Out there pipes, what do you all think

[alfredo_buscatti]

I'm going to have to be in an entirely new financial bracket to even consider paying hundreds of dollars for pipes. But I have developed an eye for craftsmanship and beauty in pipes. That Russian maker with his ongoing thread featuring his pipes makes stunning classical shapes that I'd buy first.

If I had mucho buckeroos I'd buy expensive pipes, but no longer before everything else that I might need--like clothes. I typically dress in what you might call casual male style; I wear T-shirts as my outer garment until they rot. You get the idea.

When I read some pipe description on some sites that extol the transition between bowl and stem, I think what an overblown aesthetic; sales hype. If the pipe is a good smoker, especially the draw, I'm happy. If it's not much to look at, who cares? My cobs fit the bill for me.

 

[the rev]

I'm going to have to be in an entirely new financial bracket to even consider paying hundreds of dollars for pipes. But I have developed an eye for craftsmanship and beauty in pipes. That Russian maker with his ongoing thread featuring his pipes makes stunning classical shapes that I'd buy first.

If I had mucho buckeroos I'd buy expensive pipes, but no longer before everything else that I might need--like clothes. I typically dress in what you might call casual male style; I wear T-shirts as my outer garment until they rot. You get the idea.

When I read some pipe description on some sites that extol the transition between bowl and stem, I think what an overblown aesthetic; sales hype. If the pipe is a good smoker, especially the draw, I'm happy. If it's not much to look at, who cares? My cobs fit the bill for me.

Hundreds? most of these are thousands of dollars. As far as aesthetics... I am going to hold my pipe hundreds of times, I am going to be seen with it in public, and it is going to sit in my house, therefore I want it to in some way reflect me. When I make pipes for myself I tend to make them big, strong, simple but unusual for a pipe. This puts my personality into my pipe. It would sound that even in your clothing you are basically a pragmatist, so it would make sense that your desire is for a pipe to express that ideal. This of course doesn't make it impossible for you to appreciate these affectations, it just means they don't express you.

When it comes to money, I too wind up in a weird spot. I am far from wealthy, and the money that we make we try to put back into our neighborhood and community. We live simply. So much so that I will not even pay for my tattoos with money from our budget, but only through money gifted for Christmas or birthdays. End result, if someday someone wanted to trade one of these amazing pipes for one of my paintings, or someday, if I get better, my own pipes I will own one otherwise I personally cant justify the expense. Not judging anyone else, that is my own ethics.

rev

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Rev, I think it was some "lattice twist" red-colored briar you did that kind of looked like a fancy eggbeater attached to a pot shape that perked my ears a little. It was fascinating. I like whimsy in pipes, but I like them to be in a way where I can indeed go where I need to go with them. Many of the "art pipes" (not to be confused with "artisan") all are statement-before-form-factor, and as a shelf-piece, awesome. Most of these aren't going to really fit on a traditional pipe rack, or in a pipe case for going out to the B&M for a smoke, the local park, etc.

That said, I try and look for unique pipes that are still unquestionably pipes, without losing my respect for the real "out there" ones. Larrysson is good at this, as is Brian (Growley) around these part, Daniel ([t]Nd Pipes) is another. Can I afford them? Not right now, but looking is free. I would have a "sculpture pipe" when the shelf space and the pocketbook would allow, but it'd have to be just right. You're buying purely art at that point.

Cobs, on the opposite side of the spectrum, are indispensable. Maybe one day I'll collect enough that I can make some kind of "sculpture pipe" with nothing but cobs, and have it be smokeable. :lol:

8)

 

[the rev]

glad I got under your skin a bit

I am making a cavalier for another forum's pipe swap that I am really excited about.

As soon as I get all of these commissions out of the way I am going to make some traditional shapes... but probably with a twist to them

rev

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Excellent. I expect plenty of pictures. 8)

 

[Wet Dottle]

There are some magnificent works of creativity from the carvers from the previous posts (and from others not mentioned yet ). I appreciate and like many of them, and some are real works of art. But I wouldn't buy any pipe that I wouldn't smoke, and I can't see myself with those shapes attached to my face. I will, therefore, look, appreciate, and be awed by those creations, but will buy and smoke more mundane pipes.

 

[alfredo_buscatti]

The object of smoking a pipe, for me, is the smoking. I've always been a tobacco guy, and though I can appreciate aesthetics in a pipe, those that I have had that have expressed such did not please me nearly as much when I smoked them as they had excited me at the time of purchase. I tend to forget about the pipe and concentrate on the smoke. Five more lbs in the cellar, though for me in the end meaningless, always pleased me more.

If I have a good smoker and a great tobacco, I'm good. It's the feel of the pipe between my teeth, the puffing and playing with the smoke, but finally the superb tastes from the tobacco in the smoke, that superb taste conductor, that make pipe smoking so pleasurable, for me. Certainly better pipe aesthetics improve the smoke, but I quite usually loose that focus within the much greater pleasure of the tobacco and its smoke.

I know there are many guys who are pipe guys, and my manner of finding pleasure is in this lovely addiction, which is my subjective evaluation of myself and not how I evaluate other pipe smokers, is my subjective manner of enjoying the pipe.

 

[SpeedyPete]

I appreciate those pipes from an artistic perspective and I admire the craftsmanship that goes into them, but beyond that, they don't do it for me. I wouldn't want to own one.

I would much prefer this:

to this:

I conccur 100 % :cheers:

Same here :bball:

 

[Greyson]

As many here have said, the classic pipe shapes are more my kind of style. However, we should probably keep in mind that enjoyment of the smoker should be the top priority, so don't worry about what anyone else thinks when you see a pipe you love.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Hear, hear, Greyson. As it would be, the pipe choice of another should never affect ones own sense of aesthetics or enjoyment, either. Once or twice, a few guys fixated on how ugly my pipes are, and kept on about it. Eventually, I looked at them for an awkward few seconds, deadpan, and gave the barking dog the attention he may or may not have been looking for: "If it was my wife, I didn't ask you to consider f**king her." More awkwardness, and the conversation got out of the rut.

8)

 

[the rev]

ahahahahah that is great

rev

 

[awoodby]

Of the makers you mentioned I found a bunch of the first one at Cup O' Joe's...couldn't find anything on the second at all and came up with the Russian guy easily via google. Re: making pipes like that...you have to be a master to make them look both intentional and cool. For me, the master at this genre is easily Downey. In addition to making superb classic shapes, he does the in between things like his copper series, etc. and the monster pipes he does are without peer.

http://www.downiepipes.com/commissions.html

OMG, I've never wanted a figural pipe until the zombie pipes! Yah, his stuff's absolutely awesome.

Gee, thanks for adding to my obsessions.

--Alex