What's your White Whale pipe?

[Irish-Dane]

Sure, we have the, "Pipe of Man's Desire" thread, threads about the one that got away, and even threads about pipes we could stand to lose. But now Professor UncleBob has presented a condition, a pinnacle, a point of nothing higher, that gives pause to ponder. What pipe has become your White Whale? What pipe has become an obsession for you? What pipe will you chase and chase and chase after with little regard to other life situations? Is there such a pipe on your horizon?

Oh my. I remember that bulldog from the first year.

Nice.

I own the 2005. It is a heck of a smoker.

I have the 2006 and I love it. Also a heck of a smoker. I'm in love with paneled pipes so the 2007 was a dream pipe for me for many years, but I could never find even a well used one for less than $200. For a long time that just didn't satisfy the budget. I've seen a few more lately and was able to snag the one I'm now selling. Why selling? First of all, it's a much bigger bowl than I previously thought. Secondly, once in my hand the hunt was over. It's the sad side of PAD. Still a gorgeous pipe, just not for me.

Man I hope that doesn't happen to me when I find my "white whale" pipe.

That was probably the problem, this wasn't the pipe to end all pipes. This was 3 or 4 down the list in fact. I've acquired at least two pipes above it, so when it was finally in my hand it was great, just not 'all I had hoped for' great.

I feel like this conversation should be its own thread.

[Fainn]

Barling Manx meerschaum precolored. Had a chance to buy one but was incorrectly told it was made of pressed meerschaum.

[sweetandsour]

I'm no Capt Ahab; but I'm always on the lookout for a horn shape. Not just any horn shape, but just the right one. And when I find it, it will be a bargain.

[UncleBob]

I openly search for a Blakemar limited edition Prince of Wales pipe. The ones made from bowls that they discovered forgotten in their warehouse since the '60's.

If it makes a difference, I would prefer the shorter stem.

[Irish-Dane]

Jeff Gracik (yes, that Jeff Gracik) had a pipe at the Columbus, Ohio pipe show in 2007 or 2008 that really caught my eye. He wasn't happy with it for whatever reason, and because I was newbie on CPS ("Jeff" is Jeff's CPS name, no really, it's just Jeff), he offered it to me for $150. I didn't have that much money with me, and really had no idea who or what J.Alan was, so I passed. Not because of the pipe mind you, it was the money. In fact, I remember falling in love with everything about that pipe, but had never purchased a pipe that costly before. Jeff promised me he would cut me a deal if I ever saw something I liked of his work. I took his card and promised I would look up his pipes when I got home. It took me a few years to actually get around to looking him up, and, well, you can guess what remembering that meeting did to my heart as I scrolled through the pages of his work.

All that to say, I still follow Jeff with great earnest. I've yet to pull the trigger on a J. Alan pipe.

[A_Morley]

For many years, a pre Transition Barling was my White Whale pipe. I even called it that. It's not for nothing that my ex wives nicknamed me Captain Ahab. Well, now I have one. It was worth the hunt and the lost limbs. The ideal pipe for me now would probably be a Merchant Service Special, of Bing Crosby fame. I doubt I'll ever find one. They're among the rarest of rare British brands.

[JimVH]

Don't laugh. I'm serious.

I have spent years looking for a naked lady meerschaum that suites me. In general, they are not that hard to find, but the right one eludes me. Nothing pornographic, mind you, but I want something that is done in proper proportion and is carved accurately. I once saw the perfect form. It was a mermaid and her hair swept around covering her naughty bits in a graceful manner. I've seen a couple of other variations over the years that intrigued me, also, but the cost was always out of reach. Affordable carvings by less talented carvers are easy to find and afford, but either their faces look like Hellboy or their proportions are deformed.

Some day.

[A_Morley]

I'm telling.

[GaryInVA]

I already have my white whale pipe but not with me, it's in storage in my garage in VA. I have a meer lion carved by I. Bekler. I worked at a smoke shop while my wife was pregnant with our first child. The owner has several pipes by Bekler in his safe that he wouldn't sell. My wife talked him out of one without me knowing and gifted it to me after my son was born.

[DepartedLight]

Sure, we have the, "Pipe of Man's Desire" thread, threads about the one that got away, and even threads about pipes we could stand to lose. But now Professor UncleBob has presented a condition, a pinnacle, a point of nothing higher, that gives pause to ponder. What pipe has become your White Whale? What pipe has become an obsession for you? What pipe will you chase and chase and chase after with little regard to other life situations? Is there such a pipe on your horizon? <snip>

2x7's single knuckle bamboo shank billiard by Nathan King Pipes. Been years now. But I shan't give up.

Don't call me Shirley. Some years ago - never mind how long precisely - having little or no money in my purse, and nothing particular to interest me on shore, I thought I would sail about a little and see the watery part of the world. That lasted all of 15 minutes. What? That's a long ass book. He starts going through every whale category like Bubba Gump's shirmp list, only nowhere near as amusing.

[sweetandsour]

Was searching the internet, looking for a pic of a carved white whale meer, but without success. If one existed, I figure someone would have already posted it. Would be pretty cool, actually ... smoke coming out of the whales' blowhole.

