what is your latest pipe purchase

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Originally Posted by bluenoser

Ordered a cheap pipe off amazon today. Not sure of who makes them, Ukrainian pipe, supposedly hand carved. Probably will be a waste of money but figured it had good reviews and really liked the look of it (being a maritimer living in the prairies) so while placing an order for other things I added it to the cart. I only have 2 pipes so as long as it's not terrible it'll be nice to have another to add to the rotation. A little annoyed though, the tracking's showing eta of middle of next month...

Attachment 3480

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My girlfriend actually bought me one of these recently for my birthday because the anchor matches a tattoo of mine. Someone told me they might be pear wood, and I'm seasoning it accordingly. It smokes well for me thus far after a few bowls. The drilling in the stem is slightly unconventional but doesn't seem to have any ill effects. Even if you don't like how yours smokes they are a lovely display pipe, very pretty. My only issue is after the first bowl, the tenon has come a bit loose in fit, but that's nothing that can't be addressed with a bit of handiwork and maybe a dab of CA glue :lol:

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Originally Posted by T.E.Fox

My only issue is after the first bowl, the tenon has come a bit loose in fit, but that's nothing that can't be addressed with a bit of handiwork and maybe a dab of CA glue :lol:

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I fix loose stems by rubbing them with bee's wax. It works well, and lasts up to a year before needing another ten-second rub.

Anyone handy should always have bee's wax on hand (heh). It has a million uses. It makes hard to open drawers slide open easily, and everyone has a couple sticky drawers at home (heh).

I have been chasing this particular pipe for over a month. When I first laid eyes on it the guy wanted $250+ shipping. Consulted my pipe advisor and he said it was no good--Bent. We get past that awkward moment and he allowed as it was a fine pipe at half the price. Told the guy it was a $100 pipe. While I was waiting for seller to drop the price, he pulled the listing?! Did I lose it?

http://i.imgur.com/0xcE7zu.jpg

Pipe advisor came to the rescue. He found the ebay listing. $150 CAN and free shipping starting price.

http://i.imgur.com/yb4nqGm.jpg

Now I didn't want it, I NEEDED it. Dat coral dot.

http://i.imgur.com/5VtfA8u.jpg

I waited until the last second and bid $156 Canuck. Was the only bidder and he had to give it to me $112 USD shipped. I reminded him I was the guy that wouldn't pay $250 in his previous listing just to twist it a little. He said I got a good deal and left it at that. Fifteen days later and it looks and feels better in person, not a spot on her and smokes like chimney. She's an inside pipe, for sure.

Nice snag!

Nice pipe!

Scored this James Upshall/Barry Jones made Astley's carved billiard. Upshall didn't make any rusticated pipes until a few trial pieces in 1988 but Barry made them more regularly in the mid 1990s when I believe this pipe was made. I was surprised how accomplished Barry's rusticating technique was but he'd actually learned and perfected it at Charatan (who made some part carved pipes).

Astleys stamped their nomenclature on pipes made by famous makers but their main supply of high grades came from Upshall from 1980 through the 1990s. Some pipes with their name are ordinary but this is one of the nice ones.
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNj...Vpqvi/$_57.JPG

After Barry had carved the pipe he'd put it back on the lathe and trim the top inside of the bowl to eliminate carving that had edged into the bowl. You can see that the chamber widens slightly toward the rim and the wall thickness is slightly uneven and a little thinner.
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNj...$_57.JPG?rt=nc

Looking forward to having a package delivered at work tomorrow. My first ever brand new pipe (not counting cobs of course), and a few tins of tobacco.

I won't say what everything is in this post, I'll post a pic when I get home from work tomorrow. :pipe:

Well damn, it didn't come today.

It says delivery was to be Saturday but the darn tracking still shows that it departed South Carolina at 2:30 a.m. on the 24th.

We'll see.

