Inexpensive Pipes From China
They are not Peterson or Savinelli - but boy howdy are they fun!
Four inexpensive pipes I just received ved from Temu.com. They range in price from a low of $7.99 ro a high of $16.89.
It is Saturday afternoon in Southwest Wyoming, and the mail just arrived. I was delighted to see these four pipes in the order! I usually order some of these each month, as the budget allows. I never spend much, not even as much as eating dinner out would cost, and I usually get a month of fun with these guys. Admittedly, I have ordered a few real turkeys, but in general, the quality I usually get is that of an artisan pipe maker at a cart show here in the States.
To put it mildly, the quality of Chinese-made pipes can vary greatly. A beautiful-looking pipe on the website can be cheap molded plastic. However, the beauties in this review are all 100% wood, and though they look like they were turned out on a machine, it is possible that some, or even most, of the work was done by hand. Each pipe is individual. I’ll be checking out how these smoke a little later this evening and will fill in a review on that.
Some view Buying pipes from China as slumming, about at the same level of sophistication as buying your clothes at Walmart or Target. (Well, doesn’t everyone do that?!) In reality, think more like when you browse a crafts stall at your local farmer’s market. Many of these items are made by very small manufacturers, some just one-man shops. Temu is the offspring of Alibaba, the wholesale Amazon of China, and was designed to sellers to individuals instead of resellers. Their scope and pervasiveness in China allow them to open up international trade to those small shops without high fees. Of course, there are also large manufacturers selling in Temu too.
Let’s take a look at each one of these. I will test smoke them with a half bowl of one of my favorite blends—Hearth and Home’s Larry’s Blend. This is an inexpensive and delightful little blend that I tried on a whim. With its strong room note and spicy English blend, it has rapidly become one of my favorite pipe tobaccos. It works really well for testing, as the flavor is unmistakable.
Classic Solid Wood Square Tobacco Pipe, Removable, Portable, Ideal for Men's Leisurely Afternoon - Perfect Gift for Christmas and Thanksgiving. ($13.99)
This is a remarkably good pipe at an astoundingly decent price.
How does it smoke? It smokes very well. I only loaded a half pipe, but it lit without any issues, the draw was perfect, with loads of rich, tasty smoke. When smoked quickly, the bowl did become unpleasantly warm, but there was no discoloration or charring evident. The smoke stayed smooth and cool. The grain in the wood took on a deeper, richer shade and the gloss faded a bit, to a nice matte patina. The pipe feels just right in my hand, though I usually choose a curved bit. The comfort of holding this pipe is amazing.
After smoking a half bowl, the grain is definitely richer. This suggests that the pipe was made very recently.
Though the bowl got significantly warm during the enjoyable 45-minute smoke, it never got too hot to handle or affected the taste of the smoke.
The tobacco flavor deepened and richened during the smoke, just as it does with much more expensive pipes.
Handcrafted Golden Silkwood Tobacco Pipe - Vintage Style. ($5.52)
This is one of those lucky find where you “takes your chances” - as Popeye would say. It was listed as “only two left” on Temu when I saw it and put it into my cart. The wood is absolutely gorgeous, with a very light grain, a rich golden color, and a silky feel and appearance. If this is true silkwood, it is actually Chinese Nanmu wood, prized for use in high quality furniture making. I would guess a furniture maker used some scrap pieces of Nanmu wood and crafted a very nice pipe. It does show some well polished tool marks, backing up the “Handcrafted” claim to fame. In the photos above, you can see that the coating in the bowl was applied a bit sloppily. It does not affect the way the pipe smokes, but it does lead me to think that whomever crafted this little jewel is not primarily a pipe maker.
The stem is a good design, narrowing down the path to the bit so the smoke actually cools down a little more when you puff. The same blend tastes a little sweeter in this pipe than normal, but very smooth and very satisfying. I like.
It isn’t going to make a finicky pipe collector jump for joy, but it is a beautiful, reliable pipe, that I am not afraid of losing in the woods or mountains. I enjoy looking at this pipe a lot more than some of the others - the wood it is made from is fascinating and beautiful.
Two bowls later, this little guy is on the fast track to becoming one of my favorites. It is smooth and always has a good draw. Keeping the tobacco lit, but not burning too hot is easy with this pipe. It’s - relaxing!
Handcrafted Bamboo Pipe with Black Stem: Perfect for Daily Use or Festive Gifting ($7.52)
This pipe is made out of Bamboo? I would never have guessed that, but it is. One of the most inexpensive and renewable woods in the world, and yet the person that made this drew every ounce of beauty from the wood. Just looking at this, you expect it to be quite heavy, but it is much lighter than it appears to be.
MUXIANG Handmade Briar Wood Tobacco Pipe with Golden Ring - Straight Stem Wooden Smoking Pipe for Tobacco ($16.32)
And here is the last one of the bunch - and yes, the most expensive at $16.32. It is also the best crafted pipe, made of Briarwood. It has a delightful finish that the picture above just does not do justice to. Yup - that’s me on a Sunday morning after church, enjoying the 2nd bowl from that pipe. It smokes smooth and dry, and a bowl lastes me about an hour. This company *MUXIANG” - seems to produce really excellent quality pipes, if you are careful when you read the description!
So, in summary - you can get some amazing deals with tobacco pipes on Temu. I would strongly recommend browsing around and adding a few to your shopping cart. Do not expect every pipe to be a winner, but at the price of a corn-cob pipe, you can not go far wrong.
In any case, these low cost pipes are useful and a few of them are gems. Give it a try and let me know what you think!