To Buy A Rolls Royce, Or A Few Reliable Honda's?

[s.ireland]

Lots of great advice in this thread.

I agree with pretty much everything that has been said. It shows how diverse everyone's take on "value" is.

The main points I'd stress are:

1. Buy cobs. They are cheap, function perfectly and last a long while most of the time.

2. Buying "nice" briars is great as well but take your time and remember one thing: THERE WILL ALWAYS BE MORE GREAT PIPES OUT THERE. I promise you'll never run out of quality pipes to lust after

3. Like Natch suggested, don't blow all your funds on pipes; invest in tobacco as well. I wish someone would have told me this when I first started.

 

[Gumball]

I suppose this all comes down to ones own personal taste.

Will that white dot really improve your smoking experience?
Will that cheap cob ruin the taste of Stonehaven?

I say buy what you like, smoke what you like, and enjoy the heck out of it I like those Porsche design pipes, but I cannot justify £300+ cost for one. And I personally find the finish on the mid ranged Peterson pipes disappointing when compared to superior finish on similarly priced pipes from less well know makers.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

*laughing at Deepbass* I don't even like Rolls Royce and lobster. I guess I'm a classless rube. Heheheheh

...now a nice top-o-the-line Porsche and a few pounds of King Crab legs, sure.

So what's this nonsense about it all being about taste? :lol: 8)

No one would be surprised to see me puffin' a cob in Carrera GT, anyway.

 

[deepbass9]

*laughing at Deepbass* I don't even like Rolls Royce and lobster. I guess I'm a classless rube. Heheheheh

Yeah, well I kinda figure you've got the wherewithal to get the meaning, if not the explicit examples. Taste in all is singular, no? That's why the richest of men bed whores, no? :lol!:

 

[Kyle Weiss]

That's why the richest of men bed whores, no? :lol!:

Astute observation if I ever did read one. 8)

 

[ragtopbob]

End the pain Rusty Mouse! Buy yourself a nice pipe maybe made by one of the brothers or check out a few of the different pipe makers web sites. You don't have to break the bank, check out Mark Tinsky's site, he has pipes listed for under $200 and he makes a pretty decent smoker. The quest is half the fun and next time you have $$'s burning a hole in you pocket you may just know what direction to take...OR maybe not.. but at least you can sit back and smoke your new treasure while trying to unravel your confusion.
Just my thoughts.......BobH

 

[Rusty Mouse]

End the pain Rusty Mouse! Buy yourself a nice pipe maybe made by one of the brothers or check out a few of the different pipe makers web sites. You don't have to break the bank, check out Mark Tinsky's site, he has pipes listed for under $200 and he makes a pretty decent smoker. The quest is half the fun and next time you have $$'s burning a hole in you pocket you may just know what direction to take...OR maybe not.. but at least you can sit back and smoke your new treasure while trying to unravel your confusion.
Just my thoughts.......BobH

I wonder, I'd love to have something made to my specs, seeing as I'm becoming more and more picky. Believe it or not I JUST noticed the Towne Crier area of BoB tonight. Shows how observant I am.

 

[monbla256]

End the pain Rusty Mouse! Buy yourself a nice pipe maybe made by one of the brothers or check out a few of the different pipe makers web sites. You don't have to break the bank, check out Mark Tinsky's site, he has pipes listed for under $200 and he makes a pretty decent smoker. The quest is half the fun and next time you have $$'s burning a hole in you pocket you may just know what direction to take...OR maybe not.. but at least you can sit back and smoke your new treasure while trying to unravel your confusion.
Just my thoughts.......BobH

I wonder, I'd love to have something made to my specs, seeing as I'm becoming more and more picky. Believe it or not I JUST noticed the Towne Crier area of BoB tonight. Shows how observant I am.

As particular as you have shown you are, and having the $s available to you, If I were you, I would NOT even consider ANYTHING UNDER $300.00 so that you can get closer to the perfection you require. This would be at the low end of custom and if you wanted to truly ensure PERFECTION I think you would have to step up to around the $1,000.00 and up range.There are MANY $300.00 PRODUCTION pipes and you've had a bad experience with an upper-end production pipe so I would stay away from ANY of those. Custom looks to be your only choice and the upper end of cutom would probably ASSURE you of the perfection you require. I'm not trying to be sarcastic, just an honest opinion based on what YOU have stated here. Go for it and let's see what you get

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Monbla's got the right idea. Think about it, guys, we could be vicariously living through Mr. Mouse here--if the poor kid wants to spend x-amount of dollars, at least we can have the benefit of the pictures and experience the anticipation and joy when the coveted box gets to him. Then hear for weeks about the hesitation to spark up the pipe for the first time... :lol:

Too funny. 8)

 

[Stinger4me]

I would have to go along with s. ireland. There are a few $$$ pipes around this place but they don't go out all the often, I've learned after losing several pipes over the years. Some of my best smokers are Kaywoodies which I inherited, some Savinelli pipes and the Peterson pipes. The MM pipes are great when I head to the woods or to a stream for some fishing. If they get lost it is not much of a loss. I can recall losing a Charatan second in the woods when I was working. Even though it was a second it was a great smoking pipe and it was quite the loss for me. MM is the companion when heading to the woods or cabin. Good Luck with your decision, consider this to be my $.02.

