Meer Display, Would You?

[shanez]

I'm tempted to get this:

The owner is asking $895 though but the real problem is it looks so nice I'm not sure I could open it and smoke them.
I've got my eye on a couple of meers though instead. One is a very large sultan that is about 15" in length and the stem is mostly meer as well. The other is a nekkid lady. Not much else to say about that one. The 2 combined would cost me just under a third of the display.

 

[aldecaker]

I'm gonna be real honest with you here. If I did dish out 895 clams for that, I would pry it open and smoke every damned one of those things. You should probably buy it.

 

[mikethompson]

A lot of the value of that I would think is the display. If you have the room and the coin, why not?
But since you asked would I, the answer would be no because I don't.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I just put my meers on a regular rack when not taking them to work.

 

[madox07]

Hmmm $64 / pipe, on average. That may be a good deal, depending on the quality of the meer. If the pipes are block, it may be worth it ..

 

[carolinachurchwarden]

^^^ Yep, same as above, if I bought it, I'd be smoking every single one of them. The display case is cool, I like it, but I'd be cracking that baby open and smoking them no sooner than I got it.

 

[scloyd]

Would I? No.
It is interesting though. If you like it and can afford it...buy it.

 

[pappymac]

Hard to gauge the value of the pipes without a hands-on examination with a strong magnifying glass. They may be well encased and displayed but you don't know if any of the pipes have hairline cracks that makes them display only pieces.
Also, in my opinion, some Meerschaum pipes are carved to be displayed as art only. I don't buy pipes I can't smoke.

 

[mso489]

Thinking of pipes for smoking first, I don't think I'd buy the display. I like the display, and I like the pipes, but the combination kind of defeats the purpose of buying the pipes for smoking. If you can happily work around that -- and I don't think I could -- and you want to invest that amount, go for it. I always like to hand pick my pipes one at a time, usually brooding about a particular purchase for days, or weeks. I guess buying a whole array, plus a frame, is a bridge too far for me.

 

[crashthegrey]

If you want that many meers to smoke, go for it.

 

[cortezattic]

I would only buy a meerschaum that "called to me"; spending money on any other pipes would just be a waste, which is almost certain to be the case here.

 

[mso489]

Looking at the photo again, I'm not sure about the quality of the pipes. They are displayed so as to show off the carving, but the stems look smallish. It would give me pause, to buy so many of the same type. My instinct, as mentioned, is to buy one pipe, one Meer, at a time.

 

[brian64]

Interesting item. I agree with most of the other comments, particularly what Pappy & MSO have said.
My first question would be, who is the carver?
I would also wonder, how is the display assembled? Are the pipes easily accessible, easily removed and put back in place?
I would definitely want to smoke them, so I’d only consider it if I could easily utilize it as a display at the same time...otherwise I wouldn’t see the point in it.

 

[scloyd]

Shane, still tempted? Did you make a decision?

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

Also, in my opinion, some Meerschaum pipes are carved to be displayed as art only. I don't buy pipes I can't smoke

Doesn't stop me from smoking them. The way I see it, if it's got two holes in it, it's meant to be smoked. :mrgreen:

Shane, still tempted? Did you make a decision?

I'm curious too.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

This is purely a subjective question in my opinion. Your subject, your money. I wouldn't for either the art value or smoking value but that's me. You can buy 2 or even 3 nice artisan pipes for that money and I believe, would enjoy them much more.

 

[unadoptedlamp]

I would want a very good look at the tenons of the stems. My money is on them being the very small ones that are hard to pass a cleaner through.
Same for the detail of the carving. They may be nice, but again, they could be crude approximations of those styles. I can't see the detail. Could be you end up with a case of truly ugly pipes. The one in the middle somehow suggests craftsmanship to me. Just a hunch, but I'd not bet my money on it.
I'd go with hoosierpipe and buy a single quality pipe if you can't verify the details of those in the case. It's a gamble.

 

[brian64]

There must be more to the story behind this display. Why these pipes...what's special about them...who carved them?
The writing at the bottom is too small to read, so it's not possible to really form an opinion on the whole thing.

 

[shanez]

The pipes are Adana, which I know nothing about. So far the Adana pipes I have found online have all been a screw in stem.
Based on that I think I'll pass. I see lots of small screw stem meers for the sub $25 rangd. I could probably recreate the display for less money with the right amount of effort and patience.
Still, it is a pretty display.

 

[npod]

It's kinda Kitsch. Not that it's bad per se, but just a bit over the top.
Unless you already bought it, in which case ... that is fantastic! Love it!