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didimauw

Moderator
Staff member
Jul 28, 2013
9,894
31,613
34
Burlington WI
@didimauw I do like the 'raised' outlines of the teardrops on your pipe!
Below is the new one I purchased a couple days ago from a B&M store for $139. I couldn't not buy it at the price! And is not so small (chamber is 19mm x 41mm).
View attachment 192746
View attachment 192747
According to the good folks at SMS (based in WA state) this was carved in ~2008 by
Hüseyin Şekercioğlu. exerpted: "In 1976, Hüseyin moved to Eskişehir. Within a few months, he began learning the pipe making trade as a sander and stem finisher under Master Carver Necdet Altınay. In 1979, younger brother Mustafa joined Hüseyin in Eskişehir at the age of fourteen. He was also employed as a pipe finisher at the Altınay shop. In 1982, he began three years of lattice finish work. Hüseyin and Mustafa eventually learned all the aspects of pipe making. Both brothers joined resources and formed their own company in 1987. Since 1996, the Şekercioğlu Brothers formed separate companies and employ other relatives in their businesses. The Şekercioğlu Brothers produce most of the meerschaum shapes for SMS Pipes."
That is a great pipe! I love my SMS Meers. And they are always a decent price.
PXL_20220704_192701226.jpg
PXL_20220629_025339980~2.jpg
 
Jan 28, 2018
12,952
134,613
66
Sarasota, FL
@didimauw I do like the 'raised' outlines of the teardrops on your pipe!
Below is the new one I purchased a couple days ago from a B&M store for $139. I couldn't not buy it at the price! And is not so small (chamber is 19mm x 41mm).
View attachment 192746
View attachment 192747
According to the good folks at SMS (based in WA state) this was carved in ~2008 by
Hüseyin Şekercioğlu. exerpted: "In 1976, Hüseyin moved to Eskişehir. Within a few months, he began learning the pipe making trade as a sander and stem finisher under Master Carver Necdet Altınay. In 1979, younger brother Mustafa joined Hüseyin in Eskişehir at the age of fourteen. He was also employed as a pipe finisher at the Altınay shop. In 1982, he began three years of lattice finish work. Hüseyin and Mustafa eventually learned all the aspects of pipe making. Both brothers joined resources and formed their own company in 1987. Since 1996, the Şekercioğlu Brothers formed separate companies and employ other relatives in their businesses. The Şekercioğlu Brothers produce most of the meerschaum shapes for SMS Pipes."
That appears to be a high quality Meer. Hope you enjoy it.
 

LeafErikson

Lifer
Dec 7, 2021
1,856
15,799
Oregon
It's crazy to me how a meer carving of a man, smoking a pipe, inside a lions head, at the zoo, can cost less than your average billiard!
Yeah I never understood that one either. Even if the grade of the block used in the billiard is higher, surely the labor expended on the intricately carved pipe outweighs the grade price difference.
 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,249
108,349
It's crazy to me how a meer carving of a man, smoking a pipe, inside a lions head, at the zoo, can cost less than your average billiard!
Yeah I never understood that one either. Even if the grade of the block used in the billiard is higher, surely the labor expended on the intricately carved pipe outweighs the grade price difference.
My Kenan skull and that big mountain lion were both under $290.
 

LeafErikson

Lifer
Dec 7, 2021
1,856
15,799
Oregon
I Suppose we shouldn't speak this too loudly, or they will raise the prices again! 😂
I know right :ROFLMAO: I want to get another AGovem straight pipe before he raises his prices by 30% like everyone else. Altinay charges more than I'm willing to spend on a pipe at this point. I know TB.com and cup o joes sells em but those rusticated finishes really don't do it for me. I prefer smooth since I usually codger scoop swr into my pipe and the tobacco gets stuck in the crevices of my lattice pipe. I haven't tried a Tekin yet but they seem to be a bit cheaper than Altinay pipes so I may get one at some point this year if I have the expendable income, which I don't as of right now.
 
Jan 28, 2018
12,952
134,613
66
Sarasota, FL
It's crazy to me how a meer carving of a man, smoking a pipe, inside a lions head, at the zoo, can cost less than your average billiard!
These Turkish carvers likely make way less than an Artisan briar carver. The Meer is easier to work with than briar. I'll bet the scrap rate due to flaws is way less. The equipment required is way less of an investment.
 

brian64

Lifer
Jan 31, 2011
9,602
14,666
@Chasing Embers

Did you see this one? Kind of unusual...made me wonder if it's something like the type of colored meers you've mentioned you'd like to find. Probably it was just artificially colored that way.

B87A8765__35809.1673451037.JPG

 

brian64

Lifer
Jan 31, 2011
9,602
14,666
These Turkish carvers likely make way less than an Artisan briar carver. The Meer is easier to work with than briar. I'll bet the scrap rate due to flaws is way less. The equipment required is way less of an investment.
Yes, plus there are some carvings like the lion above that are a bit better than average, but the great majority of them are mediocre and probably don't take much time to produce. The highly skilled and original works of art such as Yanik and a few others create are the exception.
 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,249
108,349
@Chasing Embers

Did you see this one? Kind of unusual...made me wonder if it's something like the type of colored meers you've mentioned you'd like to find. Probably it was just artificially colored that way.

B87A8765__35809.1673451037.JPG

Yep, saw that one pop up the other day. They've got a blue and purple one too if it hasn't sold.
 

didimauw

Moderator
Staff member
Jul 28, 2013
9,894
31,613
34
Burlington WI
Yanik has several new listings that are really stunning.

s-l1600.jpg

s-l1600.jpg

s-l1600.jpg

s-l1600.jpg

s-l1600.jpg

s-l1600.jpg

Yeah some of those are awesome! I just can't get past the pre colored ones. Don't color as obviously from smoking. I'm big on patina.
 

Scottmi

Lifer
Oct 15, 2022
3,064
40,863
Orcas, WA
@didimauw I do like the 'raised' outlines of the teardrops on your pipe!
Below is the new one I purchased a couple days ago from a B&M store for $139. I couldn't not buy it at the price! And is not so small (chamber is 19mm x 41mm).
View attachment 192746
View attachment 192747
According to the good folks at SMS (based in WA state) this was carved in ~2008 by
Hüseyin Şekercioğlu. exerpted: "In 1976, Hüseyin moved to Eskişehir. Within a few months, he began learning the pipe making trade as a sander and stem finisher under Master Carver Necdet Altınay. In 1979, younger brother Mustafa joined Hüseyin in Eskişehir at the age of fourteen. He was also employed as a pipe finisher at the Altınay shop. In 1982, he began three years of lattice finish work. Hüseyin and Mustafa eventually learned all the aspects of pipe making. Both brothers joined resources and formed their own company in 1987. Since 1996, the Şekercioğlu Brothers formed separate companies and employ other relatives in their businesses. The Şekercioğlu Brothers produce most of the meerschaum shapes for SMS Pipes."
wondering about any opinion from y'all here: I've been calling it a bent dublin, but size of chamber (19x41mm) is like many briars i have seen listed as calabashes. What shape best describes this to you?
 
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brian64

Lifer
Jan 31, 2011
9,602
14,666
Yeah some of those are awesome! I just can't get past the pre colored ones. Don't color as obviously from smoking. I'm big on patina.
Well, I've never been all that focused on the coloring, but I do have white ones that are classic shapes and I let those be the coloring projects. When it comes to these elaborate carvings it's just not something that factors in for me...the sculpture itself is what it's all about.