Meerschaum Brands?

[Little Bit]

Guys, I need help on a future purchase.

I'm thinking of buying a meerschaum pipe, maybe for an early Christmas present. To me from me lol.
But I'm really confused on this type of pipe. Some meers you want to stay away from and the such and there are a LOT of different brands out there.

I'm looking at these two for possible buying.

IMP Meerschaum Smooth Bent Apple with Silver (with Case) | Buy IMP Meerschaum Tobacco Pipes at Smokingpipes.com

Smokingpipes.com is your one stop shop for IMP Meerschaum Smooth Bent Apple with Silver (with Case) Tobacco Pipes and all your tobacco smoking needs. From new tobacco pipes and estate tobacco pipes to tin pipe tobacco and bulk pipe tobacco, we have everything you need

www.smokingpipes.com

Freehand

This Freehand pipe made of premium block meerschaum offers an excellent smoking experience.

www.altinokpipes.com

They are both around the same price. I have been trying to read up on them but I get so many conflicting reports from different people. IMP is one of the best I think, but what about Altinok?
Also read that you only want a certain kind of tenon on them? How do I know which one they have?

Which one would be a good purchase (if either of them are)? For that price I want a good one, I just don't know anything about these kind of pipes. Should I just stick to the briars and cobs?
I'm not really into like dragon claws and faces on my pipe and these really caught my eye.

Sorry for silly questions.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Guys, I need help on a future purchase.

I'm thinking of buying a meerschaum pipe, maybe for an early Christmas present. To me from me lol.
But I'm really confused on this type of pipe. Some meers you want to stay away from and the such and there are a LOT of different brands out there.

I'm looking at these two for possible buying.

IMP Meerschaum Smooth Bent Apple with Silver (with Case) | Buy IMP Meerschaum Tobacco Pipes at Smokingpipes.com

Smokingpipes.com is your one stop shop for IMP Meerschaum Smooth Bent Apple with Silver (with Case) Tobacco Pipes and all your tobacco smoking needs. From new tobacco pipes and estate tobacco pipes to tin pipe tobacco and bulk pipe tobacco, we have everything you need

www.smokingpipes.com

Freehand

This Freehand pipe made of premium block meerschaum offers an excellent smoking experience.

www.altinokpipes.com

They are both around the same price. I have been trying to read up on them but I get so many conflicting reports from different people. IMP is one of the best I think, but what about Altinok?
Also read that you only want a certain kind of tenon on them? How do I know which one they have?

Which one would be a good purchase (if either of them are)? For that price I want a good one, I just don't know anything about these kind of pipes. Should I just stick to the briars and cobs?
I'm not really into like dragon claws and faces on my pipe and these really caught my eye.

Sorry for silly questions.

Both are good brands and similar sized. You can go with the one calling to you the most but I'd go IMP since they're currently still on sale and I'm a bit biased.?

 

[DanWil84]

Also consider Altinay, I'll stop raving about them after this (or not), but I think they make a stellar pipe. Have one from the shop and a commission in the making, the commission proces has been very smooth via Instagram dm's and is IMHO not expensive for the size pipe I'm ordering.

Edit : on the subject sticking to Briar and cobs, I think meerschaum is on par and in some situations above those materials, I never regretted buying one.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Also consider Altinay

My only issue with Altinay is they mostly make smaller pipes and often only have protective sleeves instead of fitted cases. Good quality though.

 

[timt]

No experience with Altinok but they look good and well made and come highly regarded. I’ve got 2 IMPs, 2 Altinays and a SMS.

Don’t think you can go wrong with IMP, Altinay or Altinok. I will say, as far as comfort, I prefer the stems a bit more on my Altinays over the IMPs.

Here is one of my IMPs with a replacement stem, which ran me $50. I love this pipe, even with the original stem that I’ll hang on to for some variety.

 

[ray47]

I'm a big fan of Altinok. I've got two and they smoke like a dream. They can be a bit pricy, but their well worth the price.

 

[Little Bit]

Uhg,
You guys are making it harder! lol
Love the color you guys pipe are showing. I know I said that I didn't like faces on pipe but that Santa is awesome!
Will have a look through the Altinay selection. Haven't seen their selection yet.

That Altinok does look a little on the thin side. It's longer but lighter than the IMP. Does that make a difference in these pipes?
How does chamber size relate to smoking in these pipes? The IMP has a huge chamber diameter.

Thank you for the help!

 

[Simmerdown☕️]

Partial to IMPs. I buy one pipe a year now, not counting my periodic MM purchase. It’ll likely be another IMP. ️

 

[DanWil84]

I agree with chasing embers on the sizes of Altinay, but if you contact Saïd on Instagram or send an email might get you a offer on a commission if its a present for yourself anyway. My commission is like said not a lot more expensive as a off the shelf pipe and it gets the size is like, about 3/4 by 1.7 or 21-23 by 40-45 mm. Lacking a fitted case can be a deal breaker, the pouch looks quality, no where near a pipe sock.

 

[warren]

I think meerschaum is on par and in some situations above those materials, I never regretted buying one.

Meerschaum is a different medium. It's neither better nor worse. It's simple a great medium for a tobacco pipe' You may have a preference to one or another of the accepted materials, meer, briar or corn but, it really unfair for compare a mineral to a woody plant or a vegetable. Three entirely different tools for accomplishing the same goal, the delivery of nicotine. A personal opinion and therefore unassailable!

 

[condorlover1]

@warren +100

 

[timt]

Altinay makes small and large pipes, just pay attention to the dimensions and weight. Keep in mind the smaller ones have screw in fittings. They also have filtered pipes that you can forego the filter and smoke without. @brian64 has these and he loves them.

 

[warren]

Thank you! I have smoked at least one bowl of tobacco in each, the woody tree, the veggie and the mineral so feel capable of making a pu7rely objective observation.

Can't speak to the modern producer's quality of meer as I purchased my last one twenty?, thirty? years ago, a CAO.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I'm not really into like dragon claws and faces on my pipe and these really caught my eye.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Altinay makes small and large

Currently only one big Altinay. The others were made by Kenan.

 

[timt]

Haha. I'm not talking your "large". I meant normal large.

 

[DanWil84]

Altinay makes small and large pipes, just pay attention to the dimensions and weight. Keep in mind the smaller ones have screw in fittings. They also have filtered pipes that you can forego the filter and smoke without. @brian64 has these and he loves them.

My small Altinay has a push tenon. Might be a production change, this is one is from '21

 

[Chasing Embers]

Haha. I'm not talking your "large". I meant normal large.

I was meaning group four, not magnum. They only have one Altinay that large. They only have a few that are just above 1.5 inches deep where IMP tends to be a standard at or above that.

 

[timt]

Maybe it’s not necessarily a size specification but a price/grade. Here’s one I bought in ‘20. Screw in fittings and hard case.

 

[timt]

I was meaning group four, not magnum. They only have one Altinay that large. They only have a few that are just above 1.5 inches deep where IMP tends to be a standard at or above that.

Yep, I agree. IMP in general makes bigger, heavier pipes. Altinay makes more smaller, lightweight pipes, but not exclusively. My only point.