Expensive is relative. What is expensive to me might be a basket pipe for @shanez for example.
Super Expensive Pipes
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Well that all depends on where you put that pipe...
Well, it took you long enough...LOL!!But I have learned my lesson and I am rather fond of them....
I have never seen a nice Billiard from Todd Johnson or some of the high end Japanese carvers. Most of the Russian guys can't make a Billiard to save their lives.
Forget about the grain but this Dunhill LB is as good as a Billiard can be made.
Whatever you’re into, I suppose. The cheapest guitar I own is $2,500. Granted, over the years, those guitars made me more money than I’ve dumped into them. But I have a buddy who’s an excellent player, and there’s zero way that’s true for him. He had a massive collection, and has had several custom pieces built. And they’re awesome.
I don't buy into the billiard test. I wouldn't spend over a grand on a billiard anyways. The pipes I want at that price range had better be couture. Leave the billiard test to beginner artisans.
You know, Todd has been making pipes since college (and I can't believe I am defending that... nevermind, ha ha) but, he has made his fair share of billiards along the way, as I imagine most of them have. If smokingpipes is carrying and standing behind the artisans at that price point, then I imagine they are done making simple things like billiards to pass people's tests that aren't aware of the high end artists' works. I mean, if you were interested in one of Todd's pipes, you could contact him to see one of his billiards from decades ago, and I'm sure he'd be glad to dig it out of tons and tons of pictures, ha ha.
Again, it's a mattter of priorities and budget. Since music is a profession for you it makes sense to hae the best equipment you can use to advantage.
I'm the same way with my equipment. I buy tools that won't hinder me because they're poorly made. I have sable brushes that would cost several thousand dollars each in today's market, if you could find them. They weren't cheap when I bought them years ago, but they last and can allow me to do things that cheaper brushes cannot match.
Gotta tell you, last week I scored a great price on a couple Savinelli Series III (the unfinished, fault-rich type), and I'm one happy piper!
The most I spend on pipes is around 350$. That pretty much covers my taste in Meers & MMs. As far as who’d be buying the $30K+ Danish masters piece…anyone who could afford it and loved it. Sometimes a pipe speaks to ya & if ya got the bread and desire…have at it.?
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I have only been collecting American artisan pipes since 2012 when I bought my first Rad Davis pipe. I did my homework and due diligence for well over a year and ended up buying a lot of Rad's, Brian Ruthenberg, a few Bruce Weavers and others and was quite happy where my collection was going. I was always looking at Todd's pipes and whether they were new or estates, they were out of my league. My price point for a new pipe was around 325-390 and almost all of them were Rad Davis pipes. I bought my share of estate Ruthenbergs for 200.00 give or take a few bucks. I bought a couple of Scott Thile pipes, a couple of Trever Talberts, and others.
Now I have sold off a lot of those early Rads, and Ruthenbergs and other American artisan pipes for a bunch of Jack Howell pipes. I am still an American artisan lover and Jack's pipes smoke as good as anything so I am loading up while I can. I am amazed at what some of my old American pipes are getting on ebay. I use great-estates to sell for me. Chance is a great guy and he gets me all the money. No offense to any of the other no reserve guys but Chance describes the pipes well and takes good photo's. He also cleans the pipes and people like me appreciate the work he puts into that. I don't refurbish pipes, ever. I refuse to do thsat kind of work as it is beneath me. now that hoosierpipeguy bought a house a stones throw away I can bribe him into cleaning pipes, organizing my cellar and basically be my pipe bitch. Mark get your ass over here you have work to do.
Now I have sold off a lot of those early Rads, and Ruthenbergs and other American artisan pipes for a bunch of Jack Howell pipes. I am still an American artisan lover and Jack's pipes smoke as good as anything so I am loading up while I can. I am amazed at what some of my old American pipes are getting on ebay. I use great-estates to sell for me. Chance is a great guy and he gets me all the money. No offense to any of the other no reserve guys but Chance describes the pipes well and takes good photo's. He also cleans the pipes and people like me appreciate the work he puts into that. I don't refurbish pipes, ever. I refuse to do thsat kind of work as it is beneath me. now that hoosierpipeguy bought a house a stones throw away I can bribe him into cleaning pipes, organizing my cellar and basically be my pipe bitch. Mark get your ass over here you have work to do.
Pipes over $1000? Who would do such a thing??
These days, $170-$250 covers my briar and meerschaum needs. I've gotten cheap.?
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Yep! Don’t need to spend more than that to get quality. ?Pipes over $1000? Who would do such a thing??
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These days, $170-$250 covers my briar and meerschaum needs. I've gotten cheap.?
?Price is relative. If you can afford it, why not ?
I have friends who regularly open bottles of wine costing upwards of $2000 per bottle on our wine nights. Unlike a pipe, when those bottles are drunk, all you're left with is a memory, albeit very pleasant.
With a pipe, you get years of enjoyment out of it. And when you're done, it has a resale value. And if it is a collectible piece, may appreciate in value.
I have friends who regularly open bottles of wine costing upwards of $2000 per bottle on our wine nights. Unlike a pipe, when those bottles are drunk, all you're left with is a memory, albeit very pleasant.
With a pipe, you get years of enjoyment out of it. And when you're done, it has a resale value. And if it is a collectible piece, may appreciate in value.
No argument here. I love my Series III and always on the the look out for another. It has colored quite well.
it takes a lot of time to make those pipes. And a long time to sell them too. There is more investment to get one of those pipes to market. When a store buys that pipe that is a spot that another pipe can't sit in and hence can't be sold. There isn't really another reasonable way aside from maybe the pipe being a side project for pipes to be made that way.
Another thing to buy a pipe like that (I do have one) you have to really want it. The 100 pipe you can say why not. The 1200 dollar pipe you need to want so bad.
Another thing to buy a pipe like that (I do have one) you have to really want it. The 100 pipe you can say why not. The 1200 dollar pipe you need to want so bad.
Where is this thread going, idk. I think we need more pics of expensive pipes for one. People with money have money so pretty much anything can be improved right? At the Texas pipe show, a friend who is loaded was smoking this rather gorgeous billiard with the most unique silver adornment I have seen. Nothing blingy but just different and sexy as hell. I asked who the carver was…..a Bang I was told. After a few morning beers, if a gent was selling this pipe for $900, I could see myself going for it. Likely that pipe was above $3 or 4K maybe much higher. Remember, if there weren’t pipes that weren’t far out of reach, we wouldn’t love our Vermont Freemont stems as much.
Of the three I listed above, one was an impulse buy purchased immediately after Harris brought it to my attention, one was a commission, and one was a gift from my wife and that one remains unsmoked.
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