Why Meerschaum Lined Briar?

nevadablue · Jul 3, 2017

I am curious as to why the combination exists. I think I understand why briar is the wood of choice, and thought I knew why meerschaum is used. But the combination seems to be odd.
Enlighten me please. I know I want a bowl or two lined with meerschaum, but I am not sure why.
:D

warren · Jul 3, 2017

I do not own any meer lined pipes. I did at one time though. So, I'll offer an opinion from limited experience. A meer lined brier should offer two pluses, the cool smoke of the meer and, the toughness and feel of the briar.
Best I can come up with. I think there is some merit to that as I did experience a somewhat cooler smoke, I think. Could have been all in my mind as, that was what I'd been told to expect.

mso489 · Jul 3, 2017

Yeah, the best of both worlds concept. The look and durability of briar, the cool smoke and no-cake advantage of briar. Like so many other features on pipes, I'd guess this was part of the effort to offer distinguishing features when pipe sales were extremely competitive. I think that gave rise to systems pipes, a vast array of stingers, carburetor pipes, and many other gimmicks to capture the vast pipe market. Now most of these just look quaint, but back then it was big business.

drydock · Jul 3, 2017

I've inherited a meer lined Kaywoodie (45C)-- lovely pipe, filthy. There's a lot of work ahead in terms of clean-up. But it'll be my first meer-lined pipe.I'm excited about it.
Meer lined briar? With a meer pipe, half--all?--of the attraction is to smoke the hell out of it and watch the meer color. And some ppl are very careful about not touching the bowl so as to avoid finger oils, etc, altering how the pipe naturally wants to color. I think that process can indeed be fun.
But with a meer-lined pipe, the above isn't a goal because there's no external color to evolve--simply enjoying the attributes of the way a meer smokes is the goal. Color-aging, sometimes ornate carved designs be damned. The external briar is also more forgiving of hard knocks.
And in the case of my particular Kaywoodie--and I suspect many other meer-lined pipes--a really nice piece of briar to boot!

agnosticpipe · Jul 3, 2017

I have one meer lined pipe, it just says Tinder Box Meerschaum lined. No mention of country of origin, or imported briar. It's a nice little poker shape, and I got it just to see what it would be like to smoke a meer lined pipe. It smokes just fine, and personally, I don't see any difference between it and any other pipe that has the same shaped inner bowl.
I have noticed that for years, Brebbia still makes a very nice meer lined briar pipe.

akfilm · Jul 3, 2017

no cake, and cool smoke but with toughness. I actually only own one in my collection, meerschaum lined briar wood, but the wood was then covered in black leather. When I do smoke it, it's a fun smoke.

tozert · Jul 3, 2017

If a flaw shows up in the chamber during drilling, some manufacturers will widen the chamber to fit a meerschaum lining and change the airway drilling slightly to accommodate. How do I know this? A fellow pipe maker gave me a couple really nice grained pipes that were opened up to fit a meerschaum lining. Inside each chamber is a flaw...not a big one but would certainly yield an otherwise unsaleable pipe. I'm not sure if it is the practice of all factories, but it was in this one. I'll take some pictures asap.

pitchfork · Jul 3, 2017

From a functional standpoint, the briar is irrelevant, as far as I can tell. But a meer liner has its advantages, and because briar is the wood smokers expect to be used in a pipe, I suppose that's why briar was used. Just about other wood could have been used, I suppose.

snagstangl · Jul 3, 2017

I thought russ oulette said or maybe it was just in a P&C catalog the benefit would be when smoked outside. No burnout risk as there is with smoking briar outside inside a strong breeze.

nevadablue · Jul 3, 2017

Very interesting observations. Love it, keep it up please!

loneredtree · Jul 3, 2017

Back before my memory takes me, I had a leather covered mer lined brier. It smoked too humid. It may have been and probably was manufactured mer. I did not like it and tossed it. Ah the days of youth and cheap pipes

georged · Jul 3, 2017

If a flaw shows up in the chamber during drilling, some manufacturers will widen the chamber to fit a meerschaum lining and change the airway drilling slightly to accommodate. How do I know this? A fellow pipe maker gave me a couple really nice grained pipes that were opened up to fit a meerschaum lining. Inside each chamber is a flaw...not a big one but would certainly yield an otherwise unsaleable pipe. I'm not sure if it is the practice of all factories, but it was in this one.

Mostly this. Pressed meer cups are less expensive than blocks of briar. The end. :lol:

jpmcwjr · Jul 3, 2017

A meer is "cooler smoking" only to the hand. The ember and interior chamber walls have the same temperature as a briar, other things being equal. It is cooler in the hand as meerschaum doesn't conduct heat as much as briar.
I had a meer lined leather covered briar, but I lost it in my youth. It was quite small.

pipesmokingtom · Jul 3, 2017

I have one estate Meer-lined pipe. Seems like more of a novelty than anything else. I can't wrap my head around a practical purpose for it, other than cost savings, as indicated above.

mawnansmiff · Jul 4, 2017

My personal take on meer lined bowls is that they are a gimmick and nothing else. For those who claim they smoke cooler I have my serious doubts.
I reckon in a blind smoke no one would be able to tell the difference.
John, I have about four or five meer lined leather clad (another gimmick used to hide flaws) pipes, bulldogs and princes and all of them have meer bowls that are made up from rings of (presumably reconstituted) meerschaum, not a single one piece affair which suggests they are low end pipes.
Regards,
Jay.

jpmcwjr · Jul 4, 2017

Yes, you could take a pitted bit of briar, cover it with leather, insert meerschaum lining, and voila, a salable and smokeable item where there was just ugliness before.

sablebrush52 · Jul 4, 2017

Why meerschaum lined briar? Simple. Because there's a market for it.
Nothing new about this. Meerschaum lined briars have been around for over a century. Some people like what they perceive as the smoking qualities of meerschaum, coolness, no need to season, neutrality in taste, no need to rest, etc, with the added benefit of no need to use a chamois or cloth when smoking to avoid possibly blemishing the coloring of the meer, or worries about dropping the pipe can shattering it. It's a form of win-win to smokers.
Page on meerschaum line pipes from the circa 1914 Barling Catalog:

mawnansmiff · Jul 4, 2017

Nice ad Jesse. Funny how then just as now, everyone claimed their pipes to smoke "cool and sweet". You would have thought folks might have twigged by now that it's all a load of old cobblers though I suspect some folks still fall for the old sales patter.
Regards,
Jay.

jpmcwjr · Jul 4, 2017

I believe a post above explains why folks say— often just repeating what they've seen elsewhere— it smokes "cooler". It just feels cooler as the meer is cooler to the touch.

A meer is "cooler smoking" only to the hand. The ember and interior chamber walls have the same temperature as a briar, other things being equal. It is cooler in the hand as meerschaum doesn't conduct heat as much as briar.

dochudson · Jul 4, 2017

I have a couple of lined Falcon bowls.. Just for variety.

Why Meerschaum Lined Briar?

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