If I’m smoking a briar (which isn’t something I do much of these days) I will usually do one of two things. I will smoke the same pipe, clean it, and let it cool in between smokes. Or, I will alternate between two briar pipes so that I can smoke back to back.
I do not, for any reason whatsoever, rest a meerschaum pipe if I want to reload it. I have much better, more consistent smokes in meerschaum. But, I will say that I don’t own any high dollar, artisan briars. I have a couple of Savinellis that are fantastic smokers, but I’ve had many other briars that just weren’t worth a darn. I’ve found that if I’m going to spend $150+ on a pipe I’m much more likely to get a cool, dry smoker if I purchase a meerschaum. I also don’t have to worry about resting it.