Advice on Buying Meerschaum from Turkey

[madox07]

I am really trying to contain my PAD and TAD lately, especially since I have gotten into a tacit conflict with the little lady. BUT, since I paid for our vacation in Turkey, and recently found out that our hotel is going to be next to a bazar I do not think I can resist the temptation of buying a meerschaum for which they are supposedly famous. Have any of you guys bought meer from Turkey? Are they readily available? What should I look for as far as quality goes? I would like a solid block, even if I do pay a bit more ... I am looking for a good quality pipe that I may enjoy a lifetime - unlike the pressed meer that I presently own. What would be a fair price over there? I mean I can see what a good meer runs for on ebay, but what do you guys think should be a fair price given the fact that I am buying from "the source"?

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

There are many pipe carvers in Turkey that range from apprentice to master carver. There are also many souvenir shops that will sell a variety of pipes from the range of pipe carvers. While all of those pipes will be nice and most likely great smoking pipes; you'll want to check out the mechanics of the pipes. Does the pipe have a screw in tenon, push pull tenon etc. and find one that suits your preference. If you want a pipe carved by a master carver then you'll want to look for the carver's shop as those pipes typically aren't sold in the souvenir shops. There are many great carvers listed on the Pipedia page. You'll be able to look up the different carvers and see which ones might be close to your destination in Turkey. As for price, I couldn't say but depending on the pipe carver and the location the pipe is purchased will affect the price.
Note: you don't need a master carver to have a great pipe, but if you do acquire one from a master carver then you'll definitely have one excellent smoking pipe.

 

[mikethompson]

May I just ask why you think that your pressed meer won't last a lifetime? Merely curious (or is that meer-ly curious?)
sounds like you have a great trip ahead of you, I'm super jealous over here.

 

[madox07]

It's not that it wouldn't last a life time, it's just that I had a poor experience with my pressed meer, which also ruined my taste for what otherwise is considered a fine blend. When I bought the piece, estate but unsmoked, I tried Dunhill's Elizabethan with it, and I wasn't impressed with it at all. In fact I haven't kept that VaPer on hand since. The smoke was dry, which is ok - that would be expected from meerschaum, but the bowl is very small, it heats quickly to the point it is hard to keep the bowl in my hand, it burns the tobacco, and I don't know if it makes any sense, but the smoke turned dry-wet. No matter how slow I smoke, it does that to me. I smoke so slow that I have to relight two-three times down the bowl. Aromatics work somewhat better, while English blends - I just can't turn a liking for the taste out of this pipe. So ... by exclusion I blamed the quality of the pipe. While this may be a life time pipe, I am planning on turning it into an ornamental life time pipe or an aromatic, and get me a higher grade one for regular smoking. I smoked artisan's blend, which is one of my favorites and at the same time a lat bomb, and the taste was off smoking in the pressed meer - which is by the way a no name, half push half screw tenon system, with a turk's head bowl.

 

[cortezattic]

From what I hear, the art of bargaining is a useful skill in the bazaars, so acquire a sense for the going price of good meerschaums. The only other advice I can offer is to buy a meer with a tenon-mortise connection resembling that of a conventional briar pipe. The all too common nylon/teflon connectors have a very restrictive draw (which may be part of the problem that you've experienced with your meer).
Other than that, and the above posts, you should probably get "up to speed" on the subject by reading Fred Bass's articles:

http://pipesmagazine.com/blog/put-that-in-your-pipe/the-meerschaum-pipe-experience/

http://pipesmagazine.com/blog/put-that-in-your-pipe/the-thrill-of-the-hunt-a-guide-to-estate-meerschaums/

http://pipesmagazine.com/blog/put-that-in-your-pipe/slave-to-the-white-goddess/
...and an interesting post at the Al Pascia website:

https://www.alpascia.com/moments/d/sea-foam-the-colours-of-lightness-i32418.html

 

[mikethompson]

I will agree with Cortez about the tenon issue, I'm not sure why any of them have that silly screw type. But buying a brand new unsmoked Meerschaum from a bazaar in Turkey will add to the backstory of your pipe, and will remind you of your trip whenever you pick it up.

 

[rajangan]

I went to Eskisehir, a city between Istanbul and Ankara where most of the meerschaum is mined. There is an arts district there where pipe makers, painters, carpet makers, and glass blowers do their work. Fantastic place to visit. I can tell you that some pipes are made simply for tourists to display, while others are of higher grade and meant for smoking. The tourist pipes will crack. If you can actually find a carver, tell him you plan on smoking the pipe so he knows to show you the higher grade meerschaum pipes. Here is a gallery of my photos of Eskisehir.
https://eskisehirphotos.wordpress.com/about/

 

[rajangan]

When I was there, there was a cigar store in the part of Istanbul called Kadikoy that sold good pipes, and had Turkish pipe tobacco. It's only a couple lira to take the ferry across. It's really a great place to shop, eat, and explore. Plan it so you take the ferry back at sunset. You won't be disappointed.

