Castello and Dunhill Pipes, what's the big deal?

[Omega48]

It’s much cheaper to buy castellos directly from Italy, or dunhills from the UK. Prices in the US are insane.

Yes. It was not like that before the change of the brand name. I purchased several Dunhill’s here that were cheaper or significantly cheaper that they were in Europe (practically any EU country) oven net of VAT.

 

[5whiskey]

Almost all my pipes were under £40. My Parkers, which come from the Dunhill factory, but weren't made from flawless briar, and therefore didn't have as much time spent on prettying them up, were £25. My Ben Wades from the same factory cost a little more, but less than double.

I'm fairly sure that most of their pipes start off being produced in much the same way, they they decide whether each item is going the cheap brand route, or the premium brand route, depending how good the grain and shape look on the roughed out pipe. Mine might have cost less than 1/10 on the price of a white spot pipe, but they smoke perfectly well. I don't believe they are "mass produced" as the opening post claims.

A lot of more costly pipes can look very nice, be they Dunhills or any other hand made pipe. Many others don't look any better than my cheap ones. However, none of them are worth anywhere near their asking price in my money. I lack whatever genetic characteristic is required to appreciate the artistry and craftsmanship that goes into producing them, and I wouldn't enjoy smoking them any more than I do my low end pipes. I'd just be more frightened of dropping or ruining them.

Even an entry level Peterson costs more than I'm prepared to pay, for something I'm going to chomp on and burn tobacco in.

I have no issue with other folks pursuing their desires, and spending whatever they care to on them, but my own perspectives and priorities prohibit me from following suit. I have the same utilitarian attitude with shaving brushes, shoes, watches, and everything else, and for the most part am perfectly content paddling in the shallow end of the pool.

Honestly this resonates with me, other than I can appreciate the artistry and craftsmanship that goes into higher end pipes. I really like well-made hand produced items. Unfortunately, I don't have the budget for them in most instances. I do not see myself spending over $100 on something I'm going to burn tobacco in.

My pipes are basket pipes, Grabows, or Brighams. My watch is a lower tiered Tissot automatic. My most expensive pen is a Waterman Hemisphere. My modern firearms are Savage, CZs, and Rugers. My Razors are vintage and usually cost less than $30, with a few that I spent more on. Even with this, my tastes are still quite expensive when compared to most of society. My friends think I'm pretending to be rich because I wear a $300 watch.

 

[Kentos]

Honestly this resonates with me, other than I can appreciate the artistry and craftsmanship that goes into higher end pipes. I really like well-made hand produced items. Unfortunately, I don't have the budget for them in most instances. I do not see myself spending over $100 on something I'm going to burn tobacco in.

My pipes are basket pipes, Grabows, or Brighams. My watch is a lower tiered Tissot automatic. My most expensive pen is a Waterman Hemisphere. My modern firearms are Savage, CZs, and Rugers. My Razors are vintage and usually cost less than $30, with a few that I spent more on. Even with this, my tastes are still quite expensive when compared to most of society. My friends think I'm pretending to be rich because I wear a $300 watch.

Taste in pipes definitely sometimes align with money in pocket. No sense in lusting after a pipe hopelessly out of reach. When I first started money was really tight and I got most of my pipes from eBay. Thing is, after buying several 20 or 30 dollar pipes I realized if I just saved my money I could reach a little higher on the scale. Spending 2-300 on a pipe is definitely not for everyone, and it’s a pretty big chunk of change for something a 12.00 cob can accomplish. My pipe aquisition sickness has subsided, and except for a very small handful of pipes that are presently still out of my comfort zone, I am done buying pipes.

 

[PolishDawg]

Is it "Dunhills Are Over Priced Junk" season already? Damn, I've still got my "C&D Releases Too Many Small Batches" decorations up.

A traditional pipe shape carved with precision and accuracy is a long way from pedestrian or dull. That's a weird flex.

There are handfuls of pipe makers who make very nice billiard shapes that don't cost 600$...and there is no real history of craftsmanship...its an elusive brand with no attachment to any particular pair of hands or factory...Dunhill is a name band luxury good with no true provenance...

At least with a Castello, if I am willing to pay and hunt one down I can find a very nice beautiful Carlo Scotti pipe and there is real history with more than just a brand name but an actual person who saw the details of every pipe.

Alfred never made a pipe in his life I can see the appeal of collecting antique Dunhill but these new white spot pipes are some of the crudest and overpriced pipes I have ever seen...I can only say seen because I have not smoked one...They appear cheap and overpriced to me...

I'd love to find a genuine early Dunhill pipe with the unique stem designs that were revolutionary at the time...but it seems most of those are gone, actually rare, oversmoked to death, or just not around anymore. If I ever find a rare near mint early Dunhill pipe that is in pristine condition, you bet I'll fire it up.

