So what kind of pipe guy are you?

[Puff Daddy]

Some fellows lean heavily towards Dunhill, some towards Castello, others place their loyalty in the Danish carvers such as S. Bang or Chonowitsch. Do you have a specific carver or carving house that you find rings your bell more than any others?

I love pipes and find beauty in many different styles and carvers, but apparently I lean heavily into the Castello camp as my staple since 25% of my high grades are Castellos.

 

[jhuggett]

I started off wanting to collect American carvers. Now I'm focusing on Peterson bulldogs but I'm also thinking I may start collecting Tsuge as well. I've always like the Japanese carvers. In the long run I think I'll have several small collections (6-7 pieces per) being I absolutely no rhyme or reason to what fancies me at any given moment. :lol:

 

[thomas james]

Eight Dunhills

Three Castellos

Trend is toward Castello Sea Rocks because of price/performance. D'hills are getting too pricey.

Preferred shape/size is grp 5/6 straight billiards,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,always seem to deliver a good smoke.

I DO have a Pete and a Stanwell,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,both are excellent smokers.

tj

 

[Carlos]

My best smokers are, Tinsky's, Ruthenberg's, a Castello natural vergin, a Rad Davis, Crosby's, Ser jacopo's, modified Ben Wade's, Wally Frank, and a mix of lesser pipes. LL has a bunch right now. They all share a good draw.

 

[Midnight Blues]

Right Now my modest collection includes:
2 Castello's
2 Cavicchi's
1 Dunhill
4 Peterson's
I really like the last 2 Castello's I picked up. I just might look for another #55 Sea Rock, Although I've had my eye on this Beauty, I've been into billiards of late but this pipe's calling my name...

 

[Slow Puffs]

I used to be strictly Brigham... now I have an eccletic assortment...
-Paul

 

[Anonymous]

A thought-provoking question. At the end of a long evolution (possibly, devolution) in taste, a rescue mission pipe guy. The largest charge is to come up with a nice, older, completely overlooked-unrecognised-unvalued pipe (or stummel) on fleabay for very small bucks and get the Woofster to put it back on the road again with a dent-steam, a roro-root and a new stem. An odd ecological niche to inhabit, perhaps. But one with a heart.

And when all is said and done, once the down-to-bare walls re-cake again, that old briar is a joy to smoke. At the moment, it's Sheherezade spinning one of her inimitable tales in a group 3.5-size Pete billiard that was probably breaking in the first time as WW I broke out. You may be able to match that with a shiny new Wetchamuhkallit if you go up high enough on the food chain -- I don't know. I probably never will know. And that's cool. I'll never know if that secretary in Admin is as much fun up close and personal as her vibes tell me she probably is either.

Not all niches are confining in a bad sense. Some are downright pleasent -- as my distant forebearers would say, gemutliche

Edit to add : Plus, truth be told, there is an element -- a teensy element -- of old fuddyduddy billiards and bulldogs being kind of a finger in the face of "modernity."

 

[Anonymous]

Excellent thread idea, JD. I've owned a footlocker full of pipes over the years, some not worth the space they occupied and some pretty nice ones, too. I currently own a couple of Brighams, 4 Stanwells, 3 or 4 Charatan seconds, 4 or 5 Ben Wades and about 30 Charatans. There's just something about the style and feel of Charatans that feels right to me... from their conservative styling to the way the vulcanite stems are cut, I just have a sense of rapport with Charatans that I don't get with any other pipe. My personal favorite models are the skaters (perfect size for me), dublins and bent bell dublins.

JT irat:

 

[puros_bran]

I've become a Danish nut,I own more Danish pipes than any other, but I don't know when it happened. Winslow,Bjarne,Stanwell,comprise most of my pipes.
I prefer non-classic shapes but I'm not a big fan of the to-wild stuff. Horns,flowing Dublins, Big Platue Rims are cool. Cavalier Blowfish naw you can have em, take the snail with ya as ya go please. Hey drop that Elephants Foot, I didn't say nuthin bout carting that off.

 

[hazmat]

I guess I'm a "whatever's at hand" kind of pipe guy. I own a handful of Savinellis, a Peterson, two Boswell's, a Nording and a few other miscellaneous brands. I unfortunately have none of the pipes I'd really like to have, e.g. Tinsky, Talbert, Rad Davis and some of the other American makers I drool over when I'm cruising for pipes. Since I got curious about making pipes several years ago, most of my "fun money" goes towards buying materials, so I get to smoke quite a few Hazmat brand pipes :lol: at the expense of only admiring others from afar.