[jruegg]

None that I can think of.

[JimVH]

I already have my white whale pipe but not with me, it's in storage in my garage in VA. I have a meer lion carved by I. Bekler. I worked at a smoke shop while my wife was pregnant with our first child. The owner has several pipes by Bekler in his safe that he wouldn't sell. My wife talked him out of one without me knowing and gifted it to me after my son was born.

Nice story.

[Rusty]

Barling Manx meerschaum precolored. Had a chance to buy one but was incorrectly told it was made of pressed meerschaum.

You should be able to find these on eBay. You might even find old stock unused specimens complete with original packaging. It was made of hardened African (Amboseli) block meerschaum from Tanzania and the same thing in Kenya at the Kilimanjaro mines. A very practical meerschaum that is very resilient to bangs and drops; you can treat them like briars. And yes, they taste and smoke like any other meerschaum. I think they are great. I smoke mine almost every day. The Amboseli meerschaum mines have all closed now and I imagine that the Kilimanjaro mines have probably done the same so there is no new supply anymore. But there were a lot made from a number of companies. We used to wade through them like snow drifts in the stores. And many stores had interesting displays that included raw meerschaum block that is of course hydroscopic and it would actually stick to our hands. I think the reason these were a very visible product was that the Turkish Gov had prohibited export of raw meerschaum block and that resulted in opportunity for the African meerschaum.

Laxey pipes was making the western pipe brands for a number of companies to their specifications so we saw them under various brands eg Peterson, Barling, Isle Of Man, Comoy, Nording, Manx, etc etc. In Tanganyika (modern Tanzania) there were also a number of much older companies making meerschaum pipes out of the same material, eg Kiko is perhaps the best known. Kiko pipes were a fixture in Canadian & American B&Ms in the 70's. They had a large number of lines and styles. All great fun stuff.

The last new African meers that loaded the retailers hit the market in 2002 & 2003 and yes, most were branded Barling. The brand is pretty much irrelevant. Some of the Barlings though sported an interesting sort of peach colour and had nifty brass bands on them. Very pretty. I couldn't resist grabbing one. Laxey was closed by then and the African companies were already gone too. We knew this was the swan song.

But this should be the easiest of minnows to catch among the great whales. LOL!

Is your avocation to be a modern day Job or what?

[Rusty]

I already have my white whale pipe but not with me, it's in storage in my garage in VA. I have a meer lion carved by I. Bekler. I worked at a smoke shop while my wife was pregnant with our first child. The owner has several pipes by Bekler in his safe that he wouldn't sell. My wife talked him out of one without me knowing and gifted it to me after my son was born.

Nice story.

Can somebody pls get the address so we can go rescue the poor lonely, beached, whale?

[DepartedLight]

I already have my white whale pipe but not with me, it's in storage in my garage in VA. I have a meer lion carved by I. Bekler. I worked at a smoke shop while my wife was pregnant with our first child. The owner has several pipes by Bekler in his safe that he wouldn't sell. My wife talked him out of one without me knowing and gifted it to me after my son was born.

Nice story.

Can somebody pls get the address so we can go rescue the poor lonely, beached, whale?

Rusty the Compassionate?

[Rusty]

I already have my white whale pipe but not with me, it's in storage in my garage in VA. I have a meer lion carved by I. Bekler. I worked at a smoke shop while my wife was pregnant with our first child. The owner has several pipes by Bekler in his safe that he wouldn't sell. My wife talked him out of one without me knowing and gifted it to me after my son was born.

Nice story.

Can somebody pls get the address so we can go rescue the poor lonely, beached, whale?

Rusty the Compassionate?

Saint Rusty the Compassionate. Rescuer of abandoned whales.

[DepartedLight]

I already have my white whale pipe but not with me, it's in storage in my garage in VA. I have a meer lion carved by I. Bekler. I worked at a smoke shop while my wife was pregnant with our first child. The owner has several pipes by Bekler in his safe that he wouldn't sell. My wife talked him out of one without me knowing and gifted it to me after my son was born.

Nice story.

Can somebody pls get the address so we can go rescue the poor lonely, beached, whale?

Rusty the Compassionate?

Saint Rusty the Compassionate. Rescuer of abandoned whales.

Is that a fat chick joke?

[Rusty]

I already have my white whale pipe but not with me, it's in storage in my garage in VA. I have a meer lion carved by I. Bekler. I worked at a smoke shop while my wife was pregnant with our first child. The owner has several pipes by Bekler in his safe that he wouldn't sell. My wife talked him out of one without me knowing and gifted it to me after my son was born.

Nice story.

Can somebody pls get the address so we can go rescue the poor lonely, beached, whale?

Rusty the Compassionate?

Saint Rusty the Compassionate. Rescuer of abandoned whales.

Is that a fat chick joke?

Fat luscious whale reverie.

[UncleBob]

Was searching the internet, looking for a pic of a carved white whale meer, but without success. If one existed, I figure someone would have already posted it. Would be pretty cool, actually ... smoke coming out of the whales' blowhole.

(Kind of)


Dolphin