Expert: M J Robbins - 12/23/2010

Question
Hello M J Robbins,
A question is about briar pipes though. there are many on the market and local cigar stores. I understand there are different qualities of pipes and the briar itself with prices range from a few dollars to thousands. also plateaux briar pipe are known for better quality for tighter grain, would you please suggest a brand of good quality so it's not overly priced.
Thank you much,
Oleg

Answer
W O Larsen family is still around and making nice pipes.
Spend a few hundred to get a good one.
I have a perfect swept straight grain the best in show 1983, about $400 retail then.

20 years ago you could get a tight birdseye with nice grain for as little as $25 but I guess the good stuff is worked out?
I am seeing nothing but grainless junk with birdseye you can count on 1 hand for $50 to $100.
All I sell now is cheap stuff for $29
I found a Comoy and a Peterson from around 1985 in my inventory and they still had the original price on them - Comoy $25, Peterson $35 and the cross grain birdseye was so intense they were like the stars in the sky on a moonless night on Mount Fuji. Feather weight medium price and beautiful was the norm in the 80's and I sold 50 a day on the weekends.
I cannot believe what they are passing off today as a good pipe. But maybe you will get lucky and find a good Tobacconist near you that hand picks the pipes.
Look for-
Comoy, BC, Savinelli, Karl Erik, Nording, Costello way over priced, Dunhill ridiculously over priced. A $500 to $5,000 pipe can only be fancier not a better smoke from my experience.
Meerschaum-
You can get a really nice Meerschaum pipe for around $100 as they have not gone up much in 30 years. Forget the carved faces unless your tobacconist knows how to lead you to a good one. Go with the plain one, smooth, perfect, round, flawless, feather weight as the lighter the pipe the better the quality, Meerschaum pipe or Briar. Lighter means more porous and it will absorb more heat + juice and dissipate heat better.  
If the draw is a little tight drill the push pull fitting out with a 1/8" drill bit.
I drilled out every Meerschaum pipe from 1980 to 1995. Blow out the pipe before you smoke it or you will get a mouth full of carving dust - I used to blow them all out with an air compressor also. Do not let anyone tell you you cannot hold a Meerschaum pipe, just clean it with Alcohol every now and then and it will color beautifully.
Not holding a meerschaum pipe is from the turn of the century because they used a delicate wax coating made with whale oil. They are coated differently using bees wax and paraffin and I have colored dozens of meerschaum pipes and always held them, wiping them every now and then with rubbing alcohol.
Tobacco
I would suggest a mild blend with AAA Virginias, white Burley and perhaps some fire cured cavendish for body. Ask the tobacconist which are his best seller and have not been on the shelve long. You do not age pipe tobacco like a cigar and with 50 blends to select from some might have been on the shelve for years.

Addition
I saw a lot if rediculous stuff on ebay but there was a nice Stanwell that I liked and a Comoy Christmas pipe that looked nice but the guy wanted too much at $185 I think? They went originally for $90 and should be around there today.
If you find the Comoy wait out the auction and I do not believe it will sell for this price, then make the seller an offer of $90.
These are some listings that coaught me -
STANWELL 136 TOM ELTANG buy it now $58 - BUY IT NOW PRICE! Stem is a little brown with age and if you want to clean it you use a buffing wheel
STANWELL 1999 Straight Grain Pipe of the YEAR $130 good price!
NEW UNSMOKED! Stanwell FREEHAND Danish Estate Pipe - good one!
COMOY'S FLAME GRAIN PANELLED BILLIARD $150 and a good price I believe!


Mike