What and Why?

[AJ]

The purpose of this thread is to give everybody a chance to show off their two favorite pipes and tell why they are special. Hopefully this will also serve as a chance to learn what you think makes an ideal pipe and generate some good discussion.  

AJ

I believe all of us have a couple of pipes that are favorites. If you had to choose only two pipes out of your collection to keep and the rest were going to be destroyed what pipes would you keep and why? Is it because of the way they smoke, the way they look, or could it be there's some sentimental connection? If it is a combination of reasons which one of the elements affecting your decision carries the most weight and why? Post a picure of each of the two pipes you would keep and explain what makes them the ones you would keep.

The first of my two pipes would be my Design Berlin paneled Rhodesian. When I first saw this pipe I knew I had to have it. First of all it's a panel and I just love a paneled pipe and the fact that it's my favorite pipe shapes makes it a sound choice. The next reason would be because it's the best smoking pipe I own. It has never gurgled, smoked hot, or given me any problem. I have only smoked Latakia blends in it and it always delivers what I like about Lat. blends. How much of that is caused by the tobacco is anyone's guess. The way if fits my hand is perfect. The rustication on the paneled faces allows a firm grip but mainly it feels good in my hand. It feels like it belongs there. Another characteristic going for it is it is it's easy to clinch. I usually don't clinch my pipes but when I go for a walk I always go out with this pipe clinched between my teeth so I can have my hands free. It's not a heavy pipe. I'm sure with a little more thought I could come up with some more reasons but I think I've shown enough reasons why I would choose this one. In my mind there is no doubt this is the first pipe I would grab.

Design Berlin:


My second choice would be a custom made Rhodesian by Todd Harris. Todd made this pipe for me following the specifications that I had listed. I like a Rhodesian shaped pipe above all others. It has a slightly bent stem which facilitates my smoking while reclining in my chair. It has a bowl depth that is at least 1 1/2 inches with the diameter of the chamber being at least 3/4 inch. Everything about this pipe including color, the Cumberland stem, and the silver band were according to my likes. But the thing that makes it stand out from the rest of my collection is how well my two favorite Va. blends perform in this pipe. McC 5100 RC and 2000 FMC in my opinion are two of McClelland's best blends and when either is smoked in this pipe I'm awash in the sweet delicious goodness that can only come from a superior prepared tobacco. The large bowl fills my hand making me aware that I have a finely crafted work of art in my hand. Todd nailed the engineering because there has never been a hint of a gurgle, it never gets hot, and the draw is exactly what I prefer. Because this pipe was made for me by Todd, that I chose the specifications, and it smokes so good there is no way that I couldn't choose this as my second pipe.

Todd Harris Rhodesian:

 

[monbla256]

AJ,
Saw this post and thought what the heck, I'll play :twisted:  Having over 100 pipes to choose from it's hard to narrow it down to just two but I'll give it a shot
First off, my favorite briar n a pipe is oil cured Algerian briar and for those whove not smoked any, get some as you are in for one of the best smokes ever ! Both of these pipes are made from this type of briar and have my favorite style of bit, a saddle bit thin fishtail which fits my dentures perfectly and both are my favorite size, around a grp 4/5.
 First would be my BY Dunhill Patent Shell finished Apple, one of the few pipes I;ve been known to smoke twice in one day  !! Besides it is in my favorite finishes, sandbasted and a graggy one at that ! !



 Second would be one of my Edwards, a smooth Bull Moose Rhodesian that I got from Bro Nathan this past year. Though it;s large pipe it  clenches wonderfully and as wilth the dunnie, smokes sweet and cool with mu beloved straight McC's Red Vas. :twisted: This one also gets smoked twice a day many times.

 

[DrT999]

Tough one . . . for my first pipe, it's the one I'm using as my avatar -- a decorated (silver lid and chain, etc.) BBK. It smokes great, and it was a Christmas present back in 1976 by my then high school sweetheart. Even though she is now my ex, and despite having some sentimental attachment to a few other pipes, I would have to pick this one.

As it is difficult to see through the smoke, this is a Brigham bent Rhodesian. A few of my pipes more-or-less equal it as a fantastic smoker, a few more-or-less equal the perfectly natural way it feels as I clench, but it is simply the best combination of the two.