 

[Rusty Mouse]

End the pain Rusty Mouse! Buy yourself a nice pipe maybe made by one of the brothers or check out a few of the different pipe makers web sites. You don't have to break the bank, check out Mark Tinsky's site, he has pipes listed for under $200 and he makes a pretty decent smoker. The quest is half the fun and next time you have $$'s burning a hole in you pocket you may just know what direction to take...OR maybe not.. but at least you can sit back and smoke your new treasure while trying to unravel your confusion.
Just my thoughts.......BobH

I wonder, I'd love to have something made to my specs, seeing as I'm becoming more and more picky. Believe it or not I JUST noticed the Towne Crier area of BoB tonight. Shows how observant I am.

As particular as you have shown you are, and having the $s available to you, If I were you, I would NOT even consider ANYTHING UNDER $300.00 so that you can get closer to the perfection you require. This would be at the low end of custom and if you wanted to truly ensure PERFECTION I think you would have to step up to around the $1,000.00 and up range.There are MANY $300.00 PRODUCTION pipes and you've had a bad experience with an upper-end production pipe so I would stay away from ANY of those. Custom looks to be your only choice and the upper end of cutom would probably ASSURE you of the perfection you require. I'm not trying to be sarcastic, just an honest opinion based on what YOU have stated here. Go for it and let's see what you get

I don't take it as sarcasm at all, I'm actually a bit touched that you remember my perfectionist ways. It's something I'm beginning to consider, stepping it up a notch. Some will say..... Most will say I'm not ready, and I'm inclined to agree, but like you said, it may need to be where I'm at to be satisfied on a more regular basis. If it means working a little harder and saving a bit longer, so be it. Wouldn't hurt to find out...

 

[Rusty Mouse]

Monbla's got the right idea. Think about it, guys, we could be vicariously living through Mr. Mouse here--if the poor kid wants to spend x-amount of dollars, at least we can have the benefit of the pictures and experience the anticipation and joy when the coveted box gets to him. Then hear for weeks about the hesitation to spark up the pipe for the first time... :lol:

Too funny. 8)

Why the hell not!? It's what I do, it's what all of us do, drool over others acquisitions

 

[Harlock999]

In my guitar acquisition days, I could never understand why someone would pay extra to purchase a deluxe model Epiphone Les Paul guitar, because no matter how "deluxe" or top of the line it was, it still wasn't a GIBSON Les Paul!
And I'm not knocking the Epi's, but lets face it, if your a fan of Jimmy Page, early Clapton or Beck etc, what you really want is a GIBSON, not an Epiphone. So why spend 2-3 hundred dollars extra for a really really nice Epi LP, rather than buying a budget model and saving the rest for what you really want anyway, a real GIBSON?!
I firmly believe that one is happier when one gets what they really want. Maybe that's shallow and materialistic, but then again, I am a shallow and materialistic person!
Now, comparing guitars and pipes is unfair, because being a great pipe maker is a far cry from being a master luthier. Most (not all) pipes smoke about the same, as they are such simple tools. However, most cheap, factory made guitars are nothing like handmade instruments, but it's all about what makes you happy. Does it matter to you that you can place a face and a name, and possibly a philosophy, with a pipe, as is the case with some artisan made pipes? Do the fractions of inches in proportional differences sometimes found in pipes made by a person with flare and an artistic eye(s) make a world of difference to you? Does a perfectly oriented straight grain make you weak in the knees? If so, then true pipe happiness requires appropriate purchases.
I'm sure we all have a price, or comfort ceiling on the amount we'll spend on happiness, no matter how superficial that pleasure may be. Determining that limit is where it can get interesting...

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Monbla's got the right idea. Think about it, guys, we could be vicariously living through Mr. Mouse here--if the poor kid wants to spend x-amount of dollars, at least we can have the benefit of the pictures and experience the anticipation and joy when the coveted box gets to him. Then hear for weeks about the hesitation to spark up the pipe for the first time... :lol:

Too funny. 8)

Why the hell not!? It's what I do, it's what all of us do, drool over others acquisitions

If it's not a $500 piece, I ain't interested. For that matter, buy two.

8)