For clarity and definition of flavor, I think my one Meer is the best, but I'm partial to briar and whatever extra flavors resonate within it. For certain burley based ribbon cuts, a cob does the job best.
Do You Prefer Briar, Meerschaum, or No Preference?
- Thread starter gervais
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Meerschaum only, one style only - anything else is just lost on me!
Meerschaum, 100%, and has been for many years. As I change with the times, so do my meers, and I like that!
Briar pipes are a safer bet. Better stems, shapes & drilling. A ‘good’ meerschaum on the other hand, is a marvellous thing. Most tobacco’s I smoke, taste better in Briar, but not all. Both are ‘must haves’ in my opinion.
I've got two meerschaum pipes and at least a dozen cobs, but regardless, I favor briar. I don't know if it's because I'm traditional or because I have many briar pipes... I just like the way they feel and smoke.
It actually depends on what tobacco I'm smoking, but I'd have to say that briar gets the edge.
A corn cob pipe with a briar plug, sandblasted briar stem, tri-colored juma stem, and matching tamper.
Commission
Most of my pipes are briar, and curiosity about briar was part of my initial interest in pipes, so I guess briar. I like cobs though. And I have yet to try a meer, though I’m curious.
I smoke Peterson Systems most of the time, luckily I have a good collection of Peterson System Meers that I use 50% of the time and Briars for the other 50%, Peterson Meers seem to make good money on the estate market, I wish Peterson would start making them again, there is a market for them.
I wonder if the main reason for reaching for a meer over a briar is for the opportunity to colour it more, not for the smoking properties.
Even though I'm doing a coloring thread with my Kenan owl, not even a consideration. Large meerschaums are often more available than large briar pipes, are lighter, and I prefer the hand feel versus briar.
I’m not sure the three options offered (Briar, Meerschaum, No Preference) fully cover what I prefer, as my preferences are wide ranging and dependent on so many variables; limited to those three choices, “No Preference” might be the most fitting of the three.
The majority of my wood pipes are briar, but I also have ones made of cherry and olive—I smoke cherry blends in the cherry and vanilla blends in the olive. I smoke Prince Albert in Prince Albert (of Belgium) clay figurals and a Prince Albert/King George VI (of England and the Prince Albert in a can) Gutta-percha with Briar bowl. Corn Cobs, Porcelain, and Meerschaums all fall into the rotation depending on tobacco blends or how I’m feeling that day; I have Nylon pipes with Meerschaum inserts, as well as phenolic resin pipes with pyrolytic graphite sleeves that I use for Lakelands and other aromatics.
From an aesthetic point of view, the unique grain of briar is often what makes me gravitate towards a pipe—I love Birdseye, and appreciate Straight Grain; the variety of sandblasts and staining all have their appeal. The carving of a Meerschaum (or any pipe for that matter) factors into whether I might like a pipe or not. It all depends. I have many preferences.
The majority of my wood pipes are briar, but I also have ones made of cherry and olive—I smoke cherry blends in the cherry and vanilla blends in the olive. I smoke Prince Albert in Prince Albert (of Belgium) clay figurals and a Prince Albert/King George VI (of England and the Prince Albert in a can) Gutta-percha with Briar bowl. Corn Cobs, Porcelain, and Meerschaums all fall into the rotation depending on tobacco blends or how I’m feeling that day; I have Nylon pipes with Meerschaum inserts, as well as phenolic resin pipes with pyrolytic graphite sleeves that I use for Lakelands and other aromatics.
From an aesthetic point of view, the unique grain of briar is often what makes me gravitate towards a pipe—I love Birdseye, and appreciate Straight Grain; the variety of sandblasts and staining all have their appeal. The carving of a Meerschaum (or any pipe for that matter) factors into whether I might like a pipe or not. It all depends. I have many preferences.