Question on the Same Shape/Different Lines from Same Pipe Maker

[indigosmoke]

I was recently reading a discussion on another forum on the quality of machine made pipes and the following point was raised. One of the posters made the point that the same shapes from different lines from a pipe maker would all basically smoke the same. For example, a Sav 413KS at the lowest price point (say a Standing Series) would smoke the same as a 413KS from a more expensive series as the engineering of the pipe bowl and airways would be the same. As he put it paying $150 for a Peterson in the same shape as a $45 Peterson and expecting it to provide a better smoke was wishful thinking. I was wondering how others felt on this topic and if you have detected an improvement in quality with the more expensive machine made pipes? Or do the additional dollars only effect the look of the pipe and not the smoking experience?

[Davetopay]

Tell your friend that woods come in different grades/qualities. This also goes into the price point of a pipe. Sand pits, putty fills, density variations...they all have an effect on the final product.

Even in the highlines it is possible to have two identical pipes smoke differently because of organic variations in the wood.

[indigosmoke]

Dave,

Thanks for the response. Very interesting.

[Mad Hatter]

I pretty much agree with what you quoted in the OP, that the differences would be cosmetic. If you have a pipe that finishes great as a smooth just means you didn't hit a pit while working the briar. Same thing can be said for an ugly mixed grain that looks better as a rustic. Yeah I think there are different qualities of briar but I don't think it holds the sway in smokability that some people think, ie- this pipe smokes better because it "breathes better than that one". Its just part of what the pipe makers refer to as "pipe lore". Guys have even gone so far as to saw old pipes in half to see how deeply the briar is permeated with tars or tested the absorbancy of briar by soaking in water for extended periods of time. The discussions I've seen on such subjects usually come down to two sides - smokers who adamantly stand behind pipe lore and a mix of makers and smokers who don't.

[Pipe Organist]

I recently purchased a "Milano Handmade" from Savinelli. The rep told me that the pipes in the "Milano" line start their life as a Signature Series pipe, but if as the pipe is being finished an unacceptable number of cosmetic flaws become obvious (sand pits or some other irregularity in the appearance) it is "downgraded" from Signature to Milano. In the case of my Milano, there are a few tiny fills that run across the bottom of the bowl. Other than that, it is a gorgeous piece of wood and a handsome addition to my collection. An addition that but for the couple of small fills would have been a $500 pipe, not a $180 one.