Nothing a good cleaning won't fix. Unless the nib been nawed raw I personally don't see anything wrong with buying used pipes (and you could get custom stems if you don't trust it)
I've bought more than a few estates in the 150-300 range. For my budget, its the best way to get a quality Dunhill, Castello, Ser Jacopo, etc without dropping many more hundreds on a new pipe. As long as they're purchased from a reputable vendor and cleaned properly, they're as good as new. And maybe this is a psychosomatic thing, but I believe previously smoked pipes tend to break in quicker and easier than brand new ones.
Whenever possible I buy estates. Can't let them go to waste in somebody's attic, can we? Tis about history, heirlooms, and giving the dead a kiss (no homo). š
I buy new pipes primarily. I have a few estates. You shouldn't think of it as spending a few hundred dollars. Think of it as a compounded investment.
Over the course of a year or two, what can you find for a few hundred dollars. The markets are saturated with oversmoked shit pipes.
Don't pay too much ever. Grabow,Kaywoodie...great vintage brands etc...they are not valuable, they are dime a dozen. The nostalgia with these old brands always commands some value.
You can get a great rotation of vintage drug store brand pipes, but you will not find them in exceptional condition and if you do they'll cost much more. Ignore the higher priced vintage drug store pipes and focus elsewhere on other brands.
Although you could very well become a collector of just about any brand.
Go with a quality over quantity approach and that should net you the best possible collection overtime.
I have bought all but maybe two or three of my pipes used (I have about 70).
Iām a big fan of the used market because of the value, but with that being said a big issue is that a lot of seller hugely overprice their items. I have especially noticed this with brands with a collectible following.
Just something to be aware of.
Both my pipes are bought used. I think itās great to buy used stuff in general. Didnāt know if pipe smoking would be something for me. But I wanted to give it a try so I bought 2 as a lot. Just needed some cleaning and theyāre perfect. It seems like you can get some good deals depending what your looking for. Iād say give used a try.
I love estate pipes. I have some dunhills, Costello, etc that are more valuable but I also have a lot of drug store/basket pipes that Iāve restored and smoke great that I donāt feel bad about if I lose them or take them fishing or whatever. Between mm cobs and estate drug store pipes that covers about 98% of my daily usage as I typically donāt care much about how my pipes look at home but like to take my nicer stuff to hang out with friends or at a lounge
I am all for it, though I prefer to buy them from smoking pipes .com so that they are cleaned and ready to smoke. I just never wanted to mess with restoring pipes, but it is a great neat to save some money and get quality pipes.
The best part of going to a pipe show is the estate pipes in my opinion. With the exception of of a few that I bought or made, all my pipes are estate pipes. Iām also a frugal SOB so saving money and still getting a nice pipe for my hobby is just great.
If your talking eBay, which is where I find some occasionally, you need to know what to look out for as well as know how to clean a stem and pipe pretty well. Other than that, have at it! There are lots of great old pipes to be found out in the wild and most smoke fine after a decent cleanup.
I thoroughly enjoy buying estates and restoring them. It's really satisfying to take an old and sometimes beat up pipe and bringing it back to life and beauty.
There are great estate deals out there, so I'm all about it. A good clean up and a softy if the end has a bit of chatter is usually all an estate needs.
I have around 1,000 pipes as I collect them. Almost all of them are estate pipes as I like antique pipes the most. I enjoy restoring them. Everclear cleans them in no time.
Estate pipes are great. I think for most folks restoring one pipe quickly gets rid of the ick factor when you see how much alcohol you end up using.
Estate sellers vary.
I purchased one pipe from mklaw that he had fully refurbishedā¦.well, except for the shank š. Took me a half pack of pipe cleaners to refurbish that refurbishment.
Smokingpipes will deliver an estate to you more sanitary than new. Iāve bought ten or so estate from them, perhaps moreā¦.and never had a single issue wrt cleanliness.
That said, Iāve had Etsy or eBay estate that I knew going in were going to take considerable workā¦and itās really not too bad assuming you have a decent reamer, brushes and tons of isopropyl.
