pointers on picking pipes

[javajunkie]

alliteration aside, i am slowly getting back into the briar side of the leaf. i have a half dozen dr. grabow i have bought over the past decade: they honestly don't suck, and now that i have (sort of) learned how to actually smoke a bowl, they are treating me pretty good. but a back up plan is always good.

so, going forward, anyone have any tips on what to look for. price is ALWAYS a factor (anyone who says otherwise just wants you to know that their threshold is high), but i am willing to invest if needed. cheap and cheerful is better. o)

i am specifically looking for suggestions on:
- on line sources? or should i really have it in hand before purchase?
- lines or brands
- styles/ shapes
- my preference is briar, as brylon sucks hard, and meerschaum seems both dear to buy into and is too fiddly to keep up.

thanks, peeps! o)

 

[Grrrrr609]

I bought a couple cheap pipes. Was having bad experiences. Was about to give up but a friend talked me into trying a meer. Found a good meer at a reasonable price and picked it up. I have to say he was right. I started to enjoy pipe. So i bought another meer. Then a peterson. And most recently a Nording. In love with the Nording. Its by far my fav.

I prefer a bent pipe with a large bowl. Big hands so small bowl just dont feel right. My Nording is a freehand. My local sells nording churchwarden stems so i can use the either the bent stem or the churchwarden stem. I like that.

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[mdwest]

There are a couple of "cheap" pipes out there with decent reputations.. but like most thing.. I think you get what you pay for.. pipes are really no different..

I was fortunate.. my father gave me one of his old savinelli's when I first started smoking a pipe.. my wife gave me a really nice viking for fathers day one year.. during my middle east travels I picked up a nice meer... and I have picked up a couple of customs along the way as well... so I've never really had to smoke a drug store pipe or a starter pipe... I've always had something on the decent to high side to smoke..

like grrrr... I prefer big bowls.. but I really dont have much of a preference regarding bent or straight stems.. my savinelli is straight (the pipe I probably smoke the most).. my viking is bent (second most used pipe).. my meer is straight.. and a couple of my customs are bent..

definitely prefer briar over any other wood if youre going that route...

but dont rule out meers... I dont find them to be high maintenance at all... and price wise.. they are all over the map.. you can spend $35 on a cheapie online... or $5,000 on a custom work of art... and anything in between....

most "quality" meers I have seen in the US (hand carved, single block, etc..) range from $200-$500.. but you can find decent meers around the same price point as a peterson, nording, savinelli, viking, etc..

and remember.. Ill be in Turkey this summer.. if you really want a meer.. thats the place to go... (where they are all made)... Ive already contacted a couple of pipe shops in Istanbul and started to get some ideas on pricing.. I am finding that I can pick up very nice, hand carved meers in Istanbul for about 60% of the normal retail price here in the US ($200 pipe in the US is only $120 there... $150 pipe in the US is only $90 there)... If you want to go that route.. let me know in advance what you are looking for.. and Ill pick you one up while I am there...

 

[smokinbodybuilder]

If you decide to order online just make note of the return policy in case you dont like it.

I think when picking out a pipe you should obviously be looking for one that you like the style. After deciding what style you want then just make sure it feels good in your hand. Picking out a pipe is so subjective, just like what cigars you like. I only have 3 pipes. My first pipe was a gift from my parents and its a Roma. It was about $40. I still use it and like it a lot. My other two pipes are Peterson. The reason I went with Peterson was because A) I like the look of their pipes, B) They have a solid reputation for producing quality pipes and C) They are in the pricepoint I want to spend (both were around $100)

One thing I would keep in mind is what type of tobaccos you smoke. I dont smoke that often so only 2 of my 3 pipes are actually used. Roma for aromatic and Peterson for other.

 

[derfatdutchman]

Lots of good choices for pipes under $100.00. A few places to look on the net is cup of joes and smoking pipes, I've ordered from both and have had no problems.
As far as brands alot of brands have value lines, Eriksen by Karl Ericksen, Kriswell by Nording, Viking, Savinelli's, etc.
If your in the market for a handmade pipe check out Boswell's they are great smokers at a fair price.
As smokinbodybuilder said check the return policy before you buy.
One of the first things you want to do is run a pipe cleaner down the stem, it should slide in easily and enter into the bowl with out a lot of fuss. The stem hole should intersect the bottom of the bowl.
Size and shape are mostly personal prefrence. I started with 1/2 and 3/4 bents, but have moved more towards 1/4 bents and straights. As far as bowl size I like small bowls for virgina's and larger ones for english and other blends.

