Aristocob

[Kyle Weiss]

(no, that isn't mine...)

...anyone have a spare for horse-trading some tobacco or maybe a pipe I don't smoke that would interest them? I found out a quirky "smoke shop" around here sells the inserts, and found that curious. Apparently they had no idea what the inserts were for (or why they had them), and I was barely able to explain what they were for. I have no idea if these Aristocobs are "super desired" or expensive, but I figure if someone had one they didn't use if they weren't...

They look cool, very old-school "space age" and I think I'd get along well with one. That is, unless there's some disparaging reviews against their design and functionality.

8)

 

[Dutch]

Kyle, I have one of these in my collection, and I think it is a really great design. So much so, that I am curious as to why no one has decided to market a similar version, as the cob inserts would be much cheaper if they were currently being produced.

I like the fact that if you only wanted to take one pipe along for a trip, this one would function wonderfully. You could pick three different blends, take along a three pack of bowls, and you would be set. For cleaning purposes, you really don't need any alcohol except for a periodic thorough cleaning. All that is needed is to remove the bowl, and wipe out the interior of the aluminum shell with a paper towel and run a pipe cleaner thru the stem. I also like the fact that the bowls are left in their natural condition, with no plaster added to the exterior, which allows the cob to dry from outside as well as inside. Burnouts aren't much of a problem, as there is a metal insert disc added to each cob insert.

Negatives, are that the pipe is designed for filters, which some folks won't appreciate, but since there's so much less natural material in this design to absorb moisture compared to a traditional cob, the filter is a very functional addition. Also, because of the design of the cob insert, it may be difficult to use pipe mud, given that the draft hole is right in the center of the cob insert. Another negative is the cost of the replacement bowls, which usually go for around $7 to $10 each, but given the fact that a new cob pipe is similar in price, it doesn't make the inserts insane for someone who really likes the design of this pipe. Another negative is bowl capacity, but if you limit your tobaccos to flake varieties, you can offset that negative.

I can see this being a perfect pipe to take on the road for an extended period, which would keep your space savings to a minimum, and still allow you to have the equivalent of 3 dedicated pipes for 3 different blends, or at the least one bowl for English blends, one for Oriental's, and another for Virginia's.

I really wish Missouri Meerschaum would come out with their own version of this pipe, especially now that the larger cobs are in such short supply.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Thanks, Dutch. That was a hell of a response post, thank you!

I'll end up with one eventually, I hear they pop up on eBay (I haven't visited eBay in over a year)...

...I'll just have to take my chances.

8)

 

[BigCasino]

wait till you see the funky pipe I picked up the other day kyle all I could think of was you when I saw it

 

[Dutch]

Kyle, $25 to $30 would be going market price. If you want one in pristine condition unsmoked with the clear original case, like the one in your pic, you're talking $70 to $100.

Back around 6 months ago, someone had an entire display of the cob bowls for sale on ebay. I think there were a dozen 3 pack boxes in the auction, and the winner got them for around $5 each bowl if I remember correctly. Essentially a lifetime supply of bowls, or a really nice collectors item if kept intact.

 

[Andy Lowry]

Seems like a person could make their own with a Falcon or Viking. Maybe cut the bottom of a junkable briar bowl and glue it to a cob bowl? Hmmm. Now I'm gettin' some ideas.

 

[BigCasino]

check this thing out Kyle

 

[Kyle Weiss]

BC, I'm not sure if that pipe is wonderful or horrible. :lol: What an odd thing! What on earth is the stem material?

Dutch, "pristine" is often a goal of the right collector, and I'm looking for something in decent shape, perhaps with a little personality, that I could use for a lifetime of decent smoking and enjoyment. That pretty example I hoisted from the Internet image archives was just a reference. $20 - $30 for one could work, I just have to find one eventually (when the time is right). Thanks for the research, my friend.

 

[BigCasino]

I think it could possibly be bakelite, there are absolutely no markings on that thing, as an uneducated guess I'm going to say was made in the50', cause our had that retro rocket era look to it

 

[mark]

It appears to be an L H Stern. Same body and bowl, different stem. 2nd down from top
I also posted the site on "Pipe History"

http://www.smokingmetal.co.uk/allparts.php?gallery=2&partnum=2


Aristocob
http://www.smokingmetal.co.uk/pipe.php?page=56

 

[NorthernLights]

I find this curious. I'd be intersted to hear an experienced cobber's opinion. But my inexperienced science-trained brain says this:

Cobs are successful because of their higher porosity. As you smoke, they absorb the moisture, and cool your smoke, by evaporating that moisture through the walls of the pipe. If you surround those walls with an impermeable material, you stop that process. And so the cob just sits there, absorbing moisture, while you smoke.

Perhaps I'm wrong. Perhaps there is no evaporative element to the equation, and perhaps the cob acts solely as a sponge. But I imagine that air circulating around the outside is part of how they work.

Thoughts?

 

[Dutch]

I find this curious. I'd be intersted to hear an experienced cobber's opinion. But my inexperienced science-trained brain says this:

Cobs are successful because of their higher porosity. As you smoke, they absorb the moisture, and cool your smoke, by evaporating that moisture through the walls of the pipe. If you surround those walls with an impermeable material, you stop that process. And so the cob just sits there, absorbing moisture, while you smoke.

Perhaps I'm wrong. Perhaps there is no evaporative element to the equation, and perhaps the cob acts solely as a sponge. But I imagine that air circulating around the outside is part of how they work.

Thoughts?

NL, cob pipes are super porous. One of the driest pipe designs on the market. While the shank of the pipe does absorb some of the moisture, it is the cob itself which really soaks it up. You will notice when cleaning a cob with alcohol, that your spirit you are using to clean with seems to evaporate very quickly, but in fact, the cob is soaking it up.

Even though the Aristocob bowls are smaller than most of the MM designs, that small cob bowl still has the ability to absorb lots of moisture, and the paper filter in the stem catches any moisture that might accumulate in the stem from the smoke just sitting in the airway.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Moisture used to be an issue for me, but it was self-created. Not always pairing beverage with smoke helps. Living in an arid "wasteland" helps. Smoking slower than winter sorghum helps.

The Aristocob might not work for me. But, it just might, and it looks super-keen, anyway.

8)

 

[mark]

I always thought the aristocob was cool. A deco artlike functional conversation piece.

 

[Dutch]

Kyle, here is a nice unsmoked Aristocob with an extra 3 pack of bowls included in the auction.....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200944234866&ssPageName=ADME:B:SS:US:3160

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Ack, post those PM rather than publicly... :lol: The lurkers are probably gonna bid that one outside my price range...but I'll try. :tongue: What a swell set.

8)

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Went way above and beyond my spending limit. Meh.

 

[Dutch]

Went way above and beyond my spending limit.  Meh.

Yeah, I would have a hard time smoking that one anyway. It looks almost brand new.