What are/will be the "classics" of the future?

[geordiebooker]

I suppose I got thinking about this as I have a few new and a few estate Brighams....the older ones from the 50's, 60's and 70's seem to be much better made.

I also acquired a "new" Ben Wade....it smokes fine but, looks great but the drilling out, draw hole and tenon fit are a bit sloppy.....when compared to an old lovat (no idea of vintage) that I got on the same day....the manufacturing of this is superior in every way.

This got me thinking about the question I asked......also were these pipes "instant classic" or given a steady decline in the quality of mass produced pipes have they become classics with time and hindsight on our side.

 

[Kashmir]

I would heartily agree to invest your money is estates, specifically English estates, more specifically Comoys. Of my herd of 60, a full 28 are Comoys. They excelled at the classic English pipe shapes. And for me smoke like a dream. You needn't buy top of the line Blue Ribands, Specimen & Selected Straight Grains either. The Old Bruyere, Tradition and Grand Slams are all excellent choices. And if these are too high try the Everyman, Guildhsll etc. Then there are dozens of Comoy seconds under a range if names. See Pipedia for a good set of pages on Comoy history. And the Dereck Green pages if course. Then spend time on eBay perusing. Mr. Can on eBay has some great Comoy history commentary. I've cut and pasted his comments to make a home encyclopedia on brand Comoy. Here's a snap to whet your appetite.

 

[Hawker]

I would heartily agree to invest your money is estates, specifically English estates, more specifically Comoys. Of my herd of 60, a full 28 are Comoys. They excelled at the classic English pipe shapes. And for me smoke like a dream. You needn't buy top of the line Blue Ribands, Specimen & Selected Straight Grains either. The Old Bruyere, Tradition and Grand Slams are all excellent choices. And if these are too high try the Everyman, Guildhsll etc. Then there are dozens of Comoy seconds under a range if names. See Pipedia for a good set of pages on Comoy history. And the Dereck Green pages if course. Then spend time on eBay perusing. Mr. Can on eBay has some great Comoy history commentary. I've cut and pasted his comments to make a home encyclopedia on brand Comoy. Here's a snap to whet your appetite.

Don't care for the bit of rounding were the shank & bit meet but the grain on that middle pipe is about as nice of grain as i've ever seen. Wow!

 

[monbla256]

I suppose I got thinking about this as I have a few new and a few estate Brighams....the older ones from the 50's, 60's and 70's seem to be much better made.

I also acquired a "new" Ben Wade....it smokes fine but, looks great but the drilling out, draw hole and tenon fit are a bit sloppy.....when compared to an old lovat (no idea of vintage) that I got on the same day....the manufacturing of this is superior in every way.

This got me thinking about the question I asked......also were these pipes "instant classic" or given a steady decline in the quality of mass produced pipes have they become classics with time and hindsight on our side.

My personal OPINION ( not fact) in response to your two questions can be given in two parts.
Your first question about "... newly introduced makers" ( paraphrased) is that I can only think of 1 "new" manufacturer of production pipes sold here in the US, Sebastian Beo, who's work is supposed to be very good and the pipes are supposed to be good smokers from reports I've read on other Forums. There may be some other "new" firms that I'm not aware of and if so, others here might add them to what seems to be a short list. I've not included Savinelli or Peterson as these firms do not fall into your first question about "new" firms though they STILL produce EXCELLENT pipes for each price point offered.
As to your question about "... were these pipes "instant classics" " Having bought several of these pipes at the time of there heyday when they were new, I never thought of them as "classics", they were just GOOD PIPES sold at a price I could afford and readily available at a local retailer.
This whole "classics" thing has interfered with so many folks enjoyment of many things and really is a marketing/social statement so many of us fall prey to. Romance ALWAYS sells and as my father who was a Chef used to say:" I'm not selling the steak, I'm selling the SIZZLE". As far as the "classics" becoming that over time, it's all up to the viewpoint of the person who's defining them as such. The convinced Dunhill fan only sees certain eras of this firms product as worthwhile, the pre=Lane era Charatan person says these are better than the Lane era pipes and the Lane era says they are better than today's ( I'm a Charatan fan but have only Lane era pipes , two dozen, so can't speak to pre or post Lane pipes and WON"T as I have no knowledge of them) and it goes the same for Comoy's, GBD, BBB etc.
Basically, buy what APPEALS to you, what you can AFFORD and stop worrying about the "romance" aspect of the pipe. Remember, we are basically taking a piece of wood that someone has shaped, putting a dried weed in it, lighting it on fire and injesting the smoke from the weed into our bodies. It's called Smoking :twisted: :twisted:

 

[geordiebooker]

I never actually asked what to spend my cash on ....just looking for other perspectives....I can't be the only pipe smoker in my thirties wondering about the older generations knowledgeable take on this ......Can I ????

 

[monbla256]

Basically, buy what APPEALS to you, what you can AFFORD and stop worrying about the "romance" aspect of the pipe. Remember, we are basically taking a piece of wood that someone has shaped, putting a dried weed in it, lighting it on fire and injesting the smoke from the weed into our bodies. It's called Smoking :twisted: :twisted: [/quote]

I never actually asked what to spend my cash on ....just looking for other perspectives....I can't be the only pipe smoker in my thirties wondering about the older generations knowledgeable take on this ......Can I ????[/quote]

Yes you can . That goes without saying, but this whole thing keeps going round and round and there's no real defining answer ( IMHO) :twisted: As for today's smoking world, due to the Web, a smoker has so much MORE available to enjoy in this habit than what was in the past. Most of us were restricted to the 'bacs and pipes available in local drugstores and tobacco shops and what we learned from a few known to us smokers. Much of this info was not all that accurate and has become the "legends" we still knock around. I try to live in the present in my life and find the world of pipe smoking I'm in NOW to be a very nice one compared to "what it was". This same thing seems to be happening in many fields of interest these days so I guess that's what it is :twisted:

 

[Kashmir]

Thanks Hawker. But the rounding is from decades of buffing prior to my acquisition. Personally I like the old estates, and sometimes their warts are part of their charm. Oh, by the way - getting back to the thread - I agree with everything stated by monbla. Bit O' wisdom there.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Rad Davis already won this thread, and Yak's getting a good deal, it seems. :mrgreen: :lol:

 

[Harlock999]

I just have to say that that Comoys pic, above, has to be one of the gorgeous pipe pics I've ever seen. Love it!

