Do Differences in Meershaum Pipes Quality Exist ad/or Matter?
- Thread starter TN Jed
- Start date
SmokingPipes.com Updates
Watch for Updates Twice a Week
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
Site Sponsors
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
- Status
You can also go antique meerschaum pipe like myself and Weezell do but then you will go down a rabbit hole never return!
I sent an email to Altinok, asking them to consider using Eldtrich Resin and hand making custom stems.
Eldritch Products - RawKrafted - https://rawkrafted.com/eldritch-1/
I also will send an email later to @Said.ALTINAY asking the same.
When I look at the pipes from both companies we see the same thing, a lack in quality stems for these pipes.
Tradition is nice, but there is just to extreme an amount of tradition in the Meerschaum industry in regards to the stems. Everywhere you look, the same yellow, orange, red/orange looking stems, extremely generic.
What’s really odd, is that we see Altinok and Altinay making some very nice looking pipes, but with no taste in stem design.
It’s like being a designer with bad or limited taste(s).
I’ve been told Eldtrich doesn’t oxidize, or no where near what traditional vulcanite/ebonite do, or cumberland.
With the vast array of colors in Eldtrich, it only makes sense that if you’re going to offer really nice expensive pipes, they should be made with quality stems.
Now we all know the typical Castello I hate their acrylic stems conversations that go on around here, some like them, some don’t.
So the point being, is a carver like Said going to keep sticking to traditional meerschaum yellow, orange orange/red and balck stems, or will he consider and start offering more?
I guess if he wants to be in the same boat has Castello, acrylic only, so be it, by why limit yourself.
Offering Eldtrich Resin stems in various colors is not going to hurt business, unless you make some pipes in terrible colors, otherwise it’s going to make business better, and those who want better than acrylic, this will certainly open the doors wider with these smokers.
Imagine this pipe with a nice handmade Eldtrich resin stem in various colors.
P.S. I’m not dismissing those that want black, great, let’s also get handmade black vulcanite and red cumberland too..
Eldritch Products - RawKrafted - https://rawkrafted.com/eldritch-1/
I also will send an email later to @Said.ALTINAY asking the same.
When I look at the pipes from both companies we see the same thing, a lack in quality stems for these pipes.
Tradition is nice, but there is just to extreme an amount of tradition in the Meerschaum industry in regards to the stems. Everywhere you look, the same yellow, orange, red/orange looking stems, extremely generic.
What’s really odd, is that we see Altinok and Altinay making some very nice looking pipes, but with no taste in stem design.
It’s like being a designer with bad or limited taste(s).
I’ve been told Eldtrich doesn’t oxidize, or no where near what traditional vulcanite/ebonite do, or cumberland.
With the vast array of colors in Eldtrich, it only makes sense that if you’re going to offer really nice expensive pipes, they should be made with quality stems.
Now we all know the typical Castello I hate their acrylic stems conversations that go on around here, some like them, some don’t.
So the point being, is a carver like Said going to keep sticking to traditional meerschaum yellow, orange orange/red and balck stems, or will he consider and start offering more?
I guess if he wants to be in the same boat has Castello, acrylic only, so be it, by why limit yourself.
Offering Eldtrich Resin stems in various colors is not going to hurt business, unless you make some pipes in terrible colors, otherwise it’s going to make business better, and those who want better than acrylic, this will certainly open the doors wider with these smokers.
Imagine this pipe with a nice handmade Eldtrich resin stem in various colors.
P.S. I’m not dismissing those that want black, great, let’s also get handmade black vulcanite and red cumberland too..
Last edited:
Yes, my bad, you can find colors, I just haven’t seem them as prevalent, like the yellow, orange styles.
If you get them directly from the carver or sites like Meerschaum Market, you can often request a stem change.
With IMP's jump to a range of around $315 to $355 would you meer veterans still recommend them as value for money? Or would it be better to just custom order or alternatives like Altinay at this point?
Looks like Altinay has gone up as well. They've all gone beyond what I'm willing to justify to pay so I'd just say go with what you like. I've found some sub $100 no name estates that have become my favorites.
I agree these are really getting pricey, and with no disrespect to anyone!
I mean $400-$700 for a meerschaum, just for classic shapes, not a fancy figure, wow ouch!
I mean $400-$700 for a meerschaum, just for classic shapes, not a fancy figure, wow ouch!
Considering my giant skull and mountain lion were both under $300, the increase is quite painful to the wallet.I agree these are really getting pricey, and with no disrespect to anyone!
I mean $400-$700 for a meerschaum, just for classic shapes, not a fancy figure, wow ouch!
Funny you ask that question. In the utilitarian end of the market that I inhabit you come across a few with addresses in Paris and Berlin. Strangely enough 'Ecume' was not a brand but meant 'Bubbles' in French which is maybe why meerschaum was also known as fossilized sea foam. As far as I can see by the late 1890s various pipe wholesalers in London purchased the meerschaums finished and then put a label in the case with their name on it but I doubt it was carved in their workshop. You also get that feel from surviving catalogues as well. That being said I do have several BBB meerschaum 'cutty' pipes in fitted cases but I have no idea if they were churned out from BBB's workshops. I have a Dunhill style meerschaum 'cutty' that is much the same as the case and style look from the handiwork of any number of the Parisian carvers so who really knows the answer. If you are really interested I can take pictures of any number of case imprints with names and addresses for you to look at and research. Interestingly before the First World War trade was very much international so French, Austria-Hungary and Germany were centers for these types of pipe manufacture as was New York in the U.S with a lot of the carvers being Jewish. Once the world disappeared up its own arse in 1918/19 and the era of free trade vanished so did the numbers of these pipes as you just don't see the numbers after WW1. I would suggest that the increase in cigarette consumption probably didn't help with the support of large numbers of artisan carvers as I would assume the market for cigarette holders was pretty limited.