 

[Richard Burley]

Can't do it. I could maybe select a dozen, but that's it. A couple of Dunhill Shells, a Jesse Jones, one out of two Castellos, four out of six bulldogs. Then there's three old French billiards that have treated me well. Something about their wood. Then there are several Petes I really like. Wait a minute...I can't do that either. Never mind.

 

[ftrplt]

Not to be the "party pooper" here, but this is another of those selection processes I just "no can do!!":no: Two out of 160+, including several yet to have experienced flame!:lol: :cheers: FTRPLT

 

[RDPipes]

I plead the 5th!

 

[Ozark Wizard]

Wait a tic, I'm thinking.............

I have one hands down, and will get a photo up soon. My second pick is the more difficult of choices.....

I'll be Bach.......

OK, I've found a pair! (smirk)

The number one in my rotation is this short Osage Orange pipe I made in 2009. It is rather thin walled, but slow smoking Virginias have kept it in good order. It originally had no finish, but this last winter I put a coat of wax on it. A great fishing companion, it has gone swimming with me on occasional mis-steps chasing steelhead along river banks. It floats. It weighs almost nothing. I smoke it once a day, generally in the morning.





My second favorite came down to this long wizard/churchwarden pipe I made when The Return of The King movie came out. It's maple, and I used polyurethane as a finish, as it was what I had. This is something like the third or fourth pipe I made this long, so it took a long time to make. It's possibly the coolest smoking pipe I have. Never bit, never spit, gurgled or got hot. Definitely my end of the day pipe. Sit, think, smoke..... It is also used daily, though I have been known to back-to-back smoke it when a blend strikes me right and my pint is still half full...

 

[Brewdude]

Some very impressive pipes you have there Ozzie. All the better knowing you made them yourself!

As for me, well......... on the basis of what I reach for the most it would be-

My trusty Wiley Rhody/'dog. Got this from the long gone T-box where I used to hang out many moons ago. Think I paid about $78 for it, and that's after the proprietor made me a very generous discount! It has a very cool tobacco leaf carved on one side, probably to hide a pit, but I don't care since it makes the pipe special to me.

The finish was in the light tan category when I got it, but has darkened over time. Has a red/black Cumberland bit too, which I've somehow avoided putting too much chatter on.

Guess it's probably my #1 pipe since it sees action at least 3 times/week, and I'm only a 2 bowl/day guy on average. Right now it splits duties between 2015 and Revor and never influences one to the other. Nice chunk of briar, I often say to myself.

The second pick is harder to identify, but the nod would probably be to the Ser Jacopo Per Aspera Poker/Cherrywood I got in a swap with a member here who hasn't posted in a while - Coastis3202 - and who is a very fine pipesmith.

I had sent him a Stanny I acquired for some minor work and he was so taken with it that he offered to trade me even up for 1 of 3 estates he had. When I saw the pics of the Ser Jac I fell in love, since Poker/Cherrywood shapes are among my faves.

We did the deal, and immediately after receiving the Ser Jac, I tried to remove the stem and promptly broke it right near the area it goes into the shank!! :x

As you can imagine I was livid, since everything about this pipe rang all the bells, and I was eager to smoke it.

I duly sent it off to Walker Briar Works, and while it took a little while, Mike there not only repaired the stem such that you wouldn't even know there was ever an issue, he also made me a new stem. The new one doesn't have the logo of course, but it's good to have a back up in case my inner klutz acts up again!

This pipe has become my go-to after work M-F. It's lightweight, smokes effortlessly, and has only seen straight 'ginny's and VaPers.

No pics though, sorry about that. I'd have to borrow a digital camera and go through all that photoshop jazz like I did once before when I posted the pic of "the chair". And even then, I'm not certain I'd remember all the steps.

:clown:



Cheers,

RR

 

[Ocelot55]

I'm really enjoying this thread. Keep em coming guys!

I'm not quite sure I can narrow mine down yet. Gotta do some thinkin'. :scratch:

 

[DrT999]

I take it you're not a heavy clencher? I would think wooden stems would get rather 'chewed up' by those who are, or would I be incorrect on that?

 

[AJ]

I take it you're not a heavy clencher?  I would think wooden stems would get rather 'chewed up' by those who are, or would I be incorrect on that?

