Well, after having made a 'come back' on pipe smoking & threw away my cigarettes, I've gradually warmed up to smoking Meers for all the good that has been said about them. So, I went and purchased one from Altinok on the 8th of February, 2013. I was informed that the pipe will have to be carved from scratch, and may take a month before they ship. But meantime, I have come across quite a few horror stories about purchasing Meers from Turkey Online Retailers. To date it is almost a month since the order was placed, and I can't help feeling somewhat apprehensive.