My cheap amazon pipe showed up today and I'm more than impressed with the looks of it. Raining like crazy and blowing winds 70 kmph gusting to 90 so won't get a chance to try it tonight but hopefully tomorrow I'll get a chance to run some Prince Albert through it.

http://i734.photobucket.com/albums/w...porary_105.jpg

http://i734.photobucket.com/albums/w...porary_108.jpg

http://i734.photobucket.com/albums/w...porary_106.jpg

http://i734.photobucket.com/albums/w...porary_107.jpg

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Originally Posted by bluenoser

My cheap amazon pipe showed up today and I'm more than impressed with the looks of it. Raining like crazy and blowing winds 70 kmph gusting to 90 so won't get a chance to try it tonight but hopefully tomorrow I'll get a chance to run some Prince Albert through it.

http://i734.photobucket.com/albums/w...porary_105.jpg

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Blake, pipes looks great, enjoy but not in the weather you describe! Winds like that are like a light hurricane.

Blake that's a cool looking pipe.

Let us know how it smokes.

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Originally Posted by Cool Breeze

Well damn, it didn't come today.

It says delivery was to be Saturday but the darn tracking still shows that it departed South Carolina at 2:30 a.m. on the 24th.

We'll see.

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Did you get it yet?

Pipe arrived, NOS, never smoked. Looks much better in hand. New Upshall carve for $47 (shipped) less ~$24 in eBay Bucks. Definitely my shape so I'll give it a whirl soon.
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNj...Vpqvi/$_57.JPG

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Originally Posted by Haebar

Did you get it yet?

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WooHoo.
Got it today.

Pics coming shortly.

Here she is.
I had to get a few tins of baccy while I was at it of course.

http://i902.photobucket.com/albums/a...psglsdaqyz.jpg

That's sharp Paul.

Nice haul Paul, enjoy.

@Cool Breeze , she's a beaut. Good for you!

It's no melty clown face ashtray (find my other thread, if you don't know what I'm talking about.), but I found this ashtray at the antique mall; and it was only a buck! Yes. It is an ashtray, in the shape of a pipe, but also shaped like a clown head.

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o...pslpbylaix.jpg

The seller called this a Ben Wade Reject although it doesn't appear to branded. I'll be better able to tell more precisely what this pipe is when I see it in hand but it's definitely a Charatan handmade pipe. If it's branded then it probably dates from the early 1960s, soon after Lane acquired Ben Wade. If it's not branded (Ben Wade) then it's probably a little older (1950-1962) but I'll need to see the work to the bit and button to (hopefully) be more precise in dating it.

In their earlier history, Charatan (pre and early Lane era) made exclusively handmade bowls in smooth finishes. To my knowledge, Charatan discontinued selling Rejects sometime in the 1960s and began to, partially or completely, sandblast or rusticate (most) of the former Rejects and sold them as either lower end Charatan Handmade models (still costly) and as the Ben Wade Handmade series. Some City deLuxe pipes that I’ve seen are Charatan smooth handmade 2nds but I don’t know if this was a brand that they owned but by shaping they appear to be mid to later Lane era (late 1960s into the 1970s).

These Reject pipes were made from the same exceptional briar as Charatan firsts and are 2nds only because of naturally occurring blemish(es). James Upshall followed the same culture as pre-Lane Charatan in making only smooth firsts and their eponymous Tilshead (2nds) pipes. I coined the Upshall motto as an homage, The Tradition Continues...

The seller had three of these pipes, (Ben Wade) Rejects but I found them only minutes before the auction closed. My apologies because I would have mentioned them on the forum. I paid $19.97 + $4.54 shipping. I would have bought all three (one other sold for the same price) if they were billiards. :) I assume the marks on the bowl to be scratches, perhaps some dilwit etched around a flaw. The rim is in excellent shape and the wall thickness and this pipes mass (given the era that it was made) insure that it was handmade.

