Estate Pipes

Estate Buying Guide
December 29, 2017 by Rachel DuBose
12 Comments

We've covered the general factors to consider when choosing a pipe, and even how to buy a pipe as a gift. For many, however, estate pipes can seem far more complicated — particularly once the nuances of age, stamping, and overall condition are taken into account. Thankfully, it doesn't have to be as complicated as it seems.

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Holiday Gift Guide 2017
December 7, 2017 by Adam O'Neill
1 Comment

Some things in life just go together. Wine and cheese, peanut butter and jelly, Latakia and cold weather — and yes — gift giving and the complete failure to come up with ideas for said gifts.

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4-Pipe Barling Set From 1898
March 2, 2017 by Joshua Burgess
26 Comments
It was, at first glance, a fairly ordinary pipe case. But I knew from the expression on Sykes's face that it had to be something more. I took the set in my hands and read inscribed upon its silver badge: Presented To ... Read More

How To Trade-In Your Estate Pipes
May 17, 2016 by Andrew Wike
22 Comments
Got any pipes you just don't smoke anymore? Well they're not doing you any good just sitting in your pipe rack collecting dust. Why not trade them in for something more attuned to your current tastes? We offer a great estate trade-in policy that many of you might not know about. Here's a quick look at what that process looks like. ... Read More

Halloween Pipe Horrors: How Not to Treat your Briars
October 31, 2014 by Andrew Wike
16 Comments
Deep within the pipe library there is a mysterious box — a box filled with unspeakable horrors. From misshaped, broken briars to charred, chewed off meerschaums, some truly terrible monsters call this cardboard box their final resting place. ... Read More

How to Care for Vulcanite Stems
August 8, 2014 by Andrew Wike
44 Comments
We all love our vulcanite stems. They're soft and just downright comfortable. But as every vulcanite lover knows, they can be difficult to maintain. Exposure to natural light, heat, water, and even air can all cause your jet-black or cumberland stems to oxidize — resulting in an unpleasant greenish tinge created from sulfur rising to the surface. Don't worry though, there are some things you can do to help prevent your beloved stems from oxidizing. ... Read More

One Man's Rotation
June 17, 2014 by Eric Squires
3 Comments
Rotation, collection, by one name or another, it’s the collective pile of pipes you smoke. For some of us this means polished cases of Dunhills chosen for particular shapes and vintages, for others, a repurposed spice rack of craggy Custombilts and well-weathered clenchers, kept as workhorses that have proven to provide a good smoke. ... Read More

100 plus 1 Uses for Discarded Pipes
April 10, 2012 by John Sutherland
6 Comments
Like most creative types, I fancy myself a problem solver, and when one discards an object deeming it no longer of worth, I say “Nay, good Sir or Madam, you just haven’t thought up a good way to recontextualize it. ... Read More

Estate Grading Guide
August 9, 2011 by Sykes Wilford
2 Comments
Establishing the estate 'grade' is something of a challenge. It's a somewhat subjective process and there are dozens of possible factors involved. We get questions about it a lot, so in addition to his recent blog series, Adam, with the help of Ted and Pam organized some of his thoughts, and we rolled it into an estate grading guide of sorts. ... Read More

Llama Glama
April 19, 2011 by Kathryn Mann
Although there are a great variety of pipes to be found throughout every section of our website I find that the estate department has the most abundant collection of inimitable pieces at Smokingpipes.com (from an artistic point of view - of course). For example, here is a sculpture of an animal. ... Read More