Let's Compare, Shall We?

[Rusty Mouse]

Great group of Petersons. I have yet to have one. :shock:

I know of two people that collect pipes, one who smokes about once every three to four months, the other that never does. He even buys old, empty tobacco tins, but hates all forms of tobacco. :lol:

Only person I know that smoked a pipe is my grandfather, maybe that's why I like them? Beats the hell out of me, I'm just attracted to pipes, I'd say that's reason enough wouldn't you? I mentioned in my introduction that I've lived kinda straight edge, for no reason but the choice to start smoking a pipe would mean all that work would be behind me and I'm now, after much debate, completely 100% okay with that. I'm truly excited to begin what I hope is a life long hobby. Just a matter finding some tobacco, perfecting the art and PRESTO! Houston, we have a pipe smoker.

 

[alfredo_buscatti]

I have more Cavicchi's than any other brand in my collection of 50. I don't know if he still makes pipes like this, but what I have have very thick walls, classic Italian styling. I got half estate and the others (all but 1 1C Roughs) very affordably. Barring terrorist attack, these pipes will still be smoking good for centuries after I die. They are formidable, smoke great. Cavicchi has branched out into many more shapes. I wouldn't hesitate to buy them.

 

[jacko]

Fantastic collection!!! You have arguably three of the best smoking pipes one could ask for. Cob, meer calabash and a Pete system!! Might I be so bold as to recommend a bowl of McClellands Frog Morton On The Town in your Calabash as your first experience? Most folks start with a mild arromatic tobacco which is fine but if you are up for the challange that would be a fantastic staring point.

Please do keep us posted.

 

[Rusty Mouse]

Fantastic collection!!! You have arguably three of the best smoking pipes one could ask for. Cob, meer calabash and a Pete system!! Might I be so bold as to recommend a bowl of McClellands Frog Morton On The Town in your Calabash as your first experience? Most folks start with a mild arromatic tobacco which is fine but if you are up for the challange that would be a fantastic staring point.

Please do keep us posted.

Thank you!
The Peterson System was my first, thought it would give me the best chance of limiting any beginner issues, or should I say SOME of the issues. Unfortunately, I think my grandfather's old cob is out of commission as it has a crack right by the rim, which is no matter, I'll just grab another and keep this one as a treasure. That's the beauty of corn cobs I guess! The calabash is a mystery, it's stamped "Austria", some say Bauer, some don't know. I certainly don't know but it sure looks and feels sweet. The gourd even smells good :suspect:

 

[Janusz1]

Hi everybody;

I could not help but register and comment since I have both Nording and Cavicchi in my pipe collection and smoke each of them a few times a month.

So let me say this: Cavicchi smokes better. Noticeably, markedly better. As a matter of fact the Cavicchi and Downie are the two best smoking pipes I have and Nording in comparison seems quite ordinary.
On its own Nording is a good pipe, but nothig to write home about.

Also, in my opinion it is important to start your smoking adventure with the best smoking pipe you can and you will be able to tell the difference. You don't need much knowledge and experience to appreciate a pipe smoking drier, cooler and going off so much less. Conversely, you need more knowledge to be able to deal with a lesser pipe properly and not to lose enthusiasm too soon.

Greetings,
John

 

[jlong]

Nice collection. If it were me, the first smoke would be Prince Albert in the cob. It's easy to smoke and it's tasty. Froggy on the Town would be a good choice too. I suggest the cob because it's easy to overheat the bowl the first time around. If you get it wet and it starts gurgling while smoking, it's easy to slide a pipe cleaner through the straight stem and get the gurgleys out.

If I were to collect, I would probably go for the Rad Davis, Mark Tinskey, etc. hand carved variety. Watching ebay activity for a few months is a good way to get a feel of what's collectible and what's not.

I agree with what others say about Nording. I love them because I'm an F150 kind of guy.

 

[Rusty Mouse]

Hi everybody;

I could not help but register and comment since I have both Nording and Cavicchi in my pipe collection and smoke each of them a few times a month.

So let me say this: Cavicchi smokes better. Noticeably, markedly better. As a matter of fact the Cavicchi and Downie are the two best smoking pipes I have and Nording in comparison seems quite ordinary.
On its own Nording is a good pipe, but nothig to write home about.

Also, in my opinion it is important to start your smoking adventure with the best smoking pipe you can and you will be able to tell the difference. You don't need much knowledge and experience to appreciate a pipe smoking drier, cooler and going off so much less. Conversely, you need more knowledge to be able to deal with a lesser pipe properly and not to lose enthusiasm too soon.

Greetings,
John

Thanks for the input, and registering to comment, please, stick around. What it comes down to is me being heavily attracted to the Cavicchi, more so than the Nording after a few days of looking at them. I can definitely see myself grabbing that Nording some day though.

 

[Rusty Mouse]

Nice collection. If it were me, the first smoke would be Prince Albert in the cob. It's easy to smoke and it's tasty. Froggy on the Town would be a good choice too. I suggest the cob because it's easy to overheat the bowl the first time around. If you get it wet and it starts gurgling while smoking, it's easy to slide a pipe cleaner through the straight stem and get the gurgleys out.

If I were to collect, I would probably go for the Rad Davis, Mark Tinskey, etc. hand carved variety. Watching ebay activity for a few months is a good way to get a feel of what's collectible and what's not.

I agree with what others say about Nording. I love them because I'm an F150 kind of guy.