 

[Anonymous]

I have more Castellos than any other brand and consider them a benchmark for quality. However, my Danish and German pipes are very stylish and just as well-made, and many other Italian brands are excellent in both quality and value.

 

[ZuluCollector]

The majority of pipes that I have are from North American carvers, though I have a sprinkiling of Danish, German, Italian, and English pipes. I love 'em all and that's a problem.

I'm trying to talk myself into selling my Danish pipes, but I doubt that I'll listen.

I've also got a few Japanese pipes and I really like them a lot. But that's a whole other focus and the big dog - Tokutumi - is one I just can't afford to try and collect, unless that's all I collect.

Obviously, I like the zulu shape and I'm trying to collect a nice array of zulus from all over the place and at various grades. I'm doing okay with that, but I'm distracted by other pipes and shapes that I like.

My friend, Cliff Melick, developed his collection around the idea that he can't collect every pipe maker in the world, so he decided to make some choices. I'm trying to wrap my head around that idea.

American carvers I've got:

J. Alan: Love his pipes. Want many more. Fantastic shape-designer, IMHO.
John Crosby: Another carver I think is a comer and I love how mine smokes.
Adam Davidson: One fantastic pipe and I'll definitely acquire more. He's a comer.
Jody Davis: I've got a small but good collection.
Rad Davis: Small group but love each one. No question collection will grow.
Stephen Downie: One great pipe. Hard to get more due to popularity and people like Melick.
Alexey Florov: A small collection that is going to grow. I love his work.
Jack Howell: Just three pieces but I love every one and will add more.
Todd Johnson: Just a few pieces but I love what I've got.
Tyler Lane: Have a small collection but given how few of them out there pretty good.
Mike Lindner: Not a big collection at all but some real nice pieces.
Brad Pohlmann: Love his pipes. Want many more. Will take awhile.
Will Purdy: I love love love his work and I've got to get serious about getting more of them.
Larry Roush: Had a big collection but now just have one that I love.
Brian Ruthenberg: I've got a damn fine collection of his smooths, probably the best around.
Trever Talbert: Have a small representative collection. Fantastic to smoke.

It's a bit of a heartbreak that, since I decided to collect North American carvers, that prices have really gone up. They are still pretty great values but nothing like they used to be. Some of the carvers have literally tripled to quintupled their prices. While I say hooray for them in terms of making a decent living, it sure has put a dent in my ability to build my collection. Not only that, my taste seems to improve (at least to me) and I find myself stretching financially beyond my means and good sense more often.

On top of everything else, I love a great smoker and those crop up from all kinds of places with all kinds of names on 'em. Like some of you, I love Sea Rocks. I love Dunhill patent Shells. I love Blue Ribands.

When it comes to pipes, I'm ADD. :lol!:

 

[howellhandmade]

I guess I'm a "whatever's at hand" kind of pipe guy. I own a handful of Savinellis, a Peterson, two Boswell's, a Nording and a few other miscellaneous brands. I unfortunately have none of the pipes I'd really like to have, e.g. Tinsky, Talbert, Rad Davis and some of the other American makers I drool over when I'm cruising for pipes. Since I got curious about making pipes several years ago, most of my "fun money" goes towards buying materials, so I get to smoke quite a few Hazmat brand pipes :lol: at the expense of only admiring others from afar.

Ain't it the truth. I started out buying miscellaneous price point pipes, and worked my way up to around $200 for a pipe, then started making them. Now, I don't spend money on anything that doesn't make pipes. Lathes are a loophole. I did manage, however, to wind up with a beautiful rusticated Paolo Becker, a nice Castello sandblast Rhodesian, and a great silver spigot Peterson. Those three have their own spot, the rest of my pipes are beaters and live in a tupperware box. So, I guess I'm a plastic-shoebox-full-of-pipes kind of pipe guy. Whoops, forgot my Don Carlos one-note billiard and my Tinsky full bent. I guess my don't-want-to-screw-this-one-up collection is bigger than I thought. Time to stop, looks like I've used all the hyphens.

