Buying Estate Pipes on eBay

[NeverBend]

I too look in on the estate pipes on ebay from time to time. The problem is, with everything else in life right now, I don't have the time or energy to put into learning about the ins and outs-- for someone like me, I wouldn't know a good deal if I saw one, which defeats the point of looking for deals in the first place. I can't tell if nobody has bid on it because it's crap, or if I'm looking at the deal of a lifetime because I accidentally spelled "Sasieni", "Sassinei" and nobody else found it, or something.

That, and I really "don't need" more pipes. Although, like with antique tools (another hobby of mine), that really isn't the right philosophy. I don't like 5 draw knives, or 60 axes, but I'm glad I have them anyway. So a few more pipes someday, in some favorite shapes, will be what I'll settle on.

You make a very good point about the difficulty in isolating a good value or, put another way, a pipe that has a good chance to smoke well at a price point that one wants to afford. As I've mentioned elsewhere, briar is the best material to make superior smoking pipes, but it's also inconsistent and no one can guarantee performance of any given piece.

There's a lot of mythology surrounding brand in pipes but I've never read any posts on the Internet (or elsewhere) that have (even) a fundamental understanding of what gives one (briar) pipe better opportunity to be an excellent smoker compared to another, and it has nothing to do with brand other than some companies do it better than others. Many smokers incorrectly interpret fancy shaping as the mark of a superior pipe and buy them on aesthetics, whim and hope.

The best smoking pipes are made that way by using superior materials and craftsmanship. It's not an accident that Barling has maintained a brilliant reputation for superior smoking pipes even though it's been over 50 years since they made pipes that way.

The best that anyone can do is to learn how the best pipes are made and select from that pool. I've picked up a steady stream of high quality pipes at reasonable prices (~$10 to ~$100) but not all pass muster for me. When they do, there’s great satisfaction and your taste buds will know the difference.

Regarding your excellent example of Sasieni, the question should be when the pipe was made because they changed processes over time. Collectors may purchase Sasieni pipes from the late Family Era (roughly 1950-1980) and some may be fine smokers but they made their best pipes before the mid 1930s. I recently picked up a damaged, but smokeable, little Sasieni from the 1920s for $6.00 (shipped) and though it’s not really my shape, it’s a very good smoker. The nomenclature is fun for collecting but if your goal is to get serious smoking pipes then there are other considerations and knowing what to look for is the key.