New Pipe Smoker

[DsrtDog]

Hey all...

I am thinking about taking up a pipe, and I am looking for some suggestions. My wife may be looking to pick me up my first pipe for Xmas and I was hopeing you all could through out a few decent name brands she could look for and any she should stay away from. Nothing to elaborate since I am brand new to this (never smoked a pipe before...ooopppsss I lied, there was that one time in colledge ). I have heard that Savenelli-sp- might be a decent begginers pipe?

Thanks in advance for the feedback.

[Nooner]

Originally Posted by DsrtDog

Hey all...

I am thinking about taking up a pipe, and I am looking for some suggestions. My wife may be looking to pick me up my first pipe for Xmas and I was hopeing you all could through out a few decent name brands she could look for and any she should stay away from. Nothing to elaborate since I am brand new to this (never smoked a pipe before...ooopppsss I lied, there was that one time in colledge ). I have heard that Savenelli-sp- might be a decent begginers pipe?

Thanks in advance for the feedback.

I love Nording and Karl Erik freehand pipes, they are unique, smoke well(IMHO) and are reasonably priced. The Nording's I have bought are generally in the $80-125 range and the Karl Eriks a bit more. I like to get nice thick Plateau Pipes that are semi-rusticated or sandblasted, I like the look and the way they feel, additionally I think that the rusticated pipes are possibly made that was to hide imperfections adn that is why they are so cost effective? I dunno, one of the more experienced pipe smokers may weigh in.

My local pipe shop also has some very nice Maestro de Paja pipes that are reasonably priced.. I have not bought or smoked one yet, but if I don't find another Nording that I like before I blow my pipe budget this month I'm gonna get one and try it out.

Good Luck!

[Scott M]

They got another one, huh? I looked toward pipes since it's a little more socially accepted, and more smokes for the money.


My ; go to your local B&M and see if they have a cob for the next couple of weeks. They're cheap, (like $5), decent smokers and able to accomodate aromatics and non aromatics simultaneously, (or so I'm told). You can get a feel for this and learn a bunch without a huge investment and make all sorts of mistakes, (like torching the rim of your bowl), without ruining a nice(er) pipe. Some places also have a selection of "seconds"; no-name, no stamps from manufacturers with slight defects but entirely servicable. Usually run around $30.

If you like pipes, your next pipes will be better recieved. If you find it's not for you, you're out around $15 - $50 total.

As for a Christmas pipe, Savinelli, Peterson, Stanwell are names that come to my feeble little, pre-coffee mind as being on the less expensive / better pipe side. There's also a market for "estate" pipes; second hand pipes that can go for alot less than new, but require a bit of elbow grease to clean up unless the seller does it for you.

That's what I'd do now, get a better handle on the "sport", or before it's too late to shop for an "alternative" Christmas present. Hopefully our more enlightened members will chime in as well. Welcome to a whole other world!


Scott"bullinachinashop"M