doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Restrained opulence

I only know what a few of them are. Ill post about them when I get them.

Sorry Fin and Storms- my bad... I should have taken more care in following along!

Fin, I spotted that blasted pipe in Storms' rack too and it does have the look of a nice one, but without a shot of the stem, it is pretty hard to tell what it is.

Storms, you asked about some of my favorites. Don't get me started!

For the money, I think it is hard to beat the old American made pipes, Kaywoodie and my all time favorite the Custombilt pipe. Some of those old Kaywoodie Flame Grain pipes from the pre-war days used to cost nearly as much as Dunhill. American pipes tend to have larger bowls, something I have come to like more these days. The Custombilt pipes used a very light weight Algerian briar, prone to faults which likely led to the very weird to some tastes rustication on the bowls.

For the most part, each pipe will stand on it own merit no matter who made it, some have general characteristics. Older Dunhills are prized for being pretty reliable in terms of smoking quality, but the pipes are not always the most striking in terms of grain unlike some of the older Charatans (which look and smoke great). Another favorite make are the older four dot Sasieni pipes (English made in spite of the Italian sounding name), Comoy's, and there are some Dunhill seconds that if you know what you are looking for you can get very good deals (Parker and Hardcastle). Some of my most beautiful pipes are my Savinelli Autographs--they smoke nicely too. I really like Castello too. Some of the Danish pipes are very good too, my favorite there is a large Preben Holm free hand that looks more like a tree limb than a pipe! Then every pipe smoker needs to own at least one meerschaum pipe. My favorite there are the older and understated and elegant Andres Bauer (German carved) pipes with true amber stems, but the ones with synthetic amber actually are a bit kinder to the mouth. All of the above pipes I mention are in the estate and older category (at least 30 years some +80 years old).

For newer pipes I like Ashton and the James Upshall (they are English made pretty much true to the way the older pipes mentioned above were made). If I failed to mention anyone else's favorite, I apologize in advance, it is most likely because I forgot...not because they are not good pipes.

Anyone who loves to look at and handle wood should take a moment to consider the humble smoking pipe. There are some amazingly well figured grains and some pretty nice craftsmanship to be seen.

Doug

Because I drifted so far off topic, allow me to get the discussion back on track. This $6,000 shotgun gets my vote for being of questionable taste. "Deluxe 16 ga. 27 1/2" brls, F&F, 2 3/4" chambers, 15" LOP, Double Triggers, ejectors, 1/2 Pistol Grip, Leather Covered Pad, Outstanding game scene engraving. Scalloped boxlock. Very rare ivory inlay around all checkering and receiver as well as stock & forearm. A special order all factory done." I wonder why that ivory inlay is so rare?

Doug



http://www.chadicksltd.com/gunpages/804.htm

Mother of toilet seat - questionable taste hmmm?
I'd say its been pimped out - do you think they lite-up at nite?

OK after that last one it is time to rest your eyes, a Westley Richards finished by William Reid in about 1886.

Does anyone really think the factory would do that to a gun? Forget about the wisdom of putting white dotted lines on a shotgun, unless the camera is playing tricks they don't even look straight. One really must click on the link I provided and look at the other photos. As if the white dots, blued and white steel where not enough, parts of the shotgun were gold plated.

Anyway, that's my candidate...I'd like to see if it can be topped with as straight a face as the seller appears to be putting on here.

I think its like another subject that is rampant on the internet..........I know it when I see it!

Wow! What an ignominous end to the hand-fitted 3-piece forend! I wonder if it was one of Geronimo's guns? KBM

While I don't necessarily long to own a "pimped out" blunderbust, I truly believe variety is the spice of life. Why would we not want to see experimentation, and pushing of the limits on the artistic side of these disposible income guns?

I think it's not only a man's right, but his obligation to his passions to pursue his dreams of his guns or other interests. Everyone would be driving Toyota Corollas and shooting guns with only tiny English scroll if we knuckled to the poo-pooers of extravagence. There'd be no Lamborgini's or Ferrari's and no nymphs for Hef's gun. Me? I have an appreciation of the economy of a Toyota and for the skill required to cut English scroll well, but I wouldn't buy a Corolla on a bet and find English scroll boring and repetitious. I also found that sexed out gun, we had a link to, to be vulger and beyond my tastes. So what. I wouldn't deny a man his right to put that crap on his own gun and even find it entertaining that he did.

So, I find all of these guns that push the bounds to be entertaining overall. To hell with restrained opulance, that's for those with their undies in a bunch, ... let 'er rip.

I agree with Chuck. To each his own, and I also find English scroll a bit boring. Fox A or Lefever E is about right for my tastes. Some deep cut scroll, a game scene or three, great wood, and a naked nymph on the trigger guard. What's not to like?