Design Berlin pipes

[Doc Manhattan]

Any of you Brothers have any experience with Design Berlin pipes? There's a B&M near my folks' house that has a nice selection, as does PipesAndCigars, very modestly priced. And in my limited experience, I don't mind the 9mm/adapter experience. That said, I haven't found much testimony about how the db briars smoke.

 

[wojtekpastuch]

I have one, it was one of my first pipes. Mine is a large lovat. It has a lot of ugly fills and is pretty heavy but it smokes really well! I don't smoke it very often nowadays but when I do I'm always very satisfied.

 

[Dock]

I have a story about a Design Berlin pipe! In 2004 a represenative from James Norman came to our pipe club selling DB's, Armellini's, Ferndown's and some other pipes. I bought from him a DB "Nelson" with a silver spigot. The following week I smoked it for the first time. Everything was going well til' I hit the bottom of the bowl. It was then that I heard a loud explosion which shook the pipe from my mouth! It scared the living hell out of me! I examined the bowl and found no cracks. I put the pipe away and didn't smoke it again til the following week. The next smoke was very similar to the first. I got to the bottom of the bowl and then *BANG*!!!!

One of my club members has expeience in pipe repair and I gave him the pipe to examine. He found wood putty was used in the very bottom of the bowl. When fire hit it it exploded! He repaired it with honey and ash. I smoked the pipe many times after that with no explosions but it never did smoke very well and I sold it off a couple of years ago.

It was my first and last DB pipe!

 

[Ol'Dawg]

Doc,

The Design Berlin model I have is a Bruyere 1/4 bent scoop with a deep red stain and lucite stem. It has a nice straight grain with no fills and smokes very well. In fact I'm smoking it now with some Wessex Brown VA Flake. The only thing I don't like about it is the filter chamber is cut a tad short and compresses the filter if I push the stem all the way in. I think I paid less than $60 for it and wouldn't hesitate to buy another.

Jim..my ha'pence worth

PS- CupoJoes and Watch City Cigar also carry them.

 

[Wet Dottle]

Bought one in the late 80's. I liked the shape. It burned through the bottom the first time I smoked it. Went to the shop and they replaced it with an identical shape. This one didn't burn through, but developed a dark spot at the bottom, in the same place where the first had burned through. I smoked it for years like that. Eventually, I had Mark Tinsky made me a copy of the shape and tossed the original DB pipe. I never bought another one.

Apart from the dark spot, the pipe always smoked well enough. The mouthpiece had a double bore. It also had room for a 9 mm filter. I always liked the shape and the brass fittings it had, which was the only reason I kept it for about 15 years.

 

[Doc Manhattan]

Thanks for the input and experiences, Brothers. Food for thought.

 

[Natch]

I've owned three over the years, and still have two. I use both the adapters and 9mm filters, depending on my moods. A few little fills, but I think very good smokers for the price. One I bought new and two off eBay.

Natch

 

[Yooper]

I have a Design Berlin half bent Dublin nose warmer. I can find no fills on it, and it smokes quite well with or without the filter. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another.

 

[Justpipes]

All of the DB pipes that I have seen locally are in the high end range and are mostly artistic in nature. I've never purchased one.