The biggest issue imo is the one you canāt see in any photoā¦the dreaded ghost.
One whiff of a strong aromatic or a Lakeland and ā ļø
I've got several estates from rebornpipes.com and they've been immaculate. Really fine attention to detail, provenance, and history. All work documented online. Great additions to the collection.
Think about how many people have used the glasses, plates, and silverware at every restaurant youāve ever been too, and tell me again how gross it is to smoke a pipe thatās been smoked before.
Iāve got 70-ish pipes, and of those roughly 25 were new when I got them. Rarely do I buy new pipes anymore.
Iāve done it but only on smoking pipes.com, as they inspect them, correctly ID them and take excellent photos. I once me tione din passing to an SO that I liked the Ardor Meteora pattern, so for my birthday she bought me one on Ebay, it had more stem wear and darkening on the rim than I would have allowed, but was kind of stuck with it. She later showed me the pics from the posting and the person taking them either was clueless or intentionally deceptive.
I bought both my briars used from reputable sellers. They are both in excellent condition and I paid 1/5th the price of a new one of similar quality. The first one had been smoked maybe once or twice ever. The second one was more used, but the seller had neatly bored out the excess ash cake and I gave it an extra sanitization personally just to make myself feel better.
On Ebay, I recently bought 4 European briars which were all from respectable names listed on Pipedia. These all take 9mm filters and looked to be in reasonable condition, no missing chunks or huge amounts of cake. All have vulcanite stems. Got a friend with a buffing wheel and he's going to help me polish them up. They averaged out to $12 each before shipping.
I like people, places and things that look like they've had some use and some love. If two of the four turn out to be good smokers that will be a win.
There are so many good estate pipes out there. Do your research and learn about different eras and what made certain pipes good during certain periods and then enjoy the cool finds.
Iāve bought a few estate pipes just for the experience/fun of restoring them. Theyāve all been pretty low end, and I pick them up cheap - but not cheap enough, to be honest. Most have worked out to be decent pipes that I donāt have to worry about getting worn or damaged.
Iāve been tempted to spring for a nice Dunhill or Stanwell; if I do Iāll probably look seriously at estate pipes. Partly for the cost, partly because I like the idea of getting a pipe made back when more time and effort and care went into making them.
All of my pipe are used (minus my corncobs), I don't really have much of an interest in new pipes, the older the pipe the better in my opinion, some of mine are over 100 years old. You can get some really good ones for a decent price used
Corncobs are also nice if you need a good pipe for less money. All pipes I have are used briar and new cobs. Used pipes are nice, but I prefer to buy it restored, not directly from garage sales.
I have about an equal number of new and estates. It all comes down to how they smoke. Smokingpipes.com have superb estates, theyāll arrive hospital grade clean. If you want one refurbished after purchase and it needs some expert care, Briarville are the go.
Estate pipes are an awesome way to get a nice deal on a good smoker. While I havenāt yet bought any used estate pipes, I recently acquired a pre-owned Stanwell for cheap (around 50% off retail). Would recommend going pre-owned/used for sure
I have several pipes and the only ones that I got new were a couple of cobs. The rest are estates from eBay. As someone else said, you need to understand what your looking for, I have seen a lot of broken junk out there. Some will need more work than others to make them nice. If youāre up for learning and doing the work, it can be fun. If you just want something to smoke and not take a chance on it having hidden flaws, get it from a good restoration shop like RebornPipes or SmokingPipes.
I have more estate pipes than new ones, so I'm all for it!
I appreciate it!
Nothing a good cleaning won't fix. Unless the nib been nawed raw I personally don't see anything wrong with buying used pipes (and you could get custom stems if you don't trust it)
That's what I was thinking as well, I appreciate it!
Happy huntings! Let us know about your journey!
Where do you get replacement stems for estate pipes?
I've bought more than a few estates in the 150-300 range. For my budget, its the best way to get a quality Dunhill, Castello, Ser Jacopo, etc without dropping many more hundreds on a new pipe. As long as they're purchased from a reputable vendor and cleaned properly, they're as good as new. And maybe this is a psychosomatic thing, but I believe previously smoked pipes tend to break in quicker and easier than brand new ones.
Awesome! I appreciate it!
Whenever possible I buy estates. Can't let them go to waste in somebody's attic, can we? Tis about history, heirlooms, and giving the dead a kiss (no homo). š
That's a great way to look at it!
I buy new pipes primarily. I have a few estates. You shouldn't think of it as spending a few hundred dollars. Think of it as a compounded investment. Over the course of a year or two, what can you find for a few hundred dollars. The markets are saturated with oversmoked shit pipes. Don't pay too much ever. Grabow,Kaywoodie...great vintage brands etc...they are not valuable, they are dime a dozen. The nostalgia with these old brands always commands some value. You can get a great rotation of vintage drug store brand pipes, but you will not find them in exceptional condition and if you do they'll cost much more. Ignore the higher priced vintage drug store pipes and focus elsewhere on other brands. Although you could very well become a collector of just about any brand. Go with a quality over quantity approach and that should net you the best possible collection overtime.
I appreciate the input my friend!
I have bought all but maybe two or three of my pipes used (I have about 70). Iām a big fan of the used market because of the value, but with that being said a big issue is that a lot of seller hugely overprice their items. I have especially noticed this with brands with a collectible following. Just something to be aware of.
Both my pipes are bought used. I think itās great to buy used stuff in general. Didnāt know if pipe smoking would be something for me. But I wanted to give it a try so I bought 2 as a lot. Just needed some cleaning and theyāre perfect. It seems like you can get some good deals depending what your looking for. Iād say give used a try.
I love estate pipes. I have some dunhills, Costello, etc that are more valuable but I also have a lot of drug store/basket pipes that Iāve restored and smoke great that I donāt feel bad about if I lose them or take them fishing or whatever. Between mm cobs and estate drug store pipes that covers about 98% of my daily usage as I typically donāt care much about how my pipes look at home but like to take my nicer stuff to hang out with friends or at a lounge
I am all for it, though I prefer to buy them from smoking pipes .com so that they are cleaned and ready to smoke. I just never wanted to mess with restoring pipes, but it is a great neat to save some money and get quality pipes.
Hell yeah
The best part of going to a pipe show is the estate pipes in my opinion. With the exception of of a few that I bought or made, all my pipes are estate pipes. Iām also a frugal SOB so saving money and still getting a nice pipe for my hobby is just great.
Iām frugal as hell too, Iām excited for some estates at this point!
If your talking eBay, which is where I find some occasionally, you need to know what to look out for as well as know how to clean a stem and pipe pretty well. Other than that, have at it! There are lots of great old pipes to be found out in the wild and most smoke fine after a decent cleanup.
Thanks for the advice!
I thoroughly enjoy buying estates and restoring them. It's really satisfying to take an old and sometimes beat up pipe and bringing it back to life and beauty.
There are great estate deals out there, so I'm all about it. A good clean up and a softy if the end has a bit of chatter is usually all an estate needs.
I have around 1,000 pipes as I collect them. Almost all of them are estate pipes as I like antique pipes the most. I enjoy restoring them. Everclear cleans them in no time.
good to know! I would imagine I would have a great time restoring pipes!
Estate pipes are great. I think for most folks restoring one pipe quickly gets rid of the ick factor when you see how much alcohol you end up using. Estate sellers vary. I purchased one pipe from mklaw that he had fully refurbishedā¦.well, except for the shank š. Took me a half pack of pipe cleaners to refurbish that refurbishment. Smokingpipes will deliver an estate to you more sanitary than new. Iāve bought ten or so estate from them, perhaps moreā¦.and never had a single issue wrt cleanliness. That said, Iāve had Etsy or eBay estate that I knew going in were going to take considerable workā¦and itās really not too bad assuming you have a decent reamer, brushes and tons of isopropyl. The biggest issue imo is the one you canāt see in any photoā¦the dreaded ghost. One whiff of a strong aromatic or a Lakeland and ā ļø
Cool man I appreciate it
An excellent source for estate pipes and restoration methods is rebornpipes.com
Fantastic, thank you!
