Can You Spot the Flaw?

[Duck]

I was considering bidding for this predrilled block of meerschaum. Two reasons I decided no to, firstly it's probably African meer, can you see the second reason?

 

[Grangerous]

I prefer African Meer

However, that’s not African. So now you’re down to one reason. ??

I’ll bite. Why not?

 

[Duck]

I prefer African Meer
View attachment 110885
However, that’s not African. So now you’re down to one reason. ??

I’ll bite. Why not?

I like African meer myself, this is my most smoked pipe ATM. The kit is Manxman who did a lot of African meer. The main reason is a doozy though.

 

[Morrison Jeremiah]

Unless it's the angle of the photo, the draught hole appears off centre ?

 

[Duck]

Unless it's the angle of the photo, the draught hole appears off centre ?

Bingo! Not just off centre but coming out the side. I know that a bit off centre doesn't make much difference, but with that thing the hole would likely emerge on the outside of the pipe when you carved it.

 

[Morrison Jeremiah]

Bingo! Not just off centre but coming out the side. I know that a bit off centre doesn't make much difference, but with that thing the hole would likely emerge on the outside of the pipe when you carved it.

And he even had the nerve to try and hide the fault by putting it in shadow !

 

[Duck]

And he even had the nerve to try and hide the fault by putting it in shadow !

At least it was in the bowl shot, it's a shame because the Manx pipes had good fittings for the stem.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Photography can be highly misleading! The angle, the focal length, the DoF, lighting can all contribute to a false reading.
And that one could be misleading, but without some straight on pix, we'll never know.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I don't think that is the draught hole. Not sure one could be filled that bad. Looks like discoloration..

 

[jpmcwjr]

I assumed that was also a discoloration on the pipe or photo.
My comments were only about the apparent lack of lining up the shank with the center of the chamber. The amount of material to the sides of the stem also give the impression it's off center.

 

[didimauw]

I assumed that was also a discoloration on the pipe or photo.
My comments were only about the apparent lack of lining up the shank with the center of the chamber. The amount of material to the sides of the stem also give the impression it's off center.


View attachment 110912

Yeah I admit that's a super confusing angle. At first I thought it was way off center, but now it looks dead on... Weird.

 

[Morrison Jeremiah]

If that's discoloration and not the draught hole, then where is the draught hole ?

Also, if one takes a straight edge and places it on the photo in line with where the hole in the stem would be, then that mark is clearly out of whack.

 

[karam]

I've been looking for a pre-drilled Meer block for home carving, with stem, can someone offer a few links to sites selling them as all the ones I find are not drilled.

 

[Duck]

I've been looking for a pre-drilled Meer block for home carving, with stem, can someone offer a few links to sites selling them as all the ones I find are not drilled.

Sorry, that was just an old one on Ebay.

 

[anotherbob]

Photography can be highly misleading! The angle, the focal length, the DoF, lighting can all contribute to a false reading.
And that one could be misleading, but without some straight on pix, we'll never know.

I agree. Take a ruler to the image and suddenly it doesn't look so bad.

 

[mso489]

I saw that but I guessed it was a flaw and never imagined it was the draft hole. The drill operator must have gotten to the holiday drinks early that day. I'm not sure how they even got the airway over there.

 

[jpmcwjr]

The draught hole would not necessarily be visible in the photo above. So, it is not the draft, nor draught hole.

 

[Morrison Jeremiah]

The draught hole would not necessarily be visible in the photo above. So, it is not the draft, nor draught hole.

I agree that because of the angle the block is photographed at, the draught hole may not be visible.

 

[Duck]

I'm still not going to buy it.?

 

[PipeIT]

I prefer African Meer
View attachment 110885
However, that’s not African. So now you’re down to one reason. ??

I’ll bite. Why not?

What do you like about African vs Turkish meerschaum?