Medico, Wally Frank, Hesson Guard pipes

[jrfoxx]

What's the consensus on Medico, Wally Frank, and Hesson Guard pipes as far as quality?

Don't really care much if they are budget brands, as I've bought plenty of things in the budget category and usually, they worked just as good as the high end brands. More interested in them being of quality construction like my MM Night Rider Country Gentleman that is definitely solid construction with thick bowl ond shaft walls, that was only $20.

Got my eye on 5 and a half (traditional looking cob, missing the stem. Not a fan of the look anyway, so no biggie. I'll give it away to a fan of that style, or just toss it) pipes of the mentioned brands for a steal of a price imho.

Really don't need any more than the 2 pipes I have, but for the price, I just can't pass up having spares and more variety, and also refinishing any if necessary, as I have restored about 30 beat up antique guns and really enjoyed doing it, and getting satisfaction from the final result, so I'm pretty experienced in refinishing wood, so condition is not a big issue, but they look good in the pictures, with the exception of 1 that may have some nicks clustered tightly on the front of the bowl, or a makers mark or something, can't tell.

Regardless, nice looking, but nothing fancy pipe lot for $33.70 shipped.



I friggin love tobacco!

[dj1340]

Not much experience with 2 but Medico used to be a drug store pipe. Cheap and well, just cheap.
Bought 1 as a teenager but moved on quickly. Not a bad pipe just wasn't for me.
I believe they used a filter or stem in them can't really remember

[jrfoxx]

Not much experience with 2 but Medico used to be a drug store pipe. Cheap and well, just cheap.
Bought 1 as a teenager but moved on quickly. Not a bad pipe just wasn't for me.
I believe they used a filter or stem in them can't really remember

That must be why the Medico name sounds familiar. Probably saw them back in the day when Redman chew, captain black and others, and Topps and such, were all just out in the open in a magazine type shelf rack. Plus, every bar had a cigarette machine just inside the door where anyone, even us 13yr Olds, could easily buy some. Same with the aisle of booze in every grocery store. Remember those days?

My, how times have changed. Clean shaven, I look like I'm in my late 30's until you see the head of completely grey hair, yet I still get carded if I'm wearing a hat.

Anyway, for $25 for 5 and 1/2 Pipes, even used, I was expecting high end Pipes. Best case scenario, middle of the road, but expecting relatively cheap ones, but as long as they hold burning tobacco and smoke flows easily, I'll be perfectly happy with them.

Partly, they were bought in the secret hopes they needed the bowl cleaned, so I can practice with my ne adjustable reamer on the way, and the wood at a minimum, needed some rehydration with boiled linseed or tung oil, that can be polished to an awesome gloss once the wood is fully hydrated.

So, they were more bought for the possible enjoyment of fixing then up or full-blown refinishing than actual smoking. I have 2 very nice pipes for that. These would be used on trips, camping, etc where if something happened, I wouldn't really care, got 4 left, lol

I certainly wouldn't consider taking you Stanwell anywhere beyond the smoking area 50ft from my door. My MM Night Rider Country Gentleman I would consider taking on a trip as any chips are perfectly fixed with a fine tip, permanent black sharpie. Already done it on 2 small ones, and it worked perfectly. Can't fix a chip in your Stanwell and I love the polished woods color and grain, so I'd hate to chip it, or God forbid, worse. I consider it my "fancy" occasions pipe.

I friggin love tobacco!

[jrfoxx]

Just stumbled upon: https://pipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page which has a very long, detailed entry on all Pipes.

Looking at just Medico briefly, they apparently came in briar from 1933 to 1966, then either briar or a synthetic called Brylon, are made by S. M. Frank, which I've heard of, and they apparently pioneered and patented amongst the first ever filtered pipes.

Vintage 1962 Medico ad. I love stuff like this.

Will use the site for info on the other 2 brands. Thanks for your info

I friggin love tobacco!

[jrfoxx]

Wally Frank, Ltd. was one of America's oldest and most respected names in pipes and tobaccos, beginning in the early 1930’s and pipes were made by some big time pipe makers, like Charatan, Sasieni, Weber, and many others, thatwere branded under his name, although he also made his own pipes too.



Hesson Guard:
William Demuth. (Wilhelm C. Demuth, 1835-1911), a native of Germany, entered the United States at the age of 16 as a penniless immigrant. After a series of odd jobs he found work as a clerk in the import business of a tobacco tradesman in New York City. In 1862 William established his own company. The William Demuth Company specialized in pipes, smoker's requisites, cigar-store figures, canes and other carved objects. In 1897 Ferdinand Feuerbach joined the Demuth company and by 1903 had become the production manager. Feuerbach is credited with developing Demuth's popular Royal Demuth and Hesson Guard pipes lines.

Will be proud to own a pipe from a poor German immigrant, as my dad's side of the family is very German in every stereotypical way, and also arrived in the US with little or no money in the mid 1800's. Germans are known for pride in their work, extreme precision (read: anal as f**k, lol), quality of production, and rigid behavior and secrecy, about themselves and their family. Trying to learn anything obout my dad's side of the family has been like pulling teeth, and any tidbit was given as hush-hush. Now I'm the sole, direct line male Bauer still alive, and just like my dad was by tradition, I am now the head of the family and any remaining relatives come to me with any problems or needs.

Damn, you gotta see this carved Meerschaum. It's incredible.

[dj1340]

There are some incredible Meerschaum pipes out there. The carvings are so intricate. Can be very expensive
and will turn darker the more they are smoked. Never owned one but always admired the craftsmanship.

[jrfoxx]

There are some incredible Meerschaum pipes out there. The carvings are so intricate. Can be very expensive
and will turn darker the more they are smoked. Never owned one but always admired the craftsmanship.

Yeah, I've browsed them a little just because some are so intricate and beautiful like you say, and you aren't kidding on price. The ones I saw started at $1200 and weren't overly intricate. Prices just went crazy from there.

I miss my oilfield days for many reasons, but the money is a big one. There was a good 11 years when I could have afforded a pretty nice one.

Sadly, my days of high stress, high adrenaline, dangerous, always interesting, electronics repair on the cement and frac equipment in the field are over.

I friggin love tobacco!