Stans, Savs, Petes - Determining Low vs Med vs High Grades

[jacko]

Folks

I have been reading a number of posting on the site and there is a lot of talk about low/med vs high grades of your Stans, Savs and Pete's. What I'm wondering is how you folks are determining what constitutes a low/med/high grade in these lines. I noticed there is a huge price range of Savs, much more then Stan and Pete. Is it strictly a gauge of price - e.g. low is sub $75 med is sub $120 high is $150 and above or is more complicated than that? I'm referring to new pipes here, just to be clear.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Sasquatch]

Sometimes a manufacturer will use somewhat better briar or better stem material in a certain line of pipes, sometimes pipes with no apparent defects in the grain, or very good looking grain will be produced as a more expensive line.

Roughly, price is what a guy is looking at, but there's no "objective" measure in that. A 200 dollar stanwell is near the top of their price list, whereas it may not be the top of, say, Peterson's. But lots of people here will argue that a 200 dollar Stanwell is a better pipe than a 300 dollar peterson. Value is where you find it, I suppose.

 

[jacko]

Is that the general consensus that Stanwell make a better pipe than Perterson dollar for dollar? Don't own any Stanwells yet to compare.

 

[Centurian 803]

I have both Stanwells and Petes. Dollar for dollar my Stanwells beat my Petes but I love them both.

 

[Anonymous]

I have both Stanwells and Petes. Dollar for dollar my Stanwells beat my Petes but I love them both.

Intersting.... here in RSA their mid ranges are both priced the same. Pete's seem to be way more popular here tho'. Even their higher ends!

 

[Amenhotep04]

Both names are going to give you a good smoke, and for me that's the only thing that matters. I like however what Rad Davis and Marco Biagini have said, that difference in prices are largely due to the rarity of the grain. I'm sure with Peterson's and Stanwell's that is one of the criteria, as well as other materials used to make the pipe.

:farao:

 

[Sasquatch]

In my personal and totally skewed opinion, I prefer Stanwells at the lower end of the spectrum, and Petersons at the higher end. I don't find Petersons bits very comfortable, and Stanwells are. But I also never got any Stanwell to smoke quite as good as my best petes. But they are all perfectly decent pipes by almost any standard of examination.

 

[TallSmoke]

My Peterson Aran and Stanwell Zebrano seem to smoke just about the same, but I give the edge to the Pete. I imagine both of those would be considered low end as they were both around $70-75 bucks? They are in my regular rotation of the 5 pipes I smoke the most, and are fine smokers, in my opinion.

 

[Maiser]

To me it seems that Petes in the higher price range get there due to their silver or gold spigot work.

But dollar for dollar I think Stanwell takes it. I have a stanwell that smokes like a dream and a pete that smokes... err... not-like-a-dream.

Another related question. Do you think that a stanwell in the low price range gets the same excellent internal engineering as a higher priced one (drilling, fitting etc)? Or do they receive different treatment?

This question could apply to savs and petes as well (or any other company I suppose), but not to companies like Tsuge, which makes factory pipes and handmade pipes (obviously better engineering).

 

[Sasquatch]

The distinctions go in all kinds of directions. The OP was asking about determining the level or "grade" of three fairly well known brands, and the answer is "how much they cost". The reason for what they cost can come down to briar beauty, added materials like silver, difficult/time consuming finishes like dress black, etc.

If you want to move into one-off, artisan pipes, and talk about grading, that's a whole different ball of wax.

By and large, the engineering on a Stanwell Golden Danish will be identical to the same model of a higher grade, like a colonial. Pipes with poorer briar or worse drilling go into "seconds" lines and do not bear the stanwell (or savinelli, or peterson) stamp.

 

[Anonymous]

hence, Duca Carlo, Capitol etc for Sav seconds??
Dumb question...... doe Sans have seconds??

 

[Frost]

Yeah P, Stanwell has a few seconds lines..they are on ebay all the time. Here is a linky to a list of some of 'em: http://www.pipes.org/Articles/Seconds.html

 

[Anonymous]

Yeah P, Stanwell has a few seconds lines..they are on ebay all the time. Here is a linky to a list of some of 'em: http://www.pipes.org/Articles/Seconds.html

Thanks Frost!

 

[sundevil73]

I agree 100% with Centurian 803. I paid $10-$30 more for my petes but I think the Stawell's smoke a little better and do not gunk as bad. Still will keep buying both though, local bookstore has plenty of both at the right prices.

 

[Trout Bum]

Yeah P, Stanwell has a few seconds lines..they are on ebay all the time. Here is a linky to a list of some of 'em: http://www.pipes.org/Articles/Seconds.html

Awesome link Frosty, thanks for posting!

 

[Smoker99]

My personal opinion, at above $200 you should pretty much get the best materials a maker has to offer. Pay a whole lot more, and you are paying for grain, name, or demand. A $100 pipe anymore will be a machine carved and drilled pipe and may have fills or erratic drilling.

 

[Doc Manhattan]

$200 retail is probably where the big-name companies start selling sizzle rather than steak, but it seems low to me for an individual craftsman--one man's time and capital don't have the same clout as a big factory, and the hours he puts into a gorgeous piece of briar are undervalued, if anything, in the 200-300 range. (Ask a contractor to put in 8 hours and $100 out-of-pocket for materials on a project for $300 and he will have a jolly laugh!)

 

[Sasquatch]

That's why I'm a contractor and not a pipe maker "by day". :cheers: