Pipes That Are Just Too Damn Pretty - Or Expensive To Smoke

ghostsofpompeii

Pipes are meant to be smoked, but do you have any in your collection that are either too valuable, collectible or simply too beautiful to smoke and simply use them for display purposes. After seeing PappyJoe's beautiful lighthouse pipe I couldn't imagine smoking it. I'd use it as the centerpiece to my collection - more as a conversation piece. Some Meerschaum pipes are stunning yet delicate works of art that I couldn't imagine striking a match to. And as clumsy as I am I'd be terrified of dropping and breaking them. My four Meerschaums are on the very low end of the price scale, so I don't fear smoking them even after having a few drinks in me (which isn't all that often).

I've also seen several pipes on EBAY with astronomical price tags attached to them and can't imagine anyone buying them to smoke. Kind of like buying collectible toys and leaving them in the original packaging because to remove them devalues them.

Anyone here have something in their collection that's for display purposes only? 

ghostsofpompeii

Where is the edit feature? I typed the word dripping them instead of dropping them and wanted to correct it. Then noticed there isn't an edit feature as promised.

ghostsofpompeii

I found it!!! Oh thank you crew!!! What a great feature.

Woodsman

I have a "Dawes" Pipe named after a Civil War General that is the Stem on Top type, I smoked it once and keep it as an Oddity. 
It's over 100 years old and it didn't taste good to me when I tried it.

Woodsman

@ghosts.  I just sent a MSG about a Stem on Top Dawes Pipe that I smoked once and now is just kept as an oddity. It didn't seem to send. Do you think this is part of my punishment that took my professorship and 139 points away??? 

ghostsofpompeii

I'm an optimist and believe everything will be back to normal by the end of next week. Actually it will be better. Everything seems to be loading up much quicker - and that edit function is 'the cat's ass'. I love it. The Daily Briar discussion had several pages to it and I used to have a hard time getting to the very beginning of the discussion page. But now a couple clicks and I'm to the front page of the discussion.

PappyJoe

@ghostsofpompeii I have smoked all but 3 pipes in my collection at least once - including the Lighthouse. My theory is that real pipes are made to be smoked and it is just wrong not to smoke them. That being said, the Lighthouse and the Sailing Ship are in the rarely smoked category. My large Coast Guard meerschaum usually gets smoked once a month. I have several pipes that have been smoked two or three times but are now just for display. One of those is a "saxophone" meerschaum which I found at a flea market unsmoked but found a couple of hairline cracks in it upon smoking. I also have one of those Bavarian style pipes with the briar bowl, cherrywood stem and vulcanite mouthpiece that I smoked just once and put on the shelf for display.

The 3 that haven't been smoked are 2 Edwards Algerian Briar that I am slowly working on restoring and an old Hungarian Hunter style pipe with the silver cap that I haven't started working on yet.

daveinlax

This is one of the reason I like buying estate pipes. The decision has already been made. I put the first match to two very desirable Dunhill Patent era pipes and a Castello Flame pipe that I sort of regretted. In the end I already had dozens of similar Dunhill Patent pipes pipes pretty much like them so that first match made those pipes just another estate pipe.

motie2

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-briar-pipe-CHARATAN-ACHIEVEMENT-Lane-Era-unsmoked-/401351928567

Vintage briar pipe CHARATAN ACHIEVEMENT Lane Era unsmoked US $11,000.00

ghostsofpompeii

@motie2 That's nuts! But if I had become a wealthy rock star I can see myself spending the money on the pipe more so than a pound of cocaine. 

thebadgerpiper

Some people on ebay think they've struck gold with their items for sale. I just laugh at them and move onto a different pipe.

Corey562

I have always felt that if I buy a pipe I bought it to smoke I do how ever have one or two that I am just waiting on the right place and time to light up. 

ghostsofpompeii

@motie2 EBAY Seller  banandci has had this Kent Rasmussen Pipe, Butterfly for sale on his site for a long time - for the asking price $11,500.00. 43 people are watching but nobody in their right mind is buying. I remember seeing this pipe back during Christmas when I was bidding on an H. S Studio pipe.

PappyJoe

@ghostsofpompeii - no one is buying because it's only worth that to the person selling it.

motie2

There are  pipes on sale at eBay some/many of which do not show up when you just search for "tobacco pipes."

https://www.ebay.com/b/Collectible-Unsmoked-Tobacco-Pipes/156519/bn_3128938
http://www.ebay.com/usr/great-estate-pipes
http://www.ebay.com/usr/pickerkings
https://www.ebay.com/sch/156519/m.html?Category=156519&_saslop=1&_ssn=tobaccopipestore

xDutchx

I recently scored 2 Transition Era Barlings both in fantastic condition. The one in the bottom pic is the King Presentation Straight Grain model weighing in at 52 grams, and the one in the top pic is the Classic Presentation Straight Grain model, weighing in at 32 grams. I most likely will not smoke either of these pipes, until I become senile, and one day drop them into regular rotation..........

motie2

Magnificent!!!!!

pipeman83

Nice pipes!