Ligne Bretagne Pipes

These days, when many first-rate sandblast pipes are priced at $750 plus, it is a wonderful thing to find a superb example below the $200 price point.

A couple of weeks ago, Trever Talbert put this Ligne Bretagne cutty up on his site for sale. I’ve had several Ligne Bretagne pipes over the years. To a one, they have all been wonderful pipes – light, balanced, and sweet smokers from the start. 

Can you believe that this wonderful cutty cost $157? How could I pass it up?

Talbert’s Ligne Bretagne line are made from a cache of old pre-turned French stummels, the majority of which are in popular post-war shapes in a medium or smaller size.

Trever and Emily Talbert take these old stummels, fit them with modern vulcanite stems that have been tuned up for good smoking quality, and then apply some very beautiful finishes to them.

So, for a fraction of what an artisanal pipe usually sells for, one can acquire a pipe that not only looks good, but smokes good as well.

So very often, when I talk to people who are new to pipe smoking or who are considering giving the pipe a try, I hear frustration about the prices of good pipes.

Many of these people instinctively sense that purchasing a dip-stained basket pipe or mass-produced wall pipe may be a hit or miss proposition when it comes to delivering a good initial experience. Frankly, I agree. I’ve smoked more than a few of these pipes and, when they don’t taste of chemicals, green wood, or cheap rubber, they sometimes smoke wet or have a tight draw. Of course, there is the occasional fine smoker on the wall or in a basket, but the odds are not necessarily good that you’ll have a great experience with one of these pipes.

Likewise, inexperienced people are reluctant to turn to the estate market for their first pipes. Because they don’t know what to look for or what to avoid, they may wind up with something that’s not properly cleaned, infested with tobacco ghosts, poorly engineered, too large, too small, or possessed of some other issues. I’ve been buying estates for years and years. While I usually am happy with what I get, I still get burned on occasion. I think most experienced pipe smokers would admit the same.

If you are new to pipe smoking, or have a friend who is new to pipe smoking, you should know that the quality of the pipe will influence your perception of what pipe smoking is all about. A pipe’s poor smoking quality can turn one off to pipe smoking forever. Early experiences matter.

When it comes to a near sure-fire thing, I can’t imagine going wrong with a Ligne Bretagne pipe.

The only frustration is that they are only sporadically made available for sale. When they are made available, they sell quickly and for good reason.

If you are looking for an affordable, high quality, good-looking pipe, I offer my strong recommendation to Ligne Bretagne.

Lest anyone wonder, I pay full price for every one I buy. I have no financial or business relationship with Talbert pipes, except that I am a repeat and happy customer.

Comments

[Matt W]

Neill,

As always you are spot on.

I have 2 LBs and an LB Collector, and they are all excellent. Always on the lookout for another LB.

In fact, LB pipes taught me that smaller pipes can be every bit as enjoyable as their larger bowled brethren.

[dusty-z]

i should have known you were the one who grabbed that one! :) i saw that and said: i could make that my first cutty! and *poof* it was gone. at least i know it's found a good home. you have to move fast on those LB's or *poof* is the way it goes. nice post neill.

[Scott Stultz]

I'm also a fan of Talbert LBs. Of the four I've bought, I still have two - a sandblasted bulldog and a six panel smooth. The other two I gave away, but not because I didn't like them! They are among my favorite smokers, and they're terrific looking, high quality pipes. It would be easy to buy one every time they come up on the Talbert site. I'd recommend them to anyone for their excellence in all categories, regardless of price.

[cakeanddottle]

Bought the litter mate of your Cutty tonight. Yours has a deeper blast, but I wouldn't kick mine out of bed and I'd been stalking an Upshall Cutty on ebay so it was easy to give in. Did a last minute Google when I was making up my mind and I can honestly say this article pushed me over the edge, so thanks, thanks a lot ;)