Best hand made pipe for around $150?

[Bear Graves]

1. Cavicchi. Flawless drilling and engineered by the man who made his own pipe to become all time Guiness Book of World Record slow smoking champ. Roughly $148, delivered new. Personally my highest recommendation.

2. Randy Wiley Galleon series. Generous briar size, great drill roughly $150 delivered.

3. Savinelli Milano Handmade, or Naturale Handmade series. Roughly $100-$110

4. IMP Meerschaum: Starts in high 80's

5. Neerup: Starts in low 70's

6. Johs: Starts in high sixties

Originally Posted by CrankyChris

I need another.

Any suggestions?

[Bear Graves]

Just my personal observation, but Mogens work, as good as it was a Bjarne, moved up a considrable notch when his pipes started coming from "his" company. He is doing some very elegant shaping right now.

Originally Posted by RJpuffs

Johs is pretty good briar for the buck. He was the top maker under Bjarne, they have the same look and feel as the late Bjarne Neilsen's pipes.

[CrankyChris]

Originally Posted by Bear Graves

1. Cavicchi. Flawless drilling and engineered by the man who made his own pipe to become all time Guiness Book of World Record slow smoking champ. Roughly $148, delivered new. Personally my highest recommendation.

2. Randy Wiley Galleon series. Generous briar size, great drill roughly $150 delivered.

3. Savinelli Milano Handmade, or Naturale Handmade series. Roughly $100-$110

4. IMP Meerschaum: Starts in high 80's

5. Neerup: Starts in low 70's

6. Johs: Starts in high sixties

I was looking at those sandblasted Cavicchi's as well as some of the Randy Wileys - I like his big billiards - though I think they would break my teeth with all that weight and length. I've also looked at the Savilelli's. I appreciate your comments - I have ordered several from S.P.s - Stanwells and a cheap "Georgetown" a couple of months ago. I'll keep these in mind on my next purchase. (I almost ordered an estate SJ Maximo Friday- but some jerk bought it first

I ended up getting a Barling from my local B&M. It looks exactly like this:


I was told it was a transition piece. It has lovely grain - no fills that I can find. I have mostly smaller danish shapes so I wanted a big Italian or English standard. I started to try to figure out exactly when it was made but it proved to be too difficult. The Barling's Make has "Barling's" arched over "make" . Ye Old Wood. T.V.F and a word in script that looks like it might say "Special" except it may start with an L. I'm pretty sure it ends with "...ial" I don't see a number, although there is some buffed out text that looks like it may start with a C? - then there are several blank spaces - and ends with a O or 0 or something similar. The other side says MADE IN ENGLAND.

Anyway, it's a nice smoker.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[Bear Graves]

Nice looking pipe, about as British Classic as it gets.