9mm Charcol Filters vs Meerschaum Throwdown

[PiperCalvinist]

@ParkitoATL - check this out - great video on differences.

 

[Brando]

I was surfing the web about 9mm filters and I stumbled upon this brand Hermit Crab that claims to use cotton paper and ceramic caps for their filters, right now they offers those at 50% discount on Amazon... 15 bucks for 200 filters it seems a good bargain, I'm considering to try them...

Amazon.com

 

[Sigmund]

@Brando

I have not used that brand but no other brand has measured up to vauen for airflow ease. I gave up experimenting. On sale I usually grab vauen for 9 bucks a hundred. For three bucks difference I dont worry.

Hermit crab filters are an ali express cheap china brand. I use stuff from ali but I dont know that I would use any products that directly enter my body. China still has a lot of repair to do to their reputation before I go that far.

I think thats a high price for an ali product that is unproven.

 

[Brando]

@Brando

I have not used that brand but no other brand has measured up to vauen for airflow ease. I gave up experimenting. On sale I usually grab vauen for 9 bucks a hundred. For three bucks difference I dont worry.

Hermit crab filters are an ali express cheap china brand. I use stuff from ali but I dont know that I would use any products that directly enter my body. China still has a lot of repair to do to their reputation before I go that far.

I think thats a high price for an ali product that is unproven.

I too prefer AC Vauen filters for blends that usually bites me and White Elephant mers filters for non-bitey mixtures... I also liked the Stanwell but they're difficult to find on stock.

I was curious for that Hermit Crab but if they are Chinese.. I think I'll pass... thanks Sigmund for the heads up...

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

I too prefer AC Vauen filters for blends that usually bites me and White Elephant mers filters for non-bitey mixtures... I also liked the Stanwell but they're difficult to find on stock.

I was curious for that Hermit Crab but if they are Chinese.. I think I'll pass... thanks Sigmund for the heads up...

The Stanwell are my favourites. I've tried most of the other brands and found them to be the best. A few years ago I bought a couple of thousand from Germany and i'm gradually working my way through them.

 

[Bassman65]

As mentioned, the Vauen filters are great. I do agree, however, that they can be narrower than required in some 9mm pipes.

I have been using g the Blitz filters increasingly in pipes requiring that little bit of extra girth. They are pretty much identical to Stanwell filters in form and function. They sport the same end cap design.

If you are a Stanwell fan, you can’t go wrong with these. They are also a good value and easily found.

 

[LOREN]

Its clear that some folks are opposed to filters and thats cool. This thread isnt an argument. It is a comparison for those who use them. Im not attempting to sell anyone the idea of filters.

Ive been meaning to do this for a while. I typically use activated charcol filters 9mm. I had some meer filters around that I had not tried. For me charcol filters take out some of the darker ruddy notes (which I know some enjoy) but for me mute the sweetness. Also, I find charcol filters tend to polish the component flavors and allow them to shine through. Its the seperation of component flavors I really enjoy. Blenders that pull this off tend to also be my favorites.

This morning I loaded some Makahuwa plus a bit of latakia (a blend I often smoke in the morning) and put in a meer filter. I was immediately taken back by the aftertaste. One member called it kind of chalky but bias of knowing meer is white and chalky may create this bias but maybe its as good of a descriptor as any. Its just weird. I thoght maybe it was me so I tossed in a charcol filter. Right off the bat I got more sweetness from the tobacco and a nice finish.

In the interest of science back in went the meer filter. Taste muted, nice finish replaced by an odd feel...maybe the lack of a finish. Actually a lack of flavor overall.

Just to explore more variables out went the filter and I smoked it straight (no filter).

So back and forth I went and the same effect. For me it pretty much stripped the flavor down and made for an experience I didnt enjoy. I didnt pay that close attention to moisture level but the meer was probably a little more dry...maybe even too dry. I cant imagine needing to remove more moisture than a activated charcol filter will accomplish unless you are smoking really goopy blends.

So for today, Activated Charcol won in every department. I will try another pipe and another blend but for now I wont be buying meer filters.

I don't know how a meer filter is constructed. Is it built just like a charcoal filter but with meerschaum granules?


