Meerschaum are definitely a separate genre of pipe and require a new learning curve of familiarization. It's hard to tell who is the source and who is the wholesaler, and what branded Meerschaum means. It is often unclear which pipes are composite and which are carved from the natural Meerschaum, and there is often no specific detail on what kind of stem mounting is being offered. Time will tell, and some of this is obvious to people who have bought them over the years. But the makers, and often the retailers, don't impart much detail to tell you what is on offer. So you are in some ways starting over with pipes when you buy a Meer. Caution is required, and don't assume that spending a lot will buy you something good. Likewise, some pipe people know Meers and others don't at all, so you have to sound them out to see if the info is reliable.