 

[Hoshneer]

My suggestion is Nording or entry level Savinelli. I also suggest going to a local shop and looking at estate pipes. They are already broke in and half the price.

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[Robertsndr68]

during my middle east travels I picked up a nice meer....

You are so cool... I want a 900 year old pipe smoked during the crusades! Haha

 

[Grrrrr609]

during my middle east travels I picked up a nice meer....

You are so cool... I want a 900 year old pipe smoked during the crusades! Haha

I wanna se him bring a "carve your own" meer block home from Turkey.

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[Grrrrr609]

Java i forgot to mention, with a meer u dont have to worry about ghosting like in a briar. Plus u dont have to build a cake. Just pack and smoke.

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[javajunkie]

sorry, ghosting? lost me. o)

 

[UtahRootBeer]

It basicly means carry flavor over to the next bowl you smoke, or the ghost of past smoke haunts you still.

 

[UtahRootBeer]

Oh and on pipesmagazine.com they have a shit ton of articles about this and also restoring estate pipes and picking them up.

 

[apaniagua]

I don't get this pipe stuff. I mean, I would love those cool looking pipes but I can't pull the trigger for a $100 pipe lol. In the meanwhile, I have a cheap one that I received as a gift, does it matter the size and material when you smoke a pipe?

 

[Grrrrr609]

I don't get this pipe stuff. I mean, I would love those cool looking pipes but I can't pull the trigger for a $100 pipe lol. In the meanwhile, I have a cheap one that I received as a gift, does it matter the size and material when you smoke a pipe?

Yes, No, Maybe.......I do know that smoking my Peterson and my Nords are a more enjoyable experience. I enjoy the baccy more. I smoke certain favorite blends in them. The pipes feel better in my hand. If you want to experiment with different blends ie, aromatics, house blends, your own blends then maybe cheap is the way to go so your not ghosting up a good pipe. Even tho I had a few "Good" pipes, I just picked up a MM cob and looking at a MM hardwood now. My feeling is if Im just not sure about a blend and I just dont want to put it in my Nords or Pete I can smoke it in the cob. But then on the other hand I have two Meers. Average price but I can smoke anything I want in them.

So Yes, No, Maybe

 

[Hoshneer]

A cob smokes very well.

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[apaniagua]

I don't get this pipe stuff. I mean, I would love those cool looking pipes but I can't pull the trigger for a $100 pipe lol. In the meanwhile, I have a cheap one that I received as a gift, does it matter the size and material when you smoke a pipe?

Yes, No, Maybe.......I do know that smoking my Peterson and my Nords are a more enjoyable experience. I enjoy the baccy more. I smoke certain favorite blends in them. The pipes feel better in my hand. If you want to experiment with different blends ie, aromatics, house blends, your own blends then maybe cheap is the way to go so your not ghosting up a good pipe. Even tho I had a few "Good" pipes, I just picked up a MM cob and looking at a MM hardwood now. My feeling is if Im just not sure about a blend and I just dont want to put it in my Nords or Pete I can smoke it in the cob. But then on the other hand I have two Meers. Average price but I can smoke anything I want in them.

So Yes, No, Maybe

A cob smokes very well.

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I will search for a Nording =D and start using mine, thanks!

 

[Grrrrr609]

Just a heads up on the Nords. The signature ones, gorgeous pipes,natural color, good price, felt slippery in my hand. I will probably get one some day cause i love how they look. But i keep feeling like it was gonna slip out of my hand.

You can also get Nord churchwarden stems for ur nord pipes. I love my churchwarden stem. Kinda 2 pipes in one.

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[Hoshneer]

Just a heads up on the Nords. The signature ones, gorgeous pipes,natural color, good price, felt slippery in my hand. I will probably get one some day cause i love how they look. But i keep feeling like it was gonna slip out of my hand.

You can also get Nord churchwarden stems for ur nord pipes. I love my churchwarden stem. Kinda 2 pipes in one.

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Wait.... What?! I guess I'm getting a new stem.

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[Grrrrr609]

Yup. My local carries them. 25 bucks. Thought that was a little steep for a stem but im enjoying it.

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