?

 

[OverMountain]

As mentioned, the Vauen filters are great. I do agree, however, that they can be narrower than required in some 9mm pipes.

I have been using g the Blitz filters increasingly in pipes requiring that little bit of extra girth. They are pretty much identical to Stanwell filters in form and function. They sport the same end cap design.

If you are a Stanwell fan, you can’t go wrong with these. They are also a good value and easily found.

I thought 9mm was 9mm the world over but vauen filters fit with TEUTONIC precision into my vauen pipes and have a little bit of play in my Petersons/dunhill.

Peterson charcoal filters also work well but for quality, Vauen IMO is the world leader for a few cents more.

 

[Sigmund]

Funny thing is that 9mm filters are not even 9mm
Even the pipe slot for the filter is around 8.4 mm and the filter has to be smaller.

 

[Brando]

I don't know how a meer filter is constructed. Is it built just like a charcoal filter but with meerschaum granules?


?

Exactly! There is a hybrid version called Supermix, also produced by White Elephant, with meerschaum and charcoal granules, but I didn't tried it yet

 

[Brando]

Good tip! I'll try those Blitz filters but I noticed that some version of their airflow are similar to the Vauen (small holes on the caps) and some other to the Stanwell (an asterisk)...

 

[Brando]

Funny enough, I found this version of no longer produced Vauen 9mm in a Colombian shop, they sports a ceramic 12 holes (instead of 9 in the new version) cap on one side and a plastic 12 holes cap on the other...

 

[Sigmund]

Ive had some blue cap Vauen filters like in the photo. I really didnt care for them. I think they are the older version and the new version is much less restrictive. I found the blue cap filers to be overfilled and made for an annoying draw.

 

[OverMountain]

Ive had some blue cap Vauen filters like in the photo. I really didnt care for them. I think they are the older version and the new version is much less restrictive. I found the blue cap filers to be overfilled and made for an annoying draw.

Correct. New versions are white ceramic on both sides. The old “blue towards you” days are over for Vauen filters!

 

[Bassman65]

Good tip! I'll try those Blitz filters but I noticed that some version of their airflow are similar to the Vauen (small holes on the caps) and some other to the Stanwell (an asterisk)...

All the Blitz filters I’ve encountered resemble the Stanwell end caps.

 

[jakewheatley]

@Brando

I have not used that brand but no other brand has measured up to vauen for airflow ease. I gave up experimenting. On sale I usually grab vauen for 9 bucks a hundred. For three bucks difference I dont worry.

Hermit crab filters are an ali express cheap china brand. I use stuff from ali but I dont know that I would use any products that directly enter my body. China still has a lot of repair to do to their reputation before I go that far.

I think thats a high price for an ali product that is unproven.

Hello, where do you keep an eye on sales for Vauen? $9 for 100 is a great deal.

 

[Sigmund]

Estervals. I guess they were about 8.50 in euros but with tax. Of course the USD has tanked and continues to fall so everything is likely to get more expensive regardless of new taxes.

 

[ParkitoATL]

@Sigmund - Well, here's a funny filter anecdote. I left a dish of filters on the patio to sun and refresh, we got a little pop of rain and the filters got soaked. The water was quite brown, I dumped it, and left it out to dry. A couple of days later the formerly skanky brown filters looked bright white, almost brand new, and on the dry draw tasted fresh and clean as a whistle! I'm now smoking one with some 2016 Christmas Cheer and it's delightful!

 

[jakewheatley]

@Sigmund - Well, here's a funny filter anecdote. I left a dish of filters on the patio to sun and refresh, we got a little pop of rain and the filters got soaked. The water was quite brown, I dumped it, and left it out to dry. A couple of days later the formerly skanky brown filters looked bright white, almost brand new, and on the dry draw tasted fresh and clean as a whistle! I'm now smoking one with some 2016 Christmas Cheer and it's delightful!

This is excellent. Ha.

 

[theTomTom]

A filter can do impressive things with some blends. Some blends gain sweetness filtered.

Other blends like constellation are bad no matter what, but a filter can make the taste reduced enough.