 

[jvnshr]

BUT, since I paid for our vacation in Turkey, and recently found out that our hotel is going to be next to a bazar I do not think I can resist the temptation of buying a meerschaum for which they are supposedly famous.

Are you visiting Istanbul? Are you talking about the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul?
rajangan, those are some nice pictures. Thanks for sharing. You have even managed to visit the Meerschaum Museum in Eskisehir, lucky you.

 

[halfy]

Well, most carved meers look great but smoke bad...owning to the cheap plastic mortise/tenon set which constrains the airflow.
Stick to Baki, IMP, AB pipes and some few carvers using normal tenon (e.g. Tekin) for meers. That's my only and always advice for guys with meer PAD...

 

[workman]

I was in Turkey once, almost twenty years ago. I bought a pipe for 14.000.000. It was a beautiful pipe, but I wasn't a pipesmoker back then, so I never found out if it was also a good pipe. My little brother broke it and I have never had one since. Ps. 14.000.000 at the time were worth roughly 50$.

 

[madox07]

jvnshr No, not this time around. The bazar that is next to the hotel is probably some touristy replica of the grand bazar, but on a lower scale, selling rugs, leather jackets, gold, pottery, and stuff like that.
rajangan indeed some nice pics. What was an average price for a fairly good meer, and I don't mean those very intricate carving pipes?

 

[rajangan]

Madox, I'm sure the ones in the museum would have been incredibly expensive, but the two I bought were 55 euros each. Here's a photo of them. I took the stem off one to show the construction.

 

[madox07]

very decently priced, are they good smokers? was haggling something that you encountered?

 

[rajangan]

Great smokes. By the color, you can see how much I have smoked them. Honestly, I don't remember hagling. I bought them from the actual carver, and didn't feel right about it. I bought pipes for friends as well from two other carvers. I would have paid three times as much at home. In the slideshow I linked in a previous post, the man carving on the street was the man who made my pipes. The other two pipe makers are also in the slideshow. The young guy was an apprentice.

 

[gkr1]

I bought recently from Altinay, Awesome service if that is any help.
My Pipe was at my door 4 days later.

 

[jayski]

Not sure about Turkey but in most parts of the Middle East it is expected that you will haggle a price when buying goods. I have been to a few middle eastern countries and when shopping in a bazaar it is wise to haggle. If not the price you are given will usually be much higher than needed. Especially as a tourist. Make sure you know the exchange rate and pay with local currency.

 

[cigrmaster]

I recently purchased this IMP Meer from meerschaummarket on Ebay, They had a make an offer option on the pipe I purchased. It is my first real Meer and so far I have been happy with it. It takes a little getting used to as far as packing the pipe and dealing with an acrylic stem that has an airway that for me is a little constricted in comparison to my artisan made pipes.
The pipe smokes fairly cool and dry and I like the pipes ability to be smoked multiple times in a day. I am sure the longer I smoke it the more I will get used to it. I have had a couple of really good smokes in it so far.

 

[madox07]

jayski yes, indeed, the local culture in those parts is revolving around hagglind - in fact if you don't negotiate they consider you weak. The last time I was in Turkey I found out that the US $ is top dog. As an European I was accustomed to the EUR only to find out that paying with stuff in EUR is not the way to go. The parity between USD and EUR was 1:1.5, but the turks considered it 1:1.
cigrmaster that's a really pretty pipe. I had a chance to buy a similar shape with some base-relief, also with a case. Estate, in pretty good shape ... less than EUR 50, I had a few days of stinginess and by the time I made up my mind it was already sold.

 

[jvnshr]

jvnshr No, not this time around. The bazar that is next to the hotel is probably some touristy replica of the grand bazar, but on a lower scale, selling rugs, leather jackets, gold, pottery, and stuff like that.

Let me know if you need any help, I've been to Istanbul probably 20 times or so, and I can speak Turkish. Right now €1 = ₺4,70 and $1 = ₺3,75. Always have some Turkish lira in hand. And don't forget that you have seen probably 100 bazaar sellers in your life and that single bazaar seller sees at least 100 customers a day, so always bargain, don't be shy, just try to get as much discount as you can. Don't exchange any money at the exchange centers close to the center or bazaars, they have the worst rate.