What Pipe would You Like to have Back? Why?

[dog_park_piper]

Edited title for capitalization and brevity. Original:
Thinking back on all the pipes you had, which one would you most like to have back today and why ?

I do not yet have an answer to my own question.

This thought came to mind when I was at the dog park this morning smoking. I've heard the ice-breaker question "what photo would you like to have again but lost?", but let's apply this to pipes!

 

[mortonbriar]

Just the one I lost...never had the parable of the lost sheep been more applicable.

 

[dog_park_piper]

Just the one I lost...never had the parable of the lost sheep been more applicable.

what was it?

 

[Chasing Embers]

I still have all of the ones that were worth keeping.

 

[sablebrush52]

Funny you should bring this up because I was just thinking about this this morning.

I'd say it's the Ken Barnes pipe I sold at the WCPS in 2018. It was an absolutely exquisite straight grain billiard that Ken sold to me when he was just returning to making pipes to sell. The only reason I sold it was I felt that it was more important to show that there was a market for Ken's pipes than to keep it. Both Rick Newcombe and I had brought our pipes to the WCPS to publicize that Ken was back in the game after an absence of 30 years. We could truthfully say that we sold all of the Ken Barnes pipes available for sale at that show.

I had emailed Ken about commissioning him to make a replacement and he would tell me that he was waiting for a very special block to use for my pipe. As many of you know, it was not to be.

 

[mso489]

I've been lucky in hanging onto the first pipe I ever bought, and subsequent favorites, even through a long hiatus of non-smoking, to encourage my late wife in quitting nails. I have culled three of four times, and sent pipes off to active duty military people, two sets as trade-in for store credit for a pipe I wanted, and one group to a friend who wanted them for decor, having quit a significant Lucky Strike habit. I don't regret any culled, and I have my long-time favorites. When I've traveled, I take MM cobs and maybe a work horse briar or two, but I'd regret losing any of them.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I've only ever let one pipe go, that came to me in a deal that soured, letting me know that I would never be able to enjoy that pipe, no matter how beautiful it was. So, I sold it on here, and have not thought of it till just now. I was about to write that I had never sold or let go of a pipe, but then I remembered...

 

[dog_park_piper]

I think this thought came to mind today because I'm in the process of culling a little and now I worry about which one I will regret seeing the most years from now!

 

[kcghost]

I sold about half my collection about a year ago and for some reason never missed a one.

 

[dog_park_piper]

I sold about half my collection about a year ago and for some reason never missed a one.

Looks like you picked the right ones to keep!

 

[anotherbob]

I had a cheap tyrolean pipe that smoked like a champ. I've bought another one thinking it might be o.k... It is unsmokable. It does look fine but. That first one which was even sold as you can smoke it but it wasn't made to be smoked was a great pipe. And it had a huge chamber that could give a two hour session while puffing away like a train.

 

[mso489]

Culling questions that help are: Do I smoke the pipe at all? Do I smoke the pipe more than once a year? Do I love just looking at the pipe without smoking it? Two or more "no" answers allow you to cull the pipe with no regrets.

 

[dog_park_piper]

Culling questions that help are: Do I smoke the pipe at all? Do I smoke the pipe more than once a year? Do I love just looking at the pipe without smoking it? Two or more "no" answers allow you to cull the pipe with no regrets.

That's a good criteria.

Maybe asking questions that use "no" as the important answer is better than using questions in which "yes" responses matter.

like, do I want to keep it - "yes!" but do reach for it - "no"

 

[didimauw]

I still have all of the ones that were worth keeping.

Yup, I got excited about this thread. It's a great question. However I really don't miss any of my pipes I got rid of.

I do miss smoking my stanwell. I messed up the stem, and I just stashed it away.

 

[solideogloria86]

I don't regret a single pipe I've let go.
The only two pipes I've ever gotten rid of that I loved, were gifts to friends who were just getting started pipe smoking. When I began paring down my collection, I decided that I only wanted pipes that I loved every single aspect of and wouldn't change a thing about. Each pipe I've gotten rid of, had at least one point of contention with my personal preferences, and so I let them go in order to fund the purchase of pipes I absolutely loved. In a matter of months, I went from 14 briar pipes that I liked, to 4 that I absolutely love.

 

[SBC]

I mildly regret not still having a few... the Willmer dublin I backed my car over, the Comoy's canadian I gifted to my BIL whose apartment (and pipes) subsequently went up in flames, the Ascorti bent egg I sold for a ridiculous pittance because I was desperate for cash at the time... But I don't lose sleep over this because I still have all the pipes I've been gifted.

If something happened to a pipe that my wife or kids or brother gave me, I would be distressed because of what that pipe represents.

 

[crashthegrey]

I simply don't let them go. Easy solution.

 

[PipeIT]

My first Danish hard carved pipe, back in the early 80s when I started smoking, a Ben Wade by Preben, oh I wish I thought of the future and kept it.... boo boo LOL ?

 

[daveinlax]

There’s probably a dozen pipes I would like back. One that comes to mind was a great looking Epoca billiard with briar ferrule and stick bit. I saw it for sale a few times on a table at shows but didn’t want to pay the price to get it back.
I saw one I don’t regret selling on eBay last week. I was happy it brought pretty good money for the guy who bought it from me.

 

[romaso]

As a kid I remember my dad had one pipe in his 'guy drawer', top small drawer in his bureau, which was odd because he didn't smoke (he had lots of cool stuff in there, foreign coins, old military pins, etc.). He had tried the pipe in college, but it didn't take. I think it was a straight Kaywoodie apple.

After I started pipe smoking I looked for it, but I think my mother had already thrown it out.

Dang! It would've been great to have.