Mid-day pipe, Central Park Stroll in a Medico Gold Crest bent apple. I had a bottle of St. Arnolds Christmas Ale to go with it.
That's what matters! An ugly but much used and loved pipe is a thing of far greater beauty than a collection of pricey, perfectly grained pipes in my opinion. =)
I don't have any pretty pipes but they all 3 smoke great. I'm still hoping someone in the family springs for that vest pocket pipe I posted earlier. The other pipes I want cost nearly nothing. A $2 corn cob or 3, a clay churchwarden type for $14 with a 15 inch stem, and a meershaum tasting pipe for $25. I haven't tried any of those so I would like to have them.
Received a sample of the no longer available London Dock and confused not sure if I like it or not....odd nothing stands out maybe to complex for me or there is a reason it's discontinued....
Afternoon pipe, Davidoff Scottish Blend in a Grabow Spitfire. I'm still undecided about the Spitfire.
Carter Hall and Prince Albert, both available in many drugstores, have substantial followings. I believe there are many better blends available, and many of those are reasonably priced. However, if I was totally out of pipe tobacco, I wouldn't hesitate to pick up some Half and Half or Carter Hall, or Prince Albert.
Pipe of the night, Orlik Golden Slices in Chacom Lumberman. Smoking my pipe while the turkey smokes in the Weber kettle grill! My 11 month old yellow lab Gunner is helping me. Me and Gunner are buddies!
I'm going to depart a bit from most of the opinions expressed regarding looks not being important. I will agree that a pipe must be a good smoker first and foremost, and most will be once some cake is built up in them, even the lesser expensive pipes unless the draft hole is very poorly placed and drilled. I would also agree that when first building a rotation of 4 or 5 pipes, smoking quality trumps all. Having 4 or 5 pipes is really essential, IMHO, and price will almost always play a key role to this point. But for me, once I began to build my collection, aesthetics began to play a bigger role. Once I have decided I like a pipe, I then examine it closely for a proper draft hole, and flaws in the briar. The aesthetics that are important to me include how it fits in my hand, is it different from my other pipes, do I like how it looks, and is it a style I have been wanting. For example, for some time I have been wanting a Canadian, and while looking at a Peterson Dracula, stumbled upon some 50 year old virgin Chacom pipes, and wound up with two of the four shapes in the Canadian family as well as a very nice looking Chacom billiard. As an added bonus, the 3 Chacoms I acquired all have very nice grain. In the end, it comes down to what one wants. For some, how it looks plays almost no role. For others, rustication or smooth are important, for some it's predominantly straight or bent. It's what you like!
Second pipe of the night while the turkey continues to cook on the grill, McClellan Virginia Woods in a Missouri Meerschaum Diplomat.
My grandfather hand rolled Prince Albert in cigarette paper. I never saw him smoke commercial cigarettes. When I was a kid I stored my plastic army men in his empty tin cans.
I think it really depends on the purpose of a pipe for me. I am first and foremost a pragmatic thinker. There are times when smoking a hand made piece of art makes little sense. I spend my time trying to spot appealing pipes at a price point that doesn't make me cringe. After all, in the end, we are going to fill it with leaves and set fire to it. I agree with you, in that as the collection grows, nicer is more appealing. However, my advice to new smokers is learn to be able to recognize a well drilled pipe of quality briar. But, if I don't like the way a pipe looks, it won't make my rotation permanently. So, I don't buy purely on value either. I am more into the zen of the smoke than the craft of the briar. But then again, I am the oddball on TSD who doesn't collect razors...
I'm going to hope my Christmas list gets filled then. I'm happy with the pipes I have. I would like to try new pipes since I've only ever smoked out of briar. I'm just feeling my unemployment more lately. I'm hoping one of the applications I've filled out come to something soon then I'll feel better. I'll more than likely get a $2 corncob pipe next week when I'm close to the pipe shop just to switch thing up and give me something new to look at for awhile.
I have to ask, did you fold and stuff or did you roll it out? I've never smoked a flake before. I wonder about everyone's preference.
