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At what point do you give up on a pipe?

mfresamfresa Master
in Ask an Expert
There has been a lot of talk and advice given here about estate pipes, refurbishing them, what to watch out for, how to clean up stems, etc.  All good information.  But the question lurks in the back of my mind - When do you give up on a pipe and throw it in the trash and buy a new one?  When it is cracked?  Burnt?  Run over by a car?  Chewed by a dog?  Opinions, please.....
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Comments

  • WoodsmanWoodsman Master

    I used to throw out a Cob when the stem was ruined Now I always buy a spare stem or two from MM whenever I buy a Cob, they only cost fifty cents each. I check Estate Pipes from all angles and read the description carefully. If a stem is bitten through or cracked, no buy. I have bought pipes with hidden damage and in some cases have gone to lengths to bring them to good pipes. When I damage a pipe badly I often go out to Ebay and look for a pipe that is in good condition in one area and bad in the other area. If a Falcon bowl is stripped I look for a damaged stem with a good bowl and vice versa, I had an Amphora Xtra that I actually shattered the stem. I went out and found the same pipe with a scarred bowl, bought it cheap and tossed the wreckage.

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  • ghostsofpompeiighostsofpompeii Master
    The only pipes I've ever really given up on were clay pipes that had been broken or had the length of the stem snapped off too short to enjoy. Also had a gourd Calabash my dog had mistaken for a chew toy and utterly destroyed one day when I wasn't home. As for buying a used pipe to refurbish ... the pipe I mentioned in an earlier post that had been caked so badly the bowl was split ... well that's one I considered too far gone to try and save. If the bowl is split or badly cracked I won't bother with it.  
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  • PappyJoePappyJoe Master
    An old Kaywoodie 118R I have just developed a crack in the bowl. I figure it's a good yard work pipe until the crack gets to big to hold tobacco.
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  • DarmonDarmon Master

    I had a pipe that developed a crack in the shank and it would not hold the stem in anymore,  since it was one that I had made I just tossed it. 

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  • WoodsmanWoodsman Master
    an acquaintance  member of PipeChat called Coastie and we made a deal to give it a try. He did a phenomenal job on my Gasparini.Gasparini
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  • xDutchxxDutchx Master

    As long as a pipe smokes well, there is no reason in my mind to set it to the side. Not only can a pipe have damage or mileage that will cause it to smoke poorly,  in some rare cases, a brand new pipe will smoke poorly due to a bad piece of briar.

    Once I set a pipe to the side, the primary question is, "How much time, effort, or money, will it cost to fix it. Some pipes are worth fixing, for a variety of reasons, and some become just a piece of wood, with a hole in each end.

    The decision to restore or repair, can depend on the pipes history, provenance, or sentimental value.

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