I broke down and finally purchased a Mark Tinsky pipe. I had been eyeing this pipe at Gray Fox and I took advantage of the Christmas sale to finally pull the trigger. I love Apple shapes, both straight and bent, and I just loved this rendition of a 1/8" bent apple. This pipe is comfortable and well balanced, has a good draw, and the pipe cleaner passes through the draw hole perfectly. The craftsmanship is 'top-notch' in that the draft hole is centered flush on the bottom of the bowl. It does smoke well although the bowl does get a little hot. In the past, I have had pipes that have done this only to break in after a short time with no further display of this excessive heating; I think the Tinsky will as well. In any case, the smoke is cool, dry and clean with no 'woodiness' or 'stain-fumes.' Overall, I am pleased.
If you are interested in looking for a Mark Tinsky pipe, I would recommend either Gray Fox or Mark Tinsky's website. His pipes range from $100 (at Gray Fox) and up.
-Safari Bob
That's a beautiful Tinsky! I was tempted by that one, too.
ReplyDeleteI have a small sandblasted Tinsky hawkbill that smoked a little hot at first, but now it performs flawlessly, cool as can be. It's dedicated to Lakeland flakes.