Some think "Resale value" when they think of collecting. While this is something I'll eventually care about when I buy a pipe, it's more so what I like the looks of and wish to keep for as long as possible. I'm still trying to feel out the pipe world and what makes a pipe valuable, or collectable (Which makes your suggestion of scouting ebay a good one). I come from a guitar world. I have had plenty of beautiful guitars that feel like heaven, made better than most and sell for squat. All the while I've had guitars that I just couldn't wait to get rid of, they sounded terrible, might as well have been made of cardboard and were just an all around bummer to play, yet they sell for plenty of dough! I don't get it. "What's in a name?" Shakespeare wrote... MONEY! MONEY'S IN A NAME! Sometimes that's all you're paying for, and that scares me, so for now, until I am wise enough, it's study now (Like you said) and buy with resale in mind later.

 

[jlong]

I was thinking resale only somewhat. The hand carves I'm speaking of are great works of art as much as they are great smokers.

 

[Rusty Mouse]

I was thinking resale only somewhat. The hand carves I'm speaking of are great works of art as much as they are great smokers.

Then we're right on the same page, but I still feel only so comfortable spending lots of money on pipes because I'm just not 100% sure what I'm buying in to. Am I buying a solid, well made pipe that will last lifetimes or am I buying a bedazzled hunk of wood that will never ever smoke the way the price suggests? This isn't a hobby I plan on being apart of for a long long time, so I'll slowly build up confidence and know just what to look for and what to stay away from. This Cavicchi I'm looking at might be a good start to the high quality part of my collection... I hope.

 

[dshpipes]

Thought I'd chime in here.

All the guys who've been posting have been offering you very sound advice. I personally think that there are advantages to either pipe, although the advantages are very different.

If you want to have a "learner" pipe that you can practice with, will smoke well enough to keep you interested, and will be attractive enough for you to want to smoke, go for the Nording.

If you want to have an extremely well hand crafted pipe which you would be more careful with, will reward you with fantastic smokes, will be extremely comfortable in the teeth and the hand, and that you will pick up and appreciate over and over again, get the Cavicchi.

The best advice I can offer is this: go with your gut and buy what you like.

In the end, if you buy something specifically for utility when you want something else, the utilitarian smoking machine won't be in your collection for long and you'll kick yourself for not picking up the pipe that sang to you. I went through about 50 factory pipes like Nording, Savinelli, Stanwell, and Bjarne before I really began to find what I like aesthetically and what smokes best for me. If you can bypas that, you'll save yourself a lot of money and time. At the same time, there is a lot to be said for that process. If you take your time with it, some of your best smokers might also come from this period of learning. I still have two beautiful Bjarne factory pipes that smoke like champs that I just can't let go of.

Actually, if you just want to start smoking, you don't need to buy a thing. Light up one of those Petes and you'll have your starter pipe. Then buy a Cavicchi and taste the difference. Trust me, it's substantial.

No offense to the Pete loving public.

 

[dshpipes]

I was thinking resale only somewhat. The hand carves I'm speaking of are great works of art as much as they are great smokers.

Then we're right on the same page, but I still feel only so comfortable spending lots of money on pipes because I'm just not 100% sure what I'm buying in to. Am I buying a solid, well made pipe that will last lifetimes or am I buying a bedazzled hunk of wood that will never ever smoke the way the price suggests? This isn't a hobby I plan on being apart of for a long long time, so I'll slowly build up confidence and know just what to look for and what to stay away from. This Cavicchi I'm looking at might be a good start to the high quality part of my collection... I hope.

Also, the longer you're around, the more you'll learn about who's pipes are quality and who's are not. Once you learn to recognize quality, you'll be able to find it for low prices. This might sound contradictory, but there is always new talent popping up and their early work is generally priced to sell. Once you learn to recognize quality work, you'll be able to snap those up. Being around the BoB will help you develop this skill immensely. It also doesn't hurt that we have some really talented, relatively new carvers in our midst.

You'll find a lot of them here: Brothers that Make Pipes

That's a great list of BoBs currently carving pipes, compiled by billmess. There's a lot of talent in that list.

 

[Rusty Mouse]

I was thinking resale only somewhat. The hand carves I'm speaking of are great works of art as much as they are great smokers.

Then we're right on the same page, but I still feel only so comfortable spending lots of money on pipes because I'm just not 100% sure what I'm buying in to. Am I buying a solid, well made pipe that will last lifetimes or am I buying a bedazzled hunk of wood that will never ever smoke the way the price suggests? This isn't a hobby I plan on being apart of for a long long time, so I'll slowly build up confidence and know just what to look for and what to stay away from. This Cavicchi I'm looking at might be a good start to the high quality part of my collection... I hope.

Also, the longer you're around, the more you'll learn about who's pipes are quality and who's are not. Once you learn to recognize quality, you'll be able to find it for low prices. This might sound contradictory, but there is always new talent popping up and their early work is generally priced to sell. Once you learn to recognize quality work, you'll be able to snap those up. Being around the BoB will help you develop this skill immensely. It also doesn't hurt that we have some really talented, relatively new carvers in our midst.

You'll find a lot of them here: Brothers that Make Pipes

That's a great list of BoBs currently carving pipes, compiled by billmess. There's a lot of talent in that list.

Jeez, I didn't even notice that part of BoB, it's certainly something to consider as I would love to buy a first round pipe, like the beginning of their timeline as a pipe smoker, even if they aren't so well made, to maybe own one and then own another years later to see how they progressed. Something to think about.
I'm willing to be patient. I admire what I have now and I feel I'm learning so it's only a matter of time before I can really beef up my collection with some "WOW" pieces.