Last edited:
That was possibly the most words used for the term "I don't know".
Hahaha and unfortunately this is what I expected going into this question.
I need to find one in this style, that hasn't been in someone's mouth yet. I haven't been able to find any new cutty's these days.
@didimauw You can buy new meerschaum 'cutty' pipes - there are many on Ebay and I think Meerschaum Depot has a glut of that style. That was rather lengthy way of saying 'beggared if I know'. You should ask me 'How are you today?' and see how long that answer runs! 
What was the saying? If two things are different, one has to be better? I put it this way. If two things are different, they are different. That almost sounded like that woman on the TV!
For centuries the ultimate luxury in tobacco smoking pipes has been a high quality, high grade, expertly carved meerschaum pipe from Turkey.
The only place today all high grade meerschaum is mined is a small area in Central Turkey
travelatelier.com
There are five categories or qualities) of meerschaum with 12 further quality grades in those.
Your best protection is buying a famous name carver’s work from an established seller.
The only place today all high grade meerschaum is mined is a small area in Central Turkey
WHAT IS MEERSCHAUM
Meerschaum is a German word meaning literally, sea-foam, alluding to the belief that it was the compressed whitecaps of waves, just as it is said in...
travelatelier.com
There are five categories or qualities) of meerschaum with 12 further quality grades in those.
Your best protection is buying a famous name carver’s work from an established seller.
That can be a crap shoot. A few smokers including myself have reported terrible draw on Baki's pipes yet some of the no names have been my best pipes. There have been several complaints about the comfort of stems from IMP, Altinay, and others but I find no issue with them.
@Chasing Embers: I have solved that issue. Only buy pipes from people who are dead. If it worked before they checked off the planet then the chances are it will work for you too. Bonus feature is someone has already broken the thing in/colored it/fecked it up etc!
All I really know about meerschaums came from standing in a little slot in the wall pipe shop in Springfield Missouri watching the owner (with help from his son) sell unbelievable numbers of high grade, expensive meerschaum pipes to the matrons of the beauty shop next door.
However long it took my mother or wife to get their hair done was my time in his shop.
He had examples of all five grades and 12 qualities of meerschaum and those ladies loved the lesson.
He had to be a lost twin brother of Charlie Rich.
The best way I learned how to get a good meerschaum was be standing there when my Mama or wife came over after they had their hair done.
I had to talk them out of buying them, sometimes. Seriously, he was that good at it.
He was the best meerschaum pipe sales agent on this planet at the time, say about thirty some years ago.
A member here a few years back posted this. @Said.ALTINAY if you read this please share with us your thoughts?
1. If there is a way to Grade as suggested below, it would be greatly appreciated Said if you listed this for your pipes.
2. Light as feather is mentioned below, well I certainly see Meerschaum pipes weighing as much as briar. hmm
———————————-
Meerschaum Grading:
In Turkey, there is a grading system (1 thru 10) with grade 1 being the best. Color, purity, and weight matter in the grading. Most meerschaum has stone mixed in it. It is just a fact of nature. The less stone content, the higher grading.
Color:
The more pure white color the block is, the higher grading.
Purity:
Here is where you really have to look. There is a condition called flecking. Flecking is a flake looking appearance in the surface of the meerschaum. The surface itself is smoothe as it can be. But as the pipe "colors" you will see a checker board effect appear. The coloring will be mixed and not a smoothe even browning.
Weight:
High quality meerschaum is light as a feather! You just have to get your hands on some to get the idea.
This is mentioned on a SPC article;
Pound for pound, meerschaum is more lightweight than briar, so for those who prefer larger tobacco chambers, a meerschaum pipe will tend to be lighter and more comfortably clenched than one of briar of the same dimensions.
P.S. I see a lot of meerschaum pipes of the same dimensions as briar, just as heavy...
1. If there is a way to Grade as suggested below, it would be greatly appreciated Said if you listed this for your pipes.
2. Light as feather is mentioned below, well I certainly see Meerschaum pipes weighing as much as briar. hmm
———————————-
Meerschaum Grading:
In Turkey, there is a grading system (1 thru 10) with grade 1 being the best. Color, purity, and weight matter in the grading. Most meerschaum has stone mixed in it. It is just a fact of nature. The less stone content, the higher grading.
Color:
The more pure white color the block is, the higher grading.
Purity:
Here is where you really have to look. There is a condition called flecking. Flecking is a flake looking appearance in the surface of the meerschaum. The surface itself is smoothe as it can be. But as the pipe "colors" you will see a checker board effect appear. The coloring will be mixed and not a smoothe even browning.
Weight:
High quality meerschaum is light as a feather! You just have to get your hands on some to get the idea.
This is mentioned on a SPC article;
Pound for pound, meerschaum is more lightweight than briar, so for those who prefer larger tobacco chambers, a meerschaum pipe will tend to be lighter and more comfortably clenched than one of briar of the same dimensions.
P.S. I see a lot of meerschaum pipes of the same dimensions as briar, just as heavy...
Last edited:
- Status