 

[riff raff]

Because most of the interesting marques became Cadogan around that year, and the pipes that followed did not have anywhere near the quality of pipes previously bearing those names. If you want to hate someone in pipe smoking, hate Cadogan. Comoy's, Loewe, Orlik, GBD, BBB, and Sasieni all went to hell under their stewardship.

Yep, I agree completely. I only have one Cadogan era (GBD) that smokes decently and it was made so early in the merger that it still has a brass rondell.

On the answer to your question, Rad Davis first popped into my head. But, he makes a lot of pipes, will that hurt resale in 20 years? Compared to, say a Brian Ruthenberg, whose production is not so prolific?

 

[Kashmir]

Thanks again, Harlock!

 

[Rad Davis]

On the answer to your question, Rad Davis first popped into my head. But, he makes a lot of pipes, will that hurt resale in 20 years? Compared to, say a Brian Ruthenberg, whose production is not so prolific?

I would say this about that: If you're buying pipes as an investment, you are making a bad investment. If you're looking for a good value for the price paid, then both Brian and I offer that.

I don't know what your definition of "a lot of pipes" is, but compared to the "classic brands" of yesteryear, I make very, very few pipes. And Brian probably approaches zero. :lol:

Rad

 

[Kashmir]

Hey Rad - Good to see you posting on this forum! I have yet to aquire one of your pipes, but its high on my to do list. I'll also agree to say that buying pipes is not a wise investment. I've rarely recouped what I put into a pipe when I sell one. Personally I buy pipes to smoke, and the future be damned regarding their resale value. I've got overtime & my TIAA CREF accounts for that. Or what little is left in them. LOL.

 

[sisyphus]

My question is this:

What newly introduced brands do you think will become the classics of the future....I'm not talking arstisan made pipes here, I mean full on mass produced pipes that are value for money, are well made and above all smoke well.

I would be interested to hear your comments on this.

 

[Kashmir]

Well sisyphus, since you've kindly reminded us of what this thread is about, I'll say its a no brainer. Stanwell, of course.

 

[sisyphus]

yeah I would say that about the Danish Stanwells, but the Italian Stanwells I've owned and had in my hands were good smokers and nice pipes for the money, but I don't think anyone will be collecting them in 30 years.

Maybe some of the Italian midgrades will become a thing. Radice, Il Ceppo, Amorelli. All three make a reasonably priced pipe, can't be called artisan, and might have a following down the road. Not mass produced though.

 

[riff raff]

On the answer to your question, Rad Davis first popped into my head. But, he makes a lot of pipes, will that hurt resale in 20 years? Compared to, say a Brian Ruthenberg, whose production is not so prolific?

I would say this about that: If you're buying pipes as an investment, you are making a bad investment. If you're looking for a good value for the price paid, then both Brian and I offer that.

I don't know what your definition of "a lot of pipes" is, but compared to the "classic brands" of yesteryear, I make very, very few pipes. And Brian probably approaches zero. :lol:

Rad

I agree on all of those accounts! (and hope Brians health continues to improve). "Prolific" was a poor choice or words, and no disrespect was intended! I watched an S. Bang auction end last night and in conversation with my wife she asked what the pipe sold for new. I told her probably $300 or so, perhaps less. (ended at $1,200). She asked why I didnt buy some pipes like that and store them.... I told her that the only thing missing from that plan was the crystal ball.

 

[Rad Davis]

I agree on all of those accounts! (and hope Brians health continues to improve). "Prolific" was a poor choice or words, and no disrespect was intended! I watched an S. Bang auction end last night and in conversation with my wife she asked what the pipe sold for new. I told her probably $300 or so, perhaps less. (ended at $1,200). She asked why I didnt buy some pipes like that and store them.... I told her that the only thing missing from that plan was the crystal ball.

To paraphrase Will Rogers: It's easy to make money investing in pipes. Buy a pipe, and when it increases in value, sell it for a profit. If it doesn't increase in value, don't buy it. :lol:

Rad

 

[Anonymous]

THE factor (singular) that separates a master of any craft from a journeyman who has any business pursuing that craft as an occupation is speed / efficiency. Not the result of their efforts.

Anybody with ability & proper training can turn out a nice job in a week's time. But he can't sell it for enough to make a living. Therein lies the rub.

The slow production of somebody who has already lapped the field several times and is now absorbed in where his muse leads him only increases people's interest in what he's doing. But to get to that place, he cranked out a lot of work over many years that was, at the same time, strikingly superior to what was around him. And with a touch of originality that no one could copy.

Volume has to be considered in that context to be meaningful.

:face:

 

[Puff Daddy]

So you're saying master craftsman equals quantity, not quality? I've been wrong about Walmart all these years..... :x

I dunno, but I kinda think master craftsman means someone who can create something a helluva lot better than most. I've seen people gawk at pretty things in the shop window because they were beautiful, but I've yet to see anyone gawk at something and say"He did that so quickly!"