Kyle Weiss
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2011
- Messages
- 11,988
- Reaction score
- 9
About a year ago, my "have new pipe" needs and abilities got to the point where I was quite comfortable with what I had. That was until I started rummaging through the just-in basket pipes at $25 a piece at my local Tinder Box.
There were these nearly unmarked, well-made pipes that I found quite attractive. They were small, classic in design, no-frills, drilled and turned really well and had excellent-looking briar. Smaller pipes are a plus in my world, as I smoke slow, almost forgetfully, and I can stretch a meager smoke for well over an hour. All that was stamped on these guys was "Made in Greece," in script. I bought one. It smoked so well, I relegated it to the exclusive use of Embarcadero. I put another on layaway. Yeah, layaway for a $25 pipe, I know--but five bucks here and there wasn't a big deal, to either me or the Tinder Box, thankfully. When I finally brought it home, though a slightly different shape, it was just as performance-oriented as the first. These are they:
Shortly after, I had asked the manager of the shop to let me know if any more of these "Grecian beauty basket pipes" would be coming in. It seems they were kind of a once- or twice-only thing, bought in bulk batches, and probably would not be appearing again. Some of the old lot still lingered, and I certainly didn't need any more pipes. There was this one billiard, though, it reminded me of an older-make of pipe, dark in stain, matte finish, lovely grain, looks like it had been turned carefully. I ignored it for months and months...but it stayed in the basket. It wasn't flashy, shiny, big, and didn't look like a Lord of the Rings pipe or anything to attract a newbie, so it sat below the radar. Small, quality billiards are a rarity, especially since I like pungent, higher octane tobaccos in small doses--and I happen to like a nice, no-frills straight billiard. Finally, a few months ago, I sprung. I certainly didn't need it, but it was meant to be:
Smoking this billiard today I was turning it around in the sun and something caught my eye: a stamping, other than "Made in Greece" seemed to be there. "Amadeus." It was barely visible, only the stain allowed me to read the stamp. Some further research concluded there was in fact a maker in Greece called Amadeus. They're inexpensive, fairly basic in design, and even were featured on the Pipes Magazine radio show back in July of 2013, with good things to say:
http://pipesmagazine.com/blog/radio-talk-show/the-pipes-magazine-radio-show-episode-44/#more-7077
My assumption is that my cheapo basket pipes started out as Amadeus blocks of briar, likely in a batch, too small to fit the shapes and lines the company would have otherwise sold at full-retail, so in essence, their seconds. They must have been treated, rested and turned similar if not identical to the full-retail versions. Most of these Grecian basket pipes I came across like this had zero flaws if any, and no fills--though a few were rusticated perhaps to cover up any flaws, even they were drilled nicely and had the same, comfortable stems (which even as vulcanite, resist browning or greening, and don't smell/taste terrible).
These Greek basket pipes are no longer coming in to my Tinder Box, but it did make me consider that if their seconds have this attention to detail and level of performance, their "firsts" must be just as keen to smoke. At even double the price I paid for a basket pipe, some retailers selling a $50 pipe that's as solid as these would be well worth it to someone looking for a deal and a good performer.
This is why I list my favorite pipes as "sleeper pipes." The old, the modest, the forgotten, the unknown, the true finds that if the senses are attuned and good eye is turned toward the things that matter (more than name, more than style, more than trend), you can find some surprising pipes in equally surprising places...
...sometimes with surprising origins.
In short, it's more reinforcement that money spent has little to do with satisfaction received. :heart:
8)
There were these nearly unmarked, well-made pipes that I found quite attractive. They were small, classic in design, no-frills, drilled and turned really well and had excellent-looking briar. Smaller pipes are a plus in my world, as I smoke slow, almost forgetfully, and I can stretch a meager smoke for well over an hour. All that was stamped on these guys was "Made in Greece," in script. I bought one. It smoked so well, I relegated it to the exclusive use of Embarcadero. I put another on layaway. Yeah, layaway for a $25 pipe, I know--but five bucks here and there wasn't a big deal, to either me or the Tinder Box, thankfully. When I finally brought it home, though a slightly different shape, it was just as performance-oriented as the first. These are they:
Shortly after, I had asked the manager of the shop to let me know if any more of these "Grecian beauty basket pipes" would be coming in. It seems they were kind of a once- or twice-only thing, bought in bulk batches, and probably would not be appearing again. Some of the old lot still lingered, and I certainly didn't need any more pipes. There was this one billiard, though, it reminded me of an older-make of pipe, dark in stain, matte finish, lovely grain, looks like it had been turned carefully. I ignored it for months and months...but it stayed in the basket. It wasn't flashy, shiny, big, and didn't look like a Lord of the Rings pipe or anything to attract a newbie, so it sat below the radar. Small, quality billiards are a rarity, especially since I like pungent, higher octane tobaccos in small doses--and I happen to like a nice, no-frills straight billiard. Finally, a few months ago, I sprung. I certainly didn't need it, but it was meant to be:
Smoking this billiard today I was turning it around in the sun and something caught my eye: a stamping, other than "Made in Greece" seemed to be there. "Amadeus." It was barely visible, only the stain allowed me to read the stamp. Some further research concluded there was in fact a maker in Greece called Amadeus. They're inexpensive, fairly basic in design, and even were featured on the Pipes Magazine radio show back in July of 2013, with good things to say:
http://pipesmagazine.com/blog/radio-talk-show/the-pipes-magazine-radio-show-episode-44/#more-7077
My assumption is that my cheapo basket pipes started out as Amadeus blocks of briar, likely in a batch, too small to fit the shapes and lines the company would have otherwise sold at full-retail, so in essence, their seconds. They must have been treated, rested and turned similar if not identical to the full-retail versions. Most of these Grecian basket pipes I came across like this had zero flaws if any, and no fills--though a few were rusticated perhaps to cover up any flaws, even they were drilled nicely and had the same, comfortable stems (which even as vulcanite, resist browning or greening, and don't smell/taste terrible).
These Greek basket pipes are no longer coming in to my Tinder Box, but it did make me consider that if their seconds have this attention to detail and level of performance, their "firsts" must be just as keen to smoke. At even double the price I paid for a basket pipe, some retailers selling a $50 pipe that's as solid as these would be well worth it to someone looking for a deal and a good performer.
This is why I list my favorite pipes as "sleeper pipes." The old, the modest, the forgotten, the unknown, the true finds that if the senses are attuned and good eye is turned toward the things that matter (more than name, more than style, more than trend), you can find some surprising pipes in equally surprising places...
...sometimes with surprising origins.
In short, it's more reinforcement that money spent has little to do with satisfaction received. :heart:
8)
![[3-Size Set] Copper Pipe Cleaner for Drill, Clean 1/2, 3/4, 1-in Copper Pipes & Tubes for Soldering, 3 Tube Cleaning Brushes, Model InerLok050, 075, 100, w/ Stainless-Steel Wire Bristles & 1/4” Shank](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41QVxunlqML._SL500_.jpg)
