Is This Pipe Truly Unsmoked?

[markus]

I was perusing Ebay and came across this Saiseni that caught my eye, the seller claims it is unsmoked, but from the look of the chamber, I have my doubts.

I am interested in another pipe that he has listed, but the description of this pipe and my own ignorance of this seller have me hesitant to bid on the other pipe.

Does anyone have any experience with this seller? If so what was it like?
Saiseni pipe

 

[woodsroad]

Looks like the bowl has been coated. Does Saisini bowl-coat their pipes? I've never bought one new.

 

[zack24]

I would say definitely unsmoked- what you're seeing is a bowl coat that didn't adhere at the top of the chamber. That can happen if you get wax or buffing compound in the chamber during your final polish. The bowl coat is the final step(at least in my process). To prevent that, after buffing I use a fine grit just inside the chamber to get rid of the wax.

 

[aquadoc]

Hard to tell. The coating looks new or unsmoked but it could be a new coating too. Low definition photos do not make it easy to tell. The pipe is in excellent condition so it could be unsmoked.

 

[markus]

Thanks guys I knew I could count on some experts in here!

 

[markus]

I'm sure this pipe is probably a decent smoker and I like the color, but the fills on it are a bit to noticeable for my taste.

To each his own, right?

 

[woodsroad]

Yes, it definitely has some zits!

 

[buroak]

In the family era Sasieni carbonized their bowls at the factory. Here is an example: http://www.ebay.com/itm/201945634779?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
That pipe's bowl interior looks a little different, but that could be down to lighting.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Lighting is poor, so can't tell, but I'd be more concerned with the fills than whether a bit of smoking has occurred.

 

[ssjones]

Sasieni carbonized their bowls:

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/sasieni-bowls-coated

That definitely looks unsmoked to my eye (I had been watching that one).

Of course that is a seconds line made by Sasieni, so those are fills.

 

[mso489]

If I like a pipe with fills, the fills are not a deal breaker, and usually the price break is pleasing. But some don't like fills ever, at all, and that's fair. Pipes last for decades, so you want what you can live with.

 

[aquadoc]

Let me show my ignorance... Why is fill material not clear? Why not use a polished superglue fill? It is used all of the time for cracks, sometimes mixed with briar dust, sometimes not, and it looks a helluva lot better than that putty most often used.

 

[markus]

mso, I do like the color and shape of the pipe, but the fills are to noticeable for my tastes. If I bought this pipe, it would be primarily a knock around pipe for me and I don't need another one of those.

However, I was interested another pipe that the seller had advertised and I wanted to make sure he wasn't being untruthful about this pipe, which would call into question whether I wanted to bid on one of his other pipes.

However, the pipe seems to be unsmoked as he claims, and the seller seems to be honest enough, so I did place a bid on another of his pipes.

 

[dmcmtk]

Smoked or unsmoked, I don't know. What I DO know is that it is not a Sasieni pipe. Sasieni pipes were not marked IMPORTED BRIAR, and all the seconds that I have ever seen (and that's quite a few...) have had a shape code.

 

[woodsroad]

Well, there now. Sort of cuts the deal off at the legs.

 

[markus]

Well now, that's an interesting turn!

Thanks for the info dmcmtk!

 

[ssjones]

Great point Dave! There's no shot of the nomenclature that shows anything Sasieni (COM, etc.) Speculation on the sellers part.