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I am a member of Pipe Club Of India and Indian pipe smokers generally find Balandis pipes to be more affordable than the ones we smoke in USA. In solidarity I ordered a couple of Balandis pipes and have been smoking them from some time. Here is a first impression which I posted in that group.
Balandis is the new kid on the block in pipe making and an upstart challenging the long legacy of established brands like Peterson and Savinelli. It is favored by many of the members of our club (#PipeClubOfIndia) So how do they stack up? I decided to find out by ordering a couple of them myself.
In terms of price I found they ranged from $20 at the low end to about $265 at the high end. I chose a couple from the middle of the range ($40 and $53). With taxes and shipping the final total was $109 for two pipes (So approximately half of entry level Savinelli pipes)
Interestingly both my pipes was plugged (The plug from drilling was not removed). I saw it before smoking from the Oak Wood pipe and removed it. I did not see it in the briar and did not remove it, so the first smoke in the briar was very interesting.
A modern take on a pipes smoking quality is whether it can pass a pipe cleaner. Since the drilling of a straight pipe is easier a straight pipe MUST pass a pipe cleaner. It is much trickier in a bent pipe (To pass a pipe cleaner in a bent pipe where the airway is off center, the straight geometry is very tricky).
Both the straight and bent Balandis pipes of mine can pass a pipe cleaner, but it requires some wiggling. Still a pass. In comparison some of my hallowed bent pipes do not pass a pipe cleaner.
The pipe cleaner test is a surrogate test for air flow. However it does not mean a pipe which does not pass a pipe cleaner will automatically be bad. The Balandis pipes, I am happy to report smoked wonderfully for me, as good as my best pipes. But then, I always hold the belief the quality of a smoke is 25% equipment and 75% technique.
In terms of aesthetics the Oak Wood pipe is exceptional. However I cannot say the same for the briar. The briar lost the surface finish and started to look worn out after 3-4 smokes. Some of my entry level pipes have also lost their surface finish but not a single one has lost it so fast. This is a negative mark for the briar since after shipping and taxes they cost the same in USA as a Rossi (Savinelli budget brand), and other similar low priced entry level pipes.
I also felt that the briar is slightly softer than my other briars. Briar blocks need to be cured before making a pipe, and typically they are cured for at least 5 years for Savinelli or similar brands and generally much longer for artisan pipes. However despite the softness, I did not feel any negative taste from the saps in the wood, so my one must be cured to a required minimum amount. However, this may be a negative mark, since less you cure the briar the higher the probability it will taste “Off”.
Oak Wood pipes are notoriously famous for cracking (Nothing to do with Balandis but the nature of the material) so I need to watch out.
In conclusion fantastic smoking instruments for the price.
Balandis is the new kid on the block in pipe making and an upstart challenging the long legacy of established brands like Peterson and Savinelli. It is favored by many of the members of our club (#PipeClubOfIndia) So how do they stack up? I decided to find out by ordering a couple of them myself.
In terms of price I found they ranged from $20 at the low end to about $265 at the high end. I chose a couple from the middle of the range ($40 and $53). With taxes and shipping the final total was $109 for two pipes (So approximately half of entry level Savinelli pipes)
Interestingly both my pipes was plugged (The plug from drilling was not removed). I saw it before smoking from the Oak Wood pipe and removed it. I did not see it in the briar and did not remove it, so the first smoke in the briar was very interesting.
A modern take on a pipes smoking quality is whether it can pass a pipe cleaner. Since the drilling of a straight pipe is easier a straight pipe MUST pass a pipe cleaner. It is much trickier in a bent pipe (To pass a pipe cleaner in a bent pipe where the airway is off center, the straight geometry is very tricky).
Both the straight and bent Balandis pipes of mine can pass a pipe cleaner, but it requires some wiggling. Still a pass. In comparison some of my hallowed bent pipes do not pass a pipe cleaner.
The pipe cleaner test is a surrogate test for air flow. However it does not mean a pipe which does not pass a pipe cleaner will automatically be bad. The Balandis pipes, I am happy to report smoked wonderfully for me, as good as my best pipes. But then, I always hold the belief the quality of a smoke is 25% equipment and 75% technique.
In terms of aesthetics the Oak Wood pipe is exceptional. However I cannot say the same for the briar. The briar lost the surface finish and started to look worn out after 3-4 smokes. Some of my entry level pipes have also lost their surface finish but not a single one has lost it so fast. This is a negative mark for the briar since after shipping and taxes they cost the same in USA as a Rossi (Savinelli budget brand), and other similar low priced entry level pipes.
I also felt that the briar is slightly softer than my other briars. Briar blocks need to be cured before making a pipe, and typically they are cured for at least 5 years for Savinelli or similar brands and generally much longer for artisan pipes. However despite the softness, I did not feel any negative taste from the saps in the wood, so my one must be cured to a required minimum amount. However, this may be a negative mark, since less you cure the briar the higher the probability it will taste “Off”.
Oak Wood pipes are notoriously famous for cracking (Nothing to do with Balandis but the nature of the material) so I need to watch out.
In conclusion fantastic smoking instruments for the price.
