Fast coloring Battal

[sajgre]

I bought this one this April on my trip to Istanbul and Eskisehir. It is small pipe (group 3 chamber) carved by Battal out of excellent block and has probably the best mouthpiece from all my meers.
In the shop:

After cca 200 smokes (on average 1 per day)

I bought one more from the same carver and it is from amazing block that should color marble like but it had mediocre mouthpiece and hopefully I'm getting it back next week with new one. Then the first Battal gets some deserved rest

 

[fishingandpipes]

Very nice. I've not had much experience with meers, I should rectify that...

 

[Briar Boy]

That's is amazing, would you mind sharing how you are waxing it?

 

[Briar Boy]

Very nice. I've not had much experience with meers, I should rectify that...

Yes you should, I'd take a meer over a briar any day.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Besides just smoking it, did you do anything to it? I've got a friend with a bunch of meers, but none of then have those brilliant reds and yellows. Beautiful!

 

[fishingandpipes]

Very nice. I've not had much experience with meers, I should rectify that...

Yes you should, I'd take a meer over a briar any day.

Rrrreally
I've had a few - a CEO Bacchus that wouldn't stay lit, a no name estate dublin that had seen a lot of smoke but had a similar problem, and an Ehrlich (which I still have) that smokes too wet (also a very restricted draw).
I'd like to try a Baki perhaps, or an Altinok, as I hear they use more modern internal structuring, but when I look at the price I just say, hey, I can get a briar I know I'll like for that price, why mess with success?
Perhaps I need to change that.

 

[sajgre]

Astrange1 and cosmicfolklore, I did rewax it during a smoke a couple of times but that is all. imo a meer should have a nice wax coating because it protects it not only from stains but also from scratches and even breaking in case of abuse. And it helps with coloring a lot. Other than that I didn't do anything special to it. I actually smoked it as it was beaten up briar, it went everywhere with me, even on the beach.

 

[antbauers]

Very cool! I love meer progress pics.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Battal is the carver, if I understand correctly. Where do you find this carver? Do different companies carry different carvers? I am ignorant of how this meerschaum market works. Where do you find information of these different maker's works?

 

[brian64]

Very nice coloring. It does seem unusually fast.

 

[sajgre]

Cosmicfolklore, yes, carver of this meer is Selver Battal. I know this because I bought it on my trip to Turkey. Usually best carvers sign pipes but only figurals, for plain pipes you have to ask seller, they know most of the time, specially if it is from well known carver.

 

[maxpeters]

Maybe he still uses whale oil on his pipes? I have read that without using whale oil, proper coloring is never achieved.

Maybe they are still allowed to use this in Turkey? Just a guess.

 

[sajgre]

The owner of the shop actually discouraged me to buy it since it is small and would color fast... so I don't think that they like coloring at all

 

[topd]

Sajgre, that pipe is taking on a wonderful color! Some of the master carvers "do" sign their non-figural pipes, Emin is one of them. The two larger pipes here are Emin pipes and are signed... Baki is another... the second photo.

 

[topd]

I didn't mean to bomb sajgre's post with my photo's, but here's the Baki after about a year and a half of smoking...

 

[sajgre]

How many times did you smoke it?

 

[meerqueen]

Hi,

Just a quick note that "Whale oil" is not being used in Turkey .
Bahadir

 

[peteguy]

Really, really amazing - -I have about 30 bowls into my SMS and I can't see hardly any coloring. So jealous!