A Tale of 2 Meers

[hoosierpipeguy]

Two Meers, totally different coloring results. The Altinay figural has around 700 bowls through it. No really dark areas, kind of brown all over. The photo doesn't show how brown it is. There are some dark areas creeping in here and there, you can see on the bottom.

Then there's the Basket Weave Altinok that has around 250 bowls and the shank is deep brown. Not much color peeking through the bowl. Both pipes smoke great, the difference in how they've colored is baffling.

 

[didimauw]

They have minds of their own don't they?

I'm currently smoking 2 different meers, back to back from brand new trying to keep the number of bowls roughly the same. I'll be keeping track of the coloring of them together.

 

[VDL_Piper]

Your top Meer is a gorgeous pipe but it just won't play the other is coming along nicely. Crazy how different one piece can be from another.

 

[PA Piper Mike]

I love that basket weave pipe.

 

[brian64]

Both pipes smoke great, the difference in how they've colored is baffling.

The top one is what's baffling to me. In my experience with several meers over many years now, I've never had one color evenly all over like that. The bottom one is typically the way they color.

 

[Coreios]

Unfortunately I have no experience with Meers, but wow those are beautiful pipes! Hard to pick which one is prettier.

 

[yanoJL]

My Altinay pipes (3) don't seem to be coloring shank-first either. These are a little bit younger than yours, but a coloring pattern has begun to show.

 

[brian64]

My Altinay pipes (3) don't seem to be coloring shank-first either. These are a little bit younger than yours, but a coloring pattern has begun to show.

View attachment 262030

That's great. The bowls never seem to want to color for me.

 

[yanoJL]

I do not own an Aktinok, so I'm not sure about the construction. But I believe the Altinay pipes I own use a teflon mortise. So, at the risk of sounding completely foolish... I'm wondering if the usual coloring agents (smoke, nicotine, tar/oils, etc) are not coming in contact with meer at the shank on Altinay meers. Hence, less coloration on the shank.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

I wonder if the length of the tenon and the angle of it within the shank is a factor. Perhaps, the condensation/tobacco juice pools a bit more in the Altinok?

 

[sardonicus87]

My Hüseyin Ege meer (bent apple shape) is coloring like your Altinok, shank first. However, my bowl is slowly starting to get some color, particularly in the lower half toward the heel.

It has that generic plastic/nylon/derlin/whatever mortise and tenon, same setup seen on a large number of Turkish meer pipes. Definitely a lot of juice gets concentrated in the shank. Makes sense the shank would color first.

 

[captpat]

I have a Tekin meer that seems to resist coloring, it's just starting to develop a tinge of off-white coloration at this rate it will be decades before it shows significant color change.

 

[jerry]

Every meer does its own thing! Like life, there are many variables. Many

 

[brooklynpiper]

Fun comparison. I wonder, what’s their comparative weight??

 

[gervais]

That is a nice stem you had made for the Altinok. Suits the pipe nicely

 

[bluegrassbrian]

Altinay stems are pretty good then? They certainly look more comfortable than the majority of contemporary meer stems.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Fun comparison. I wonder, what’s their comparative weight??

I should have taken a photo side by side. The Altinok is a fair amount bigger but there's not a significant weight difference in the feel. I easily clinch both.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Altinay stems are pretty good then? They certainly look more comfortable than the majority of contemporary meer stems.

It is a reasonable stem. Clinches nice, it is wide and flat.

 

[brooklynpiper]

I should have taken a photo side by side. The Altinok is a fair amount bigger but there's not a significant weight difference in the feel. I easily clinch both.

Do you think the altinok is less dense?

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

Do you think the altinok is less dense?

No way to tell. I think they feel reasonably close in weight because Meerchaum is very light to begin with