M.H.Geoffrey & Co. Pipes - cheap tat or frightening value?

[Cygnus]

Rosewood is, in general, a good indication that the pipes are both not made in Scotland, Canada, or even the USA and not of very high quality. I own a set of rosewood pipes that were a (misguided and unresearched) gift from my parents. They're completely unplayable, the bag smells very strongly of naphthalene, and they're very prone to cracking.

You generally don't get better than what you pay for, though in this case I'd be very worried you're actually getting far less than what you paid for.

[piperdbh]

Geoffrey is a reputable company, but I think Cygnus is right about those 'pipes. Plus, you don't have the chance to play them before you buy them to see if you like them, assuming they're playable. If I were in the market, I'd steer clear of 'pipes that I couldn't put through their paces before committing to the purchase.