I'll post about these pipes and the seller in my ongoing eBay commentary thread in more detail.
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/OTQ4WDE0ND...$_57.JPG?rt=nc

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNj...$_57.JPG?rt=nc

Just finished cleaning up a Vauen Dr. Perl 5031 System Clone Full Bent Blasted.

http://i.imgur.com/J25Yw5a.png

One side has nice curlicue birds eye which the flash flattened, the other a nice spider web figure.

http://i.imgur.com/0t3oy73.png

I'll be giving it the smoke test shortly.

Sharp looking pipe! How did it smoke?

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Originally Posted by NeverBend

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/OTQ4WDE0ND...$_57.JPG?rt=nc

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Pipe arrived in excellent shape save the dilwit scratch that was the flaw. It's not marked Ben Wade so it's a Charatan handmade second. Stem dates this pipe to the early 1960s, so I'll call it a 1962. Bottom half of the bowl has a dense carbon cake that will take some elbow grease to get out.

Scratching the flaw in a pipe is like digging out the knot on a wooden table. Knots are part of the wood and I'm not sure what possesses someone to do this other than ignorance, boredom and stupidity.

I recommend looking for pipes like these to get some of the best made bowls with wonderful briar at great prices. Ask me if you have any questions about a pipe that you're looking at and I'll be glad to help (and salivate) if I can.

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Originally Posted by Haebar

Sharp looking pipe! How did it smoke?

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Like a friggin' chimney, with nary a gurgle. It's a well made pipe.

1988 Barling Billiard sandblast, cumberland style stem. Really big pipe, 7-1/8" long, 2-7/8 inches high.

By 1988, Barling hadn't made a pipe in perhaps 15 years and I'm sure that it was made by either Billy Taylor (Ashton) or Les Wood (Ferndown), both of whom made/make handmade pipes like this with handmade cumberland stems. The shaping is more refined like Ashton but I'll ask Dave Field for his opinion. Would be my first Ashton or Ferndown. RIP Billy.
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NzMyWDEwMj...VvSD4/$_57.JPG

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NzMyWDEwMj...$_57.JPG?rt=nc

Handmade cumberland style stem with silver band made by Les Wood.
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NzMyWDEwMj...$_57.JPG?rt=nc


Stamp is a copy of the early Barling Transitional stamp. Similar but not the same.
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NzMxWDEwMj...$_57.JPG?rt=nc

Just a little baccy for my small order last night.

A tin of Nightcap, a tin of My Mixture 965, a one ounce sample of Samuel Gawith Balkan Flake (I just want to try it to compare to SG Navy Flake) and a couple bundles of pipe cleaners.

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Originally Posted by Cool Breeze

Just a little baccy for my small order last night.

A tin of Nightcap, a tin of My Mixture 965, a one ounce sample of Samuel Gawith Balkan Flake (I just want to try it to compare to SG Navy Flake) and a couple bundles of pipe cleaners.

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Hi Paul,

Sounds like a nice order, enjoy.

The SG Balkan is quite different from the Navy Flake but I'm sure that you know this. The quality of leaf and manufacture in both are excellent.

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Originally Posted by NeverBend

The SG Balkan is quite different from the Navy Flake but I'm sure that you know this. The quality of leaf and manufacture in both are excellent.

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Well, I saw it was a Lat/VA blend, which the Navy is also but the Navy has the rum flavoring added to give it the "navy" flavors.
I figured the Balkan would be similar.

Anyway, its a SG flake I haven't tried so I'm looking forward to it. I've loved all of their flakes so far except for 1792. I can take it or leave it.

And yeah, I expect the quality of the product to be superb. The guys and gals at SG for sure know how to manufacture a flake.

Just picked up 4 oz of PS Amsterdam - Mrs. Bruck likes it in RYO ciggies. + an ounce of PS proper English, which is quite nice, and an ounce of PS toasted burley which I haven't tried yet. Bought a pouch of John Bull with my latest cbid order just for grins, but it hasn't arrived yet. Should come tomorrow.