Jack

 

[Mikem]

CP got me hooked on Italian pipes and makers. I am also partial to American Carvers such as Perri, Brissett, Bosi, Tim West and Tinsky. One of these days when I can afford it I'm sure I will get a Rad Davis, Brian Rutherford and John Crosby.

 

[jhuggett]

Jack with as nice as the pipes you produce are I have a hard time imagining you smoking junkers. Does the old analogy of a mechanic hold true? Their car is usually the worst on the block. :lol:

 

[howellhandmade]

Jack with as nice as the pipes you produce are I have a hard time imagining you smoking junkers. Does the old analogy of a mechanic hold true? Their car is usually the worst on the block. :lol:

I wouldn't say that my own pipes are junkers, but they are almost all flawed, or experimental. They get covered with dust, knocked on the floor, smudged with oil. The most common cause of a personal pipe is a flaw inside the bowl, I have some real doozies that simply caked over with no problems. I do have a couple that weren't flawed, but that I actually wanted and that hung around on the website just a little too long. Someday I'll take a picture of my pipe "rack." However I treat my pipes, I have the consolation that I'm not as bad as Tinsky.

 

[Justpipes]

I have a wide assortment of pipes and have never focused on any one thing. If I like it and can afford it I get it. Sometimes I keep them sometimes I let them go. The only ones that I will not let go of are my Brissetts. Mike's pipes are some of the best smoking pipes that money can buy and at a heck of a price too! I have a few Brissetts that will stack up against any pipe carver in the world for all around quality. Two the most beautiful pipes that I have ever seen and own are Brissetts. Don't get me wrong I have or have had a lot of other ones that I really like. American, Danish, Italian, English, Belgium, Dutch and French marks. I have yet to own any German marks. Probably of today's carvers the most expensive pipes that I own are Rinaldos, Cavvichis and soon to arrive Tinsky.

Lately my tastes for the practicallity of smoking has been leaning toward bent billiards and like traditional shapes. I can see now why they were designed as such decades and now even centuries ago, because of their smokability. Comletely staight pipes have never appealed to me. I have never been smitten by the allure of a Dunhill or a Castello but now that my taste for smoking purposes is leaning more toward the traditional it will.

 

[ftrplt]

Having started in the 60's, my 150+ pipe assortment started with GBDs, Comoys, Savinellis, Sasienis, BBBs, Barlings, a few Charatans, numerous seconds of all the aforementioned, and a bunch of Meers (thanx to my all-expense paid travel coutesy of my Uncle Sam!!). Working in a good pipe shop in the 60's didn't help either!! Later I got into pre-1970 Dunhills, older Sasienis, Caminettos (early, gold moustache), Castello, Loewe, old/4-stinger Kaywoodies, Ser Jacopo (coral dots), better Comoys (Blue Riband, Royal Comoy, etc.), Don Carlos, Ashton, Ferndown, Upshall, and old (real old!) BBBs, GBDs, Meers, amber-stemmed pipes, etc. I have an eclectic group; tending toward very "English" traditional shapes. Sizes range from Group 2/3 to 6/ODA. I tend to like'em larger. And, yes, I have several "yard pipes" and a few Danish/freehand-style pipes, plus the usual assortment of clay, olivewood, cherrywood, corncobs, maples, and applewoods!! My most cherished pipe is my great grand-fathers hand-made cherrywood poker. A large pipe with thick walls, fully 3-31/2" across the bowl, with a 15+" arched, hand-drilled stem!! I love smoking this big ol' boy!! Lately I have been picking up the occasional Tinsky, a Curt Rollar handmade, a Tim West, Elliott Nachwalter (superb briar), a Colin Fromme handmade Castleford (a smoking beauty) as examples. Problem is, I see more I want!!!!!!!!!!!! And you people do not help by pointing out more sites for me to look at!!! I can resist anything but temptation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FTRPLT

 

[slartie]

The bulk of my collection is estate Stanwells. Much of the rest in my collection is also Danish: Refbjerg, Nording, W O Larsen, Bentley (Former), Kriswill, Karl Erik and Danbark.

I have a bunch of Savinellis and Petersons as well, but they don't get nearly the same amount of attention as my beloved Stanwells do.

 

[Dock]

My personal goal since entering the hobby has been to have one fine example of every available pipe carver's pipes.Being what it is,I don't tend to get hung up on any specific maker.It's all about the variety...

Best,
Dock
ipe: