help! should I keep or return this pipe?

[yehang]

greeting! I'm new for pipe smoking! yesterday I run across online a pipe made by P J (Danish pipemaker), his I.D. A series, I. D. A. 3,.it looks really beautiful so I bought it imeediately instead of the Stanwell Nanna Acorn which I intended to get. but today, when I open the package, I find that there's a dent about 4 mm wide and 3mm deep at the mortise. The seller's excuse is that this is a normal thing for handmade pipe, sometimes it's unvoideble during the crafting. the pipe is a beauty, it has a good balance, i admit, but it really irks me to spend 150 $ t get a thing like this, and what keep anoying is that I'm afraid the lifespan of this pipe will be reduced by this "flaw", and the seller couldn't promise anything, he just keep saying this is normal for handmade and if i can't accept this "flaw" I can return it. now, what's your suggstion? should I keep this pipe? it's my first purchase of handmade and it's really a beauty; or should I say sorry to it and return it to the seller? the flaw is gnawing my heart! (what a bittermoon! ) any advice would be highly appreciated! thank you in advace, my masters!! i'm a new member, can't post any image

 

[taharris]

A picture would really help.

Is the dent visible when the pipe is assembled?

There is no good reason why a hand made pipe should have a dent.

Todd

 

[Dutch]

Obviously, the flaw in the briar bothers you, and will continue to draw your eye every time you pick up this pipe. Since the seller has given you the option of returning the pipe, by all means do so.

Your first pipe will be an important one in your collection, and one of which you should be completely proud when you choose to admire or smoke it.

 

[yehang]

A picture would really help.

Is the dent visible when the pipe is assembled?

There is no good reason why a hand made pipe should have a dent.

Todd

thank you! According to the rule of the forum, i can't post url and I don't know why I can't post a picture. the dent is invisible when the pipe is assembled.

 

[s.ireland]

I'm not sure if I'm misunderstanding you or not but it sounds to me like the "dent" in the mortise is from re-drilling or "ramping" the airway of a bent pipe. It would look like a little notch on the bottom of the mortise. It's very common (not all pipe makers do it) especially with bent pipes. It helps the airflow and in most cases allows for a pipe cleaner to pass all the way into the chamber.

It's tough to describe but I suspect that this is what you are looking at in which case, it is not a flaw and there's no reason for you to send back the pipe if you like everything else about it

 

[Dave_In_Philly]

I just sent you a PM with my email address - send the Pic to me, I'll post it for you.

 

[riff raff]

I couldn't live with a new pipe that has a dent or any blemish, particularly at $150. The picture will tell the tale, dent or just a briar character trait.

 

[yehang]

I'm not sure if I'm misunderstanding you or not but it sounds to me like the "dent" in the mortise is from re-drilling or "ramping" the airway of a bent pipe. It would look like a little notch on the bottom of the mortise. It's very common (not all pipe makers do it) especially with bent pipes. It helps the airflow and in most cases allows for a pipe cleaner to pass all the way into the chamber.

It's tough to describe but I suspect that this is what you are looking at in which case, it is not a flaw and there's no reason for you to send back the pipe if you like everything else about it

yes, I wish I could take the dent as the re-drilling or ramping thing as you said, but the outline is so irregular and slipshod that I" inclined to take it as a designed "airway"! I wish I could, I swear!
p.s: now I also wish I were a danish so I could telephone our knock at P J"s door and ask him in person!

 

[Growley]

I can't get a good idea in my head of what your dent looks like, but here's my two cents. If it bothers you now, it will most likely always bother you. If the seller is reputable, there's a good chance he would rather have you return the pipe, and maybe try another from him some day that you'd be happy with, then to have sold you a pipe that will forever ruin his name in your opinion.

Also, if it's a bent pipe and the airway is somewhat steep, that dent can be caused by drilling. Pics will definitely help us understand what you've got there. One way to check if this is the case is to take a 5/32 (most likely) drill bit and stick it in the air hole. If it fits perfectly against that dent, then it was was made during drilling and is accepted as normal on a lot of bent pipes. If it doesn't, it's more likely a mistake.

I too am curious to see some pics.

 

[Harlock999]

p.s: now I also wish I were a danish so I could telephone our knock at P J"s door and ask him in person!

Mmmm...apple danish...

 

[Dave_In_Philly]

Here is the pipe in question:

 

[Growley]

Fuzzy pix, but I'd say that's either a mistake or a flaw in the wood.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Agreed, I think it looks like a flaw in the briar.

I'd send it back. The reason, other than it would also bother the heck out of me if I knew it was there, is that it could compromise the shank integrity where it meets the stem. There's no telling how deep and where a flaw in briar like that could go, and if it runs some length of the shank, a little moisture and twisting the stem out wrong to clean it, and *snap*. :|

Then you'd REALLY wished you'd returned it!

8)

 

[taharris]

Looks like a flaw to me.

Send it back.

Todd

 

[Dutch]

p.s: now I also wish I were a danish so I could telephone our knock at P J"s door and ask him in person!

Mmmm...apple danish...

Now I'm worried about the man's pipe, AND hungry! :lol:

 

[riff raff]

Return it. Two years from now if that shank cracks, you'll regret keeping it. I don't think a reputable maker/reseller would have sold that to someone without disclosing this issue. At least none of the folks I buy from. Since he said that it could be returned, I'd do that post haste.

 

[Fishfuzz]

p.s: now I also wish I were a danish so I could telephone our knock at P J"s door and ask him in person!

Mmmm...apple danish...

This is obviously flawed. Return it.

 

[yehang]

Thank you, my masters and my brothers! thank you for your help and advice, my heart is beating for the fratrnity, and for the delicious danish apple :lol: . I've made up my mind to return it a.s.a.p.
Happy puffing! Thank you!

 

[riff raff]

Don't be afraid to check with us for proven and reputable vendors for a suitable replacement

 

[KevinM]

Agree -- return it. Apart fom being a source of unnecesary irritation for you, the pipe is a candidate for early burnout because of that flaw. You can certainly do better for the price you paid. I recently bought a couple of handmades on sale from a well-known e-retailer. I liked another one because of the elegant design. It didn't have a material flaw, but the seller warned me away from it, because to achieve the design the lower front of the inside of the bowl was carved thin. "Eye-catching design, but beware," said the retailer, showing integrity.