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Originally Posted by Cool Breeze

Well, I saw it was a Lat/VA blend, which the Navy is also but the Navy has the rum flavoring added to give it the "navy" flavors.
I figured the Balkan would be similar.

Anyway, its a SG flake I haven't tried so I'm looking forward to it. I've loved all of their flakes so far except for 1792. I can take it or leave it.

And yeah, I expect the quality of the product to be superb. The guys and gals at SG for sure know how to manufacture a flake.

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Let me know what you think of it.
I've been hesitating on pulling the trigger on the SG Balkan Flake for a while now!

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Originally Posted by BryGuySC

Let me know what you think of it.
I've been hesitating on pulling the trigger on the SG Balkan Flake for a while now!

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I certainly will.
I wish I would have ordered more than 1 oz now. I'd send some along.

I'm betting it's good. VA and Latakia. How can it not be?

I'm thinking about getting some, taking part of it and topping with a little rum, then storing it away for a few months; sort of a more lat-heavy Navy flake.

One day last week, I was close enough to The Pipe and Pint to kill a little lunch time browsing. Picked up one tin each of Peterson Irish Flake and 3P. I've got enough different things open I just put the tins in the cabinet for now.

Just ordered these on e-bay:

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTAwMVgxNT...VGR20/$_57.JPG

They're unfinished, but drilled, just need to polish the stems and finish/wax the bowls. They were cheap so I thought it might fun to try my hand at it.

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Originally Posted by Bruck

Just ordered these on e-bay:

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTAwMVgxNT...VGR20/$_57.JPG

They're unfinished, but drilled, just need to polish the stems and finish/wax the bowls. They were cheap so I thought it might fun to try my hand at it.

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Nice lot Bruce.

Careful with type of wax since it gets into the recesses and can tun milky. I think Halcyon is made for this but don't quote me. Some Fiebings stain but you probably know that.

Enjoy,

Pete

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Originally Posted by Bruck

Just ordered these on e-bay:

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTAwMVgxNT...VGR20/$_57.JPG

They're unfinished, but drilled, just need to polish the stems and finish/wax the bowls. They were cheap so I thought it might fun to try my hand at it.

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Keep us posted on these, look forward to seeing them done

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Originally Posted by BryGuySC

I'm thinking about getting some, taking part of it and topping with a little rum, then storing it away for a few months; sort of a more lat-heavy Navy flake.

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Hey friend. Your inbox is full so I'll just tell you here.
My order came in and P&C hooked me up. I ordered 1 oz and the bag contained nearly 2 oz.

There will be a sample coming your way tomorrow. I've only had one bowl so far so I don't really have a true opinion yet, but my first impression was that it's pretty good. Not Navy Flake good, but pretty good.

I'm interested to know what you think. :pipe:

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Originally Posted by Cool Breeze

Hey friend. Your inbox is full so I'll just tell you here.
My order came in and P&C hooked me up. I ordered 1 oz and the bag contained nearly 2 oz.

There will be a sample coming your way tomorrow. I've only had one bowl so far so I don't really have a true opinion yet, but my first impression was that it's pretty good. Not Navy Flake good, but pretty good.

I'm interested to know what you think. :pipe:

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You are the man! Thanks!
(I cleaned out my inbox, too.)

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Originally Posted by Bruck

Just ordered these on e-bay:

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTAwMVgxNT...VGR20/$_57.JPG

They're unfinished, but drilled, just need to polish the stems and finish/wax the bowls. They were cheap so I thought it might fun to try my hand at it.

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I bought 4 in the Dublin shape-- they've actually been pretty nice smokers for around 6 dollars a piece.

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Originally Posted by bluenoser

Keep us posted on these, look forward to seeing them done

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Will do, but only if the finished product is worth looking twice at :) (the learning curve is often not pretty)