I had wondered about this too. I've never smoked a pipe with a wooden stem and thought I'd probably get splinters in my mouth because of me biting the end on the stem until it frayed. I also wondered about the taste of the wood while smoking. Do you get any wood taste from the stem?

AJ

 

[Richard Burley]

Seems obvious to me that they are meant to be hand-held. No biting. Get a cob and a bag of replacement bits, if you like to chew.

 

[Ozark Wizard]

I take it you're not a heavy clencher?  I would think wooden stems would get rather 'chewed up' by those who are, or would I be incorrect on that?

It's very light weight, as most of the wood ones are. Thus, they can rest lightly when clenched. There's a few small dents, probably from canines. But for the most part I just hold them....Makes me take a real break, rather than carry on and not have a time out...

Nice thing about how I make the pipes is that the stems thread into the bowls. If some part breaks, I can grab up another and screw it on, good to go. I had a long stemmed pipe get slammed in the truck door once(don't ask) and of course it snapped. Grabbed a spare out of the stem box and Bob's your uncle I'm smoking again. Another fell out of my pocket in the dark in someone's yard and found it the next morning in some tire tracks. Took out the broken bits and salvaged the pipe.

 

[huffelpuff]

Well I'd have to say number 1 would be my Briar Spirit billiard. It just screams classic, smokes like a dream, and was given to me by Kirk.


Number 2 would have to be my Chateau Bryer bent billiard. This pipe has always been a workhorse, delivering a reliable smoke time after time.

 

[Puff Daddy]

OK, mine is not "A" pipe, couldn't pick one or two, but is a group of pipes. When I first got into pipes I got a few Stanwells. They were not terribly expensive but they sure smoked great. My interest moved on to high grades like Castello and Dunhill and that was what I chased for some time, leaving the more pedestrian Stanwells behind. Some years later I had gone through quite a purge and change of focus, I had sold off my high grade pipes and was once again seeking those blue collar well built great smokers. At this time Stanwell had shut their doors in Denmark so whatever stock there was on the market was dwindling fast. Over the last few years I managed to pick up a few of those Made in Denmark Stanwells, 18 of them to be precise (plus a few of the present Italian mades, not included in this notion). I got a lot of the shapes I loved most, and got them in great or brand new condition. Still a few shapes out there I'm chasing. I could easily bring this collection up to two dozen and probably will eventually. Just takes the right pipe coming along when the money is in my pocket.

A slideshow of the pipes, best I could do with the camera on my phone.

https://s1113.photobucket.com/user/briarsmoke1/slideshow/Stanwell%20made%20in%20Denmark

 

[AJ]

PD that's got to be the nicest collection of Stanwell pipes I've seen. There's some I'd give my soul to own especially if they will take a 9mm filter.

Hufflepuff: Your Briar Spirit Billiard is truly a classic. I have a couple of Kirk's pipes and they are very well made and smoke great. You are fortunate to have one of his fine pipes. Thanks for posting.

AJ

 

[Puff Daddy]

AJ, a few of those are 9mm pipes, the only way to source some of these pipes was from europe. I put the adapters in them and they smoke very well.

 

[AJ]

AJ, a few of those are 9mm pipes, the only way to source some of these pipes was from europe. I put the adapters in them and they smoke very well.

I only buy those that have the 9mm filter. I like the filter when smoking some aromatics like Trout Stream, Candy Corn, or Cinnamon Roll. They control the moisture and prevent tongue bite. I use the adapter for all other tobacco. Buying them with the capability of using the 9mm filter allows the option to use the pipe for any genre of tobacco.

Should you decide you'd like to sell any of your Stanwells that use the 9mm filter just let me know. I think we could work out something that would leave us both smiling.

AJ

 

[Ozark Wizard]

Very nice collection PD. The closest thing I have to a filtered pipe are the Falcons, which consist of a ring of pipe cleaner in the cup the bowl screws into. I'll have to dig into the archives again to read up on the benefits of filtered pipes...

 

[Hunter5117]

Nice collection PD. Stanwells were all the rage here a few years back. Don't have quite as many as you do but they are all great smokers. I have pretty much concentrated on the brass band versions recently, see you have a couple of those in your collection.