What's your favorite finish?

[Midnight Blues]

For smooth pipes I like straight grain with birds eye in an amber finish, my next choice is the Castello sea rock....

 

[Slow Puffs]

This is sure a treat... such gorgeous pieces...

 

[Wayne_Teipen]

That's a hard question to answer. I like them all and have a fair amount of each. I really like sandblasts and rustications but, if the grain is exceptional, smooth pipes can be stunning. If the grain doesn't blow me away, I would prefer the pipe to be rusticated or blasted.

 

[Anonymous]

That's a hard question to answer. I like them all and have a fair amount of each. I really like sandblasts and rustications but, if the grain is exceptional, smooth pipes can be stunning. If the grain doesn't blow me away, I would prefer the pipe to be rusticated or blasted.

I feel ya, bud. I voted blasted, but I wouldnt give up my smooths or my beloved thorn even if Rosanne Barr threatened to pull out all my nose hairs...

 

[john-in-kc]

Smooth and straight grain, but I have my share of rusticated and blast

 

[Carlos]

I have some smooth pipes. But I prefer ringblast style sand blasts. I have a fair number of rusticated also.

 

[pipetongue1]

I perfer Ring Blasts, Ken. :tongue:
Pacem en Puffing! :tongue:

 

[Eulenburg]

Natural, unstained, waxed.

 

[Trout Bum]

Wow -- great looking pipes; thanks to those who posted pics. I guess, if you pinned me down, I too prefer a nice blast. Or a unique rustication... Oh ya, and I really like birdseye.... I REALLY want a Rad Davis... and a Ser Jacopo, and a Castello, and a Tinsky, and an Eltang, maybe a Heeschen, oh ya, and a Skovgaard, Ardor, maybe a Barbi, and and and and and

 

[SailorJack]

WHY, FIRST OF COURSE!!

 

[SailorJack]

And by the way Dock!! After seeing your collection I am taking all of mine and making a bonfire in the backyard. Guess I'll go back to cigarettes. They're all the same. No one ever has cigarette envy!

 

[hobie1dog]

I kinda like the finish on these Johs pipes.

 

[Dmntd_1]

Smooth with a light coat of wax, and hold the stain, please.

 

[Anonymous]

Depends on the pipe.... I agree with Dock here..... you cant beat a decent blast!!

 

[abbacab]

Kind of run the gamut on this issue. Back when I started "Piping" ( the first time) I went for Rusticated, the gnarlier the better. When I started back a few years ago, became sort of a grain hound for a while. Within the last year or so it's been mostly sandblasts. Still like the tactile feel of a rough pipe, but prefer the aesthetics of sandblasted over hand rustication.

 

[Zeno Marx]

Favorite to see: birdseye
Favorite to own: carved (rusticated)
Favorite to own (runner up): deep sandblast

I'm OCD, so smooth finishes are too much responsibility. Love love love to see that strong birdseye smooth, though. Almost all of my best smoking pipes have been carved, so I have to go with that as a preference.

 

[MisterE]

I love the sandblast and rusticated pipes-the majority of my collection are if this type. Smooth ones are lovely but it´s hard to find them without fills unless you get into higher grades. I suspect that many of the higher grade sandblasts started as smooth finish pipes only to have a pit appear as the final touches were made. SANDBLAST- problem solved.
I might add that possibly one of the most beatiful smooth designs out there for me is a classic straight grain danish-style freehand. Those are just works of art!