy to do business with as well. Very nice. Love the Plateaux bowl and the Cavalier is exactly what I'd like. Is that bowl made from Bog-wood? Does Doug have a website? |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2019 2:44:43 GMT -5
elric..........Very nice. Love the Plateaux bowl and the Cavalier is exactly what I'd like. Is that bowl made from Bog-wood? Yes, Bog/Morta wood. It’s an XL in size and cost me $65.00. I’m sure “ if “ this gentleman ships to Australia the cost of shipping the pipe with a straight and bent system would cost less then $25.00 USD. If you like I can either email or text him and ask if he ships to Australia!?!?!?
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elric
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Post by elric on Jun 14, 2019 3:05:24 GMT -5
elric ..........Very nice. Love the Plateaux bowl and the Cavalier is exactly what I'd like. Is that bowl made from Bog-wood? Yes, Bog/Morta wood. It’s an XL in size and cost me $65.00. I’m sure “ if “ this gentleman ships to Australia the cost of shipping the pipe with a straight and bent system would cost less then $25.00 USD. If you like I can either email or text him and ask if he ships to Australia!?!?!? That would be good, thanks. Postage for my tobacco orders is $20 for USPS with tracking so postage need not be expensive. Not that I'll be in a position to buy one for a while. Interesting that you mention it smokes a bit like a Reverse-Calabash. Three pipes that are at the top of my list are a block meerschaum, a Kirsten Cavalier Sitter and a Reverse-Calabash. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 14, 2019 3:08:38 GMT -5
elric ..........I will email Doug and give you his response later in the day. Enjoy the day mate👌👍👍 PS
He can email you pictures once your ready and both save a few bucks instead of purchasing from eBay.
PSS
Email sent to Doug
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elric
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Post by elric on Jun 14, 2019 4:03:31 GMT -5
elric ..........I will email Doug and give you his response later in the day. Enjoy the day mate👌👍👍 PS
He can email you pictures once your ready and both save a few bucks instead of purchasing from eBay.
PSS
Email sent to Doug Thanks Ted. And yes, that would be an excellent idea. |
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Post by smellthehatfirst on Jun 14, 2019 21:08:30 GMT -5
elric ..........Very nice. Love the Plateaux bowl and the Cavalier is exactly what I'd like. Is that bowl made from Bog-wood? Yes, Bog/Morta wood. It’s an XL in size and cost me $65.00. I’m sure “ if “ this gentleman ships to Australia the cost of shipping the pipe with a straight and bent system would cost less then $25.00 USD. If you like I can either email or text him and ask if he ships to Australia!?!?!? That would be good, thanks. Postage for my tobacco orders is $20 for USPS with tracking so postage need not be expensive. Not that I'll be in a position to buy one for a while. Interesting that you mention it smokes a bit like a Reverse-Calabash. Three pipes that are at the top of my list are a block meerschaum, a Kirsten Cavalier Sitter and a Reverse-Calabash.
The Kirsten literally is a reverse calabash, with a large expansion chamber in the shank. Sure, it's made of metal, but I suspect the cooling and drying just comes from the sheer size of that void relative to the draughtway
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