Pipe shopping

Simple

I love my Missouri meerschaum hardwood but would like to try a different pipe. Being im still a newb I'd rather not spend more than $40 or so. I am ok with estate pipes. I appreciate the input.

thebadgerpiper

Pipesandcigars.com has some different pipes available for around $40. I think you can find a Stanwell Brushed Black or Brown pipe for around that price there. There have been some issues with their shipping as of late, but it might be all sorted out for you by the time you order.

Philip

As long as you take the time and break it in correctly a forty dollar pipe should serve you well. If you are talking about a briar it is not going to behave like your cob, so keep that in mind.

I got a Dr. Grabow not too long ago for around that price range and it has turned out to be a pretty good smoker.

xDutchx

For the money, and the price range you are looking to spend, a cob is going to be hard to beat. I would look on ebay at the cob offerings there, or check out Scott's offerings at Aristocob. The Dagner is a quality cob, with a silver band, and a higher grade acrylic stem than the standard plastic stem. Going for around $25, you could have 2 if you are willing to spend just a little more.

One thing I would have done differently when I first started pipe smoking/collecting, is that I would have refrained from buying lower quality briar pipes, and focused on cobs exclusively, until I could afford to purchase a higher quality briar, with some quality stem work.

When you take into consideration that quality materials to carve a briar usually start at around $35 to $50, it's not hard to understand by the time a carver invests the time in his labor, the pipe usually goes for $75 and up.

judandhispipe

$40 is not a whole lot, but you might try these. Dig around
 http://www.briarblues.com/hall.htm
https://www.smokershaven.com/estate-pipes/

I have done business with both of these places,and would do so again.

PappyJoe

Don't buy a cob off of ebay. You can order direct from Missouri Meerschaum - http://corncobpipe.com/ - and get 2 or 3 good cobs for under $40.

Simple

A lot of great info. Thanks all. Hopefully headed down to a b&m today.

Is the procedure for breaking a new pipe in standardized or am I going to receive 100 different procedures when I google it?

Darmon

IF you can go a little higher the unfinished Savinelli are close to $60 and a great smoke.  Otherwise the MM Grab bag is 10 pipes with very minor flaws perfectly smokeable and its about $30.  I've had a little luck with eBay pipes but some turn out to be not as good as the pictures looked once they are in your hands.  I have found a Peterson 312 bowl with no stem for about $10 and a Savinelli bowl with no stem for $5 and sent them to Walker Pipe Repair for stems and each stem is around $30 so its at least in that ballpark.  Just a few thoughts I had on it.

ghostsofpompeii

@Simple I really don't think you can go wrong with an inexpensive Dr. Grabow. They can be easily picked up at your local Walgreens drug store for right around the price you mentioned. And if you want to feel patriotic ... they're made right here in the good old US of A. When you see that a company has been around as long as both Dr. Grabow and even to a lesser extent a much less heralded old pipemaker like Medico which has been around for some 50 years with pipes much closer to the $25.00 range, for a newbie to pipe smoking it might be advisable to spend less on a pipe and go with a Dr Grabow or Medico and apply that additional money saved to a premium blend tobacco blend.   

Woodsman

Missouri Meerschaum Company has a ten pack of smokable seconds for $33.99.

PappyJoe

@simple - the number of ways to break in a new pipe depends on the number of people you ask. LOL

If you are talking about cobs, I have never had a break in one. I just load and light. First few times you may pick up a little sweetness from the cob itself until it builds a cake.

Meershchaums don't need breaking in either because you don't want much of a cake to build up in one of those either. Same thing for a clay pipe if you buy one. One note on clay pipes - DON'T HOLD THEM BY THE BOWL - they get hot.

Two common ways to break in a briar. A lot of pipe smoker start out with a 1/3 of a bowl in a new briar two or three times followed by 2/3 bowl two or three times before smoking a full bowl.  Others do a half bowl first for three or four times. The idea is to build the cake from the bottom up. I'm occasionally in the half bowl group if a new pipe in not pre-carbonized.

I'm the third kind when it comes to a briar that has been pre-carbonized. I just fill it to the top and smoke. No break-in necessary. 

I won my first long smoke contest with a pipe that broke in that way a week before the contest.

dbh1950

Simple, with only a couple of exceptions, all of my pipes are under $ 80.00, probably in the range of $ 40 - 60, and in my opinion, a high price does not guarantee a good smoke. For me, it is about the quality of the smoke, which is more related to the choice of tobacco. One of the best smoking pipes I have is a Dr. Grabow Royalton, under your price point for certain. Remember about rotating your pipes, smoking the same pipe smoke after smoke can give the pipe, what is called a wet heel, this will foul subsequent smokes. Yes, the MM cobs are really good. Good luck with your adventure.