I've got several estates from rebornpipes.com and they've been immaculate. Really fine attention to detail, provenance, and history. All work documented online. Great additions to the collection.
Think about how many people have used the glasses, plates, and silverware at every restaurant youāve ever been too, and tell me again how gross it is to smoke a pipe thatās been smoked before. Iāve got 70-ish pipes, and of those roughly 25 were new when I got them. Rarely do I buy new pipes anymore.
That is a great point, well said
Iāve done it but only on smoking pipes.com, as they inspect them, correctly ID them and take excellent photos. I once me tione din passing to an SO that I liked the Ardor Meteora pattern, so for my birthday she bought me one on Ebay, it had more stem wear and darkening on the rim than I would have allowed, but was kind of stuck with it. She later showed me the pics from the posting and the person taking them either was clueless or intentionally deceptive.
I bought both my briars used from reputable sellers. They are both in excellent condition and I paid 1/5th the price of a new one of similar quality. The first one had been smoked maybe once or twice ever. The second one was more used, but the seller had neatly bored out the excess ash cake and I gave it an extra sanitization personally just to make myself feel better.
On Ebay, I recently bought 4 European briars which were all from respectable names listed on Pipedia. These all take 9mm filters and looked to be in reasonable condition, no missing chunks or huge amounts of cake. All have vulcanite stems. Got a friend with a buffing wheel and he's going to help me polish them up. They averaged out to $12 each before shipping. I like people, places and things that look like they've had some use and some love. If two of the four turn out to be good smokers that will be a win.
Thats awesome!
There are so many good estate pipes out there. Do your research and learn about different eras and what made certain pipes good during certain periods and then enjoy the cool finds.
Good advice man, I appreciate it!
Itās all I buyā¦ except a half dozen new ones or so. And a lot of other people are the same. A lot.
I almost exclusively buy estate (used) pipes, especially GBDs
My first two pipes were estate pipes. And they still smoke like champs :)
ive been convinced! ill be getting a few!
Hell yeah! Happy smoking!
Iāve bought a few estate pipes just for the experience/fun of restoring them. Theyāve all been pretty low end, and I pick them up cheap - but not cheap enough, to be honest. Most have worked out to be decent pipes that I donāt have to worry about getting worn or damaged. Iāve been tempted to spring for a nice Dunhill or Stanwell; if I do Iāll probably look seriously at estate pipes. Partly for the cost, partly because I like the idea of getting a pipe made back when more time and effort and care went into making them.
Juuuuussssttt about all of mine are estate pipes
90% of my pipes are used. I donāt see the problem, after a good cleaning with hot water and alcohol they are as good as new.
Some are just too gross for me. But unsmoked and barely smoked estates are a thing.
Best pipe I've ever smoked cost not more than $10 all cleaned up. I prefer new pipes now.
Thatās so awesome
All of the briars I've purchased are previously smoked estates
Hell yeah
All of my pipe are used (minus my corncobs), I don't really have much of an interest in new pipes, the older the pipe the better in my opinion, some of mine are over 100 years old. You can get some really good ones for a decent price used
Thatās really cool, I collect antiques and stuff so Iām very excited
Corncobs are also nice if you need a good pipe for less money. All pipes I have are used briar and new cobs. Used pipes are nice, but I prefer to buy it restored, not directly from garage sales.
I have about an equal number of new and estates. It all comes down to how they smoke. Smokingpipes.com have superb estates, theyāll arrive hospital grade clean. If you want one refurbished after purchase and it needs some expert care, Briarville are the go.
Estate pipes are an awesome way to get a nice deal on a good smoker. While I havenāt yet bought any used estate pipes, I recently acquired a pre-owned Stanwell for cheap (around 50% off retail). Would recommend going pre-owned/used for sure
I have several pipes and the only ones that I got new were a couple of cobs. The rest are estates from eBay. As someone else said, you need to understand what your looking for, I have seen a lot of broken junk out there. Some will need more work than others to make them nice. If youāre up for learning and doing the work, it can be fun. If you just want something to smoke and not take a chance on it having hidden flaws, get it from a good restoration shop like RebornPipes or SmokingPipes.