Brigham Pipes

[WVDAVE]

Brigham Pipes have caught my eye lately, not that I'll be getting one any time soon. I was wondering if they are good smokers, and how good do the maple filters work in them. I really like the Mountaineer 3-Dot Pipe #329 Apple and hopefully will be able to acquire one someday. Are these pipes worth investing in or should I save my money and get something else.

[Bob]

I have heard both bad and good about them, mostly good. As with any pipe, I guess it's personal preference.


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[Sasquatch]

They are definitely decent, but you have to understand what you are buying.

The filter system works great - low maintenance, multiple usage and not very expensive. Also it doesn't block up the draft of a pipe like a 9mm filter will.

The pipes are now made in Italy with a teflon tenon rather than the older style aluminum tenon on the Canadian-made pipes of yore. Still a decent pipe in that sub-100 dollar range I reckon.

[Steve Laug]

I have had quite a few of the older style aluminum tenon style. I like them better than the newer ones that are made in Italy. IMHO the Canadian Made older ones are great pipes! They smoke well and the maple filter is great. Here is a diagram that explains the filter system.
Brigham System.jpg

[pipe_ninja]

I have a Brigham 2 dot ... it's about to go on the market, but it was one of my favorite pipes for the longest time...and the only filter pipe in which I actually kind of like the filter.

The only thing I really don't like about their pipes is the pre-coating. This is some info from Brian Levine (he's the US National Sales Mgr for Brigham Pipes)

Hi all,

For the past 5 or 6 years Brigham Pipes have been "made" in Italy and France. The tenons and Tubes are made in Toronto and then sent to the factories where the pipes are made to our specifications. The Voyageur, Algonquin and Mountaineer are produced in Italy while the remainder are produced for us in France.

The other question I often get is about the switch of the tenon from Aluminum to Delrin. This change was made 2004 because Delrin deals with heat better and in case of the pipe getting sat on, the Delrin tenon will break away from the stem versus the old Aluminum tenons breaking the shank of the pipe.

We replace the tenons for free. Shanks cost a lot more.

[Acaciavet]

They are definitely decent, but you have to understand what you are buying.

The filter system works great - low maintenance, multiple usage and not very expensive. Also it doesn't block up the draft of a pipe like a 9mm filter will.

The pipes are now made in Italy with a teflon tenon rather than the older style aluminum tenon on the Canadian-made pipes of yore. Still a decent pipe in that sub-100 dollar range I reckon.

I have two older ones 1960 Vintage and they are great smokers. My Canadian friends say the new ones not so good

[Arkie_]

I bought a 3 dot Brigham volcano shape about a year ago. It is a beautiful pipe but it is a terrible smoker. It has an extremely tight draw even with the filter removed. The stem & stummel don't have any restrictions and airflow through both of them is fine but when I assemble the pipe I can hardly pull any air thru it. I've bored out every part of it but nothing seems to help. I think the stem is misaligned with the shank and the misalignment is causing a bottleneck.

[briarbrian]

I have heard good and bad about this brand also. I think it is hit or miss, sometimes they are good other times they are good for someone else.

[Brigham]

In the interest of full disclosure please let me introduce myself as the President of Brigham. As such, I'm clearly biased.

Although our pipes are no longer made at our factory in Toronto I personally travel to Italy and France every year to discuss processes, select briar, select new shapes and so on. In this respect, our involvement is very "hands on". At the higher end, outsorcing has allowed us to present a variety of finishes that we were not able to offer from out factory. In this respect, we see this as a benefit. At the entry level, economies of scale forced us to look elsewhere in order to provide pipes at economical prices. Although the pipe "may not be what they used to be" we stand behide these pipes as compared to other pipes at similar prices.

We are always interested in hearing from consumers and acquiring opinions and input, which is why forums such as this are interesting to watch. We would be interested in the specifics of what people enjoy or suggest for improvement. We are always on the look to improve our product.

Happy smoking!

[WVDAVE]

In the interest of full disclosure please let me introduce myself as the President of Brigham. As such, I'm clearly biased.

Although our pipes are no longer made at our factory in Toronto I personally travel to Italy and France every year to discuss processes, select briar, select new shapes and so on. In this respect, our involvement is very "hands on". At the higher end, outsorcing has allowed us to present a variety of finishes that we were not able to offer from out factory. In this respect, we see this as a benefit. At the entry level, economies of scale forced us to look elsewhere in order to provide pipes at economical prices. Although the pipe "may not be what they used to be" we stand behide these pipes as compared to other pipes at similar prices.

We are always interested in hearing from consumers and acquiring opinions and input, which is why forums such as this are interesting to watch. We would be interested in the specifics of what people enjoy or suggest for improvement. We are always on the look to improve our product.

Happy smoking!

Thanks for the reply. It's nice to see that you take time to answer questions about your product and that you go that extra mile and cruise the forums. Welcome to the best pipe forum on the net. Since you have taken that extra bit to become more involve in your product, I'll definitely be purchasing one of your pipes, when I'm able to. Once again welcome and Thanks.