What Is Meerschaum ?? And Do You Have One?

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taztime

Might Stick Around
May 15, 2013
91
0
Texas
>> WHAT IS MEERASCHAUM ?? --
http://www.whatismeerschaum.com/
http://www.meerschaumpipe.us/

 

cigrmaster

Lifer
May 26, 2012
20,249
57,280
66
Sarasota Florida
I have two Meers and hate them. Both have the most uncomfortable stems I have ever encountered on a pipe and both are from quality companies. One is an SMS and the other is a CAO. Also I hate that the CAO does not pass a pipe cleaner and both have small airways that I don't like. The only reason I still have them is because when I bought them back in 01, I promised them to my youngest son who thought they were the coolest looking things. 12 years later they sit in his room as ornaments.
Here are a couple of pics, the CAO is the Bacchus face.





 

voorhees

Lifer
May 30, 2012
3,834
938
Gonadistan
Thats a shame Harris as I have just the one in my profile pic. As bad as Storient turned out to be, the product I received was great. Nice draw, pipe cleaner passes through the shank nicely. The stem is a bit of a pain, but its more to do with the bend of the stem. It smokes cool and dry. I plan to get another meer one day.

 

numbersix

Lifer
Jul 27, 2012
5,449
53
Meers are a type of mineral, found usually in Turkey.
They are said to offer a cooler, dryer smoke than briars. They also won't change the flavor of a tobacco (something briar can do - but often this is a good thing).
I have 2 meers, but they are not my favorite pipes. Personally, I like briars better - but that doesn't mean that meers are "bad" ; some people prefer them over briars.
I have two Meers and hate them.
Harris, don't mince words, tell us how you really feel!

 

protestantpiper

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 20, 2013
200
1
My meer is my "Sunday" pipe that I smoke while cleaning the rest. I don't fuss with all the "don't touch it" coloring nonsense. To each his own.

 
Jul 12, 2011
4,135
4,205
I have three; two IMP (1-Calabash and 1-Bent Rusticated Apple w/silver)

and a LVC, outstanding smokers and the way to go for pure tobacco taste'in...

 

cigrmaster

Lifer
May 26, 2012
20,249
57,280
66
Sarasota Florida
six, can you tell I don't like them? lol
I also never found them to smoke cooler than a quality briar pipe that was broken in and had a good cake. Even back in the day when I was not so picky about stems, I hated these. They are so freaking round that they are impossible to clench. I know there are tons of people who love their meers and that is great, I just happen to not be one of those.

 

smeigs

Lifer
Jun 26, 2012
1,049
7
I have 1. It is made out of african meer, its made by Barling out of England. They stopped making them quite a few years ago. Its by far one of my best smokers.

 

dukdalf

Starting to Get Obsessed
Aug 24, 2011
238
0
Meerschaum is a silicate of magnesium, found in mineral form and most abundantly in Turkey as numbersix pointed out. By tradition it is considered to be the material of choice for a pipe, but as you've read some of us prefer wood. The word 'meerschaum' itself is interesting as well: it is German in origin, literally translating as 'seafoam'. In Dutch at least 'meerschuim' can still refer to the shell of a sepia like you can find washed up on the beach.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
Great pipes, great smokers I hear. Just can't get started on a whole new collection!

 

docwatson

Lifer
Jul 2, 2009
1,149
9
New England
IMO Meerschaum pipes give the most neutral true flavor of tobaccos. They smoke nice and dry, cool, and good block meerschaum is very light and absorbent. This has probably been covered in a previous post. Personally I am not fond of the fitments that they use. I understand that Deniz Ural handles a very good quality meerschaum pipe line that has good oversize fitments that pass a pipe cleaner without any interference. Some day I have to see them and get more info about them. Presently my favorite meers that I smoke are some older Andreas Bauer block meerschaum pipes that are exceptional IMO. To keep them smoking properly and to color them properly NO cake should be allowed to form on the chamber. Just my two cents. :)

 
Aug 14, 2012
2,872
123
Meerschaum was formed as follows. 50,000,000 years ago there were microscopic shell fish in the Black Sea, north of Turkey. When they died they ended up under the floor of the sea, The weight of the water and ocean bed eventually compressed them into meerschaum. It is called seafoam because it sometimes washed up on shore and people did not know what it was. It smokes ok, but only smokes really well when it is VERY well broken in. This actually takes many years. I got my first one in 1965. It was about 10 years before it smoked well. I didn't much care then, because I was young and poor, so I smoked it anyway. When it started to smoke well, the bowl was tobacco brown, and the stem even darker. Then it suddenly became a GREAT smoke. After some years more, it began to fall apart. The amber stem was threaded directly into the meerschaum without metal threading. That crumbled and I had to tape the stem and shank together. Then the bottom of the bowl became pierced from 30 years of employing a tool that was too sharp. I put a piece of tape on that too. The pipe continued to smoke unusually well though. Finally, the bowl was shortened quite a bit by my knocking it against an ashtray for years. Then the pipe became oversmoked and soggy tasting. I threw it out. I had that pipe for over 45 years, and it smoked well a little more than half the time. Today I have 11 meerschaums. The ones sold by Peterson (though made in Turkey) are good, with much better plumbing than on my first meer. The others I have are of Turkish design. No offence meant to the Turks, but their pipe designs are not very good. Narrow draft holes make them gurgle, and the tenons are poor and usually flex. They won't last for the long haul. I got those pipes for the carving. The best Turkish carvers are real artists. But most of them are poorly carved and basically junk.

 
Aug 14, 2012
2,872
123
Something else. If you buy a meer and don't get to inspect the pipe personally, make sure you are looking at a picture of the actual pipe you will get. Many Turkish companies will put a picture of a pipe online that was made by a master carver, then send you a similar one made by an apprentice. The difference in the quality of the carving is huge.

 

bentmike

Lifer
Jan 25, 2012
2,422
37
Show me a briar that you can rotate aromatic, English and straight Virginia tobaccos in that will not yield the slightest hint of the previous smoke. :puffy:

 

thuber88

Might Stick Around
Feb 3, 2013
84
0
I have a 30+ year old SMS Meer, it smokes nicely, but I dont use it very often due to a very very small bowl.

But I have a much larger one on the way, as soon as I can pay for it

 

cortezattic

Lifer
Nov 19, 2009
15,147
7,637
Chicago, IL
What Is Meerschaum?

A PITA pipe.
True, it possesses a neutral taste and needs less rest than briar; and it pre-dates the use of briar as a pipe material.

But briar has displaced meerschaum as the overwhelming choice of pipe smokers everywhere for a reason.

 

andrew

Lifer
Feb 13, 2013
3,042
400
I've got 2 cheap pressed meers, got them for cheap. I like them, I usually smoke MM965 or English orient in it, then my smaller meer I use for virginia's. Both have no problems getting a pipe cleaner through, and I like the draw, even though it's a bit narrow, it allows me to puff a bit harder rather than having to really slowly sip. I do prefer biar though usually, but then only if it's a dedicated pipe.

 

meerqueen

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 9, 2012
221
0
Hi,
@foggymountain : your saying is right for 95% meerschaum companies but please note that there are a few companies which do their job well.
a few advice you should consider while buying your meerschaum pipe online

- the website should write the dimensions and weight of the pipe

- Please look for lifetime warranty for your meerschaum pipe.(there is only one company gives that though :) )

- company history

- certificate of authenticity. for example we write "grade of workmanship" and "grade of block" and the "carver name" on the product label.
I hope this helps.

Regards,

B.B

 
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