Simple

Stopped in the b&m today. Picked up a tin of dunhill my mixture 965. Looking forward to trying a bowl after we put my son to bed. I saw some really nice pipes there. The one I liked the most was a butz - choquin (pardon the spelling) but at $97 bucks it was a bit out of my price range. The assortment of Dr. Grabow's was very nice and very reasonable at around $35. I also spyed a yello bole for $23 but the employee informed me that yellow bole's are caked with honey and tend to sweeten up tobaccos. He advised I went with a Dr. Grabow first to taste the tobaccos true and then try the yellow bole after as it may change the note.

It was at this point my wife started to text me like crazy to get back to ikea so I just grabbed the tin of 965. I guess my search continues.

Simple

@dbh1950 Does the frequency i smoke matter or should I always swap between pipes? I tend to smoke two or three bowls a week.

PappyJoe

@simple. There is nothing wrong with a Yellobole. They used to coat the bowl with honey just to help it form cake faster. It's not going to change the flavor of the tobacco for long.

Simple

@pappyjoe I really like the size of the bowl on the yellobole's. Wide and deep. Looks like a long smoke.

I am loving this Dunhill 965 by the way. Excited to try the early morning and the nightcap I read so much about.

Rshey1

About a year ago I found a guy selling 20 or so pipes on Craigslist.I got all for 45.00.
They were Medico & Dr.Grabow. After some cleaning,EXTRA cleaning on the stems.
They all smoke fine. You might check there also

thebadgerpiper

One option I forgot to mention is buying a Morgan Bones pipe. Chris Morgan is a talented pipe maker, who has several lines of pipes available on his page. His most popular pipe are his budget line called Morgan Bones. These are rusticated pipes that don't have any kind of staining on them, but are otherwise finished pipes. I own one, and I'm very happy with it. You can choose to apply a stain on it, or you can leave it be, like I did. The Bones pipes will color over time, and it's fun to see how it progresses after smoking it for a few months. They cost $40 plus shipping, but they're well worth the price.

http://www.morganpipes.com/

Philip

Mr. Simple (no offense),

Mr. Pappy's advice on the breaking in of pipes is right on. You may get as many answers as people but they are all basically going to say what he said, with very little differences. Keep in mind though that Mr. Pappy is a very slow smoker so just filling it up and going to town would be fine in his case, but if you're rambunctious you might get carried away and damage your new briar. Err on the side of caution if you are inexperienced, or even if you're not for that matter. 

You also want to give that pipe some time to rest between smokes. We are talking about hours or days not minutes. That's one of the reasons people have collections. They rotate them around. That's why cobs are a really good way to go. If you take care of them they will last a long time. Not like a briar that could last a lifetime and beyond but I've got cobs that I've smoked two or three times a week and I've had them for many years. They will start to burn out towards the side (they are not round anymore but oval) but I sort of like that.

My mixture 965, what a nice blend. If you haven't heard, that blend will no longer be available after this year, or so the rumor goes. I'm glad you had the chance to experience it, but I wouldn't get too attached. 

piperdave

@simple I have not purchased anything from it yet but I found this website The Pipe Restorer which he has more than a few refurbished pipes at a reasonable price I think. Also I believe the shipping is free within the cont. US he also had some new Comoy's I think; but he may have already sold them all. Not a bad site to browse especially in that price range.

PappyJoe

@simple, @Philip - Philip touched on one of the keys to enjoyable pipe smoking in my opinion. You have to slow down when you smoke a pipe. And by that I mean, puff or sip on your pipe slowly where the smoke rises from the bowl in a thin, whispy stream connected by an occasional cloud as opposed to a steady thick cloud like an old steam locomotive climbing a mountain under a full load.

The slower you smoke means less tongue bite and more time to enjoy the subtle flavors of the tobacco as well as let your body relax. 

Simple

@thebadgerpiper I love the Morgan bones look. The idea of it changing color over time is also exciting to me. So many options. Lol.

Simple

I won a butz choquin on eBay for 13 dollars. The seller posted a ton of pics and it appears to be in great condition. Looking forward to smoking it. Not looking forward to cleaning it though.

thebadgerpiper

@simple Congrats! Pick up some everclear and pipe cleaners and you should be set for cleaning the pipe properly. If you have any questions, just let us know!

Simple

I just received a jobey Torino alligator pattern pipe I won off eBay for 8 bucks. It's in excellent shape. Looking forward to smoking it. My butz choquin won't be here until next week at the earliest.

ghostsofpompeii

@Simple So how has your smoking experience been thus far? You've gotten a lot of advise but I'd be curious to know how you applied it, and if it helped in your enjoyment of this newfound hobby. Are you also experimenting with different blends ... aromatic, non-aromatic, and English? Or have you settled in to a preference? 

Hiker007

Those Morgan Bones Pipes look awesome. I am planning on ordering one. Thanks for the info.

Woodsman

Good price on the Butz Choquin.

motie2

@Philip @PappyJoe @Simple

It certainly bears repeating:

PappyJoe

@motie2 - every time I read that it reminds me of one of the older versions of the movie  "A Christmas Carol." Specifically the scene where his nephew Fred is hosting a Christmas party and they are playing a parlor game about someone's cat.

Philip

but it's soooooo good. I can't control myself!