 

[PolishDawg]

Taste in pipes definitely sometimes align with money in pocket. No sense in lusting after a pipe hopelessly out of reach. When I first started money was really tight and I got most of my pipes from eBay. Thing is, after buying several 20 or 30 dollar pipes I realized if I just saved my money I could reach a little higher on the scale. Spending 2-300 on a pipe is definitely not for everyone, and it’s a pretty big chunk of change for something a 12.00 cob can accomplish. My pipe aquisition sickness has subsided, and except for a very small handful of pipes that are presently still out of my comfort zone, I am done buying pipes.

This is quite true...but a pipe can have astounding qualities of workmanship and unique shapely contours and be under 100$...they are out there...I have seem them and smoked them

I'm just dumfounded that people can't understand a simple billiard turned with a Dunhill name is 500$...while a beautiful billiard of similar quality bearing St Claude...the freaking pipe capital of antiquity...still goes for well under 150$...

 

[PolishDawg]

Honestly this resonates with me, other than I can appreciate the artistry and craftsmanship that goes into higher end pipes. I really like well-made hand produced items. Unfortunately, I don't have the budget for them in most instances. I do not see myself spending over $100 on something I'm going to burn tobacco in.

My pipes are basket pipes, Grabows, or Brighams. My watch is a lower tiered Tissot automatic. My most expensive pen is a Waterman Hemisphere. My modern firearms are Savage, CZs, and Rugers. My Razors are vintage and usually cost less than $30, with a few that I spent more on. Even with this, my tastes are still quite expensive when compared to most of society. My friends think I'm pretending to be rich because I wear a $300 watch.

One of my friends think a 200$ pipe is stupid...but please don't tell anybody from Italy named Luigi that his pipes are stupid until you smoke one I want to own every last pipe ever made by Luigi

 

[Kentos]

This is quite true...but a pipe can have astounding qualities of workmanship and unique shapely contours and be under 100$...they are out there...I have seem them and smoked them

I'm just dumfounded that people can't understand a simple billiard turned with a Dunhill name is 500$...while a beautiful billiard of similar quality bearing St Claude...the freaking pipe capital of antiquity...still goes for well under 150$...

Actually most people who spend the money for higher end catalog shape pipes do understand that they can get a similar pipe for a fraction at the cost. Just as people who spend 150.00 on a pipe know there are similar pipes for 500.00.

 

[PolishDawg]

Actually most people who spend the money for higher end catalog shape pipes do understand that they can get a similar pipe for a fraction at the cost. Just as people who spend 150.00 on a pipe know there are similar pipes for 500.00.

I honestly don't know anybody who smokes a pipe nobody around here at least. But I know art and I know what I like and Dunhill looks like an Ikea catalogue with the bespoke label attached to it. Once upon a time Dunhills were the fanciest brand of all time...now we are lucky to have so many great makers who are based in reality.

 

[luvmysuper]

The issue of what makes something "worth it" to one person and not to another is as old as time itself.
It happens with virtually anything one could buy, watches, cars, razors, pens and pipes to name a few.
Is a Bugatti Chiron at 3 million dollars 200 times better transportation than a 17,000 2024 Nissan Versa?
Does a 7 million dollar Rolex tell time 350,000 times better than a 20 dollar Timex?
Of course not.
There are other factors obviously involved. Prestige, disposable income and a thousand others.
It's really a pretty fruitless pursuit of answers as everyone has their own reasons and criteria for why they want something and think the price is worth it.
Pure functionality usually has very little to do with it.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Examples of currently available White Spot pipes. I think these cover most of what you suggest don't exist. I'm never going to cough up my money for them, as I am quite comfortable in the shallow end of the pool, but there are Dunhills out there that don't look like basket pipes with a posh name stamped on them.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

 

[Benzadmiral]

Aimless, I like that Dunhill with the horn mount, and the rusticated one on the lower left of the second pic.

 

[PolishDawg]

Examples of currently available White Spot pipes. I think these cover most of what you suggest don't exist. I'm never going to cough up my money for them, as I am quite comfortable in the shallow end of the pool, but there are Dunhills out there that don't look like basket pipes with a posh name stamped on them.

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those look horrendously overpriced and simplistic...that sandblast isn't very good and what is that little poker pipe supposed to be but a bad piece of briar that couldn't be turned into something bigger? hehehe but I digress, if anybody wants to buy me a Dunhill white spot pipe I will gladly set it on fire for youtube clout. As in burn it Hendrix style

 

[Kentos]

Thanks for the good natured input Gents, but this has run its course.