The evaluation of Pipe Rodate

Do pipes expire or wear out over time and with smoking? In my opinion, no. Simply, after smoking a pipe for a long time, we get bored and put it aside, but the pipe will always be ready to give great satisfaction to those who have the pleasure and desire to trust it again. it is important that the pipe has been respected and treated well: then it will surely find someone who will allow it to continue the journey for which it was created.

The pipes you find in the Rodato section are just waiting for someone to love them again. They have already completed part of their journey and will certainly have some scratches or marks, but (within certain limits) this is normal, because they are signs of experience that must be appreciated. These pipes come from private collections and are prepared for the new enthusiast before being put on sale.
The pipes are cleaned using a rigorous and complex process. The inside of the mouthpiece and stem are carefully sanitised; the mouthpiece is then treated with sepia paper and polished with abrasive pastes. Excess carbon is removed from the bowl and finally the pipe is polished with carnauba wax only. At this point, it is ready to be smoked and will have the characteristics of a new pipe. It should be noted that we cannot guarantee that the pipe mouthpiece is original, as we often do not know its history. Over the years, the customer may have had to replace it, but often it is not possible to see or know this. The mouthpiece does not affect the taste of the smoke, but it is important to make this clarification.
While rodate pipes are second-hand pipes that have been used, there is another category of pipes that are used but have never been smoked: these are called Estate Unsmoked. These are pipes that customers have purchased but never smoked. Sometimes they have been stored in drawers or racks and may have more or less noticeable scratches or marks. The valuation of Unsmoked pipes is almost always the highest.

The evaluation of a well-used pipe is always a very delicate moment for us. Therefore, it is important for us to explain the criteria we use clearly, so that the customer can understand our basis for evaluation. My judgement is personal, based on my experience as a pipe seller for over 40 years and a smoker for 45. Being personal, this judgement may sometimes not correspond to yours, but it is formulated on the basis of what I know and in absolute good faith. Let us now examine the 5 grades of evaluation:

1 Pipe

The pipe has significant scratches and marks that have formed over time. These are generally old pipes that the smoker has not treated with due care. The rim of the bowl has burn marks and the mouthpiece has noticeable teeth marks. However, the pipe is worth paying attention to because it can still give satisfaction to a new smoker. These marks also affect the price. We are often talking about pipes from historic brands that have not been produced for years.

2 Pipes

The pipe is used but in decent condition. There are scratches and marks, such as those on the mouthpiece and the burn on the edge of the bowl, but the overall condition is better than that of a 1-star pipe.

3 Pipes

The pipe is in good condition and has been treated with care by the smoker. It is clearly a second-hand pipe, but its overall condition is good. There may be a few minor scratches or marks, but this is not a problem as these things happen when smoking a pipe. There may be small black marks on the rim of the bowl and marks on the mouthpiece, although these are minor.

4 Pipes

The pipe is in excellent condition and has been treated with love and respect by its owner. There are no burn marks on the rim of the bowl, nor are there any teeth marks on the mouthpiece. There may be a few small scratches because, as many smokers know, pipes sometimes get scratched just by looking at them. Generally, these pipes have not been smoked much and have almost sharp edges on the bowl rim. Most of the well-used pipes you find on the website have these characteristics and are the most sought after by smokers. Unsmoked pipes often fall into this category too, because a few scratches are always present even if a pipe has never been smoked.

5 Pipes

Pipe smoked but in mint condition. Extremely rare to find, almost like a unicorn. Unsmoked pipes in perfect condition also fall into this category.

These are the criteria we use to evaluate used pipes.

Of course, where there are rules, there are always exceptions, and this field is no different. For special or historical pieces that are 40 years old or more, we are a little more lenient. For example, a Dunhill from 1953 can be forgiven for a few extra dents or scratches because the fact that it has reached us in good condition is already almost a miracle.

Thomas Jacobsen
Casaropipe