Meerschaum-Lined Briars!? What Sorcery is This?

[GothPiper]

What do y'all think about meerschaum-lined briars? I'd never heard of them until a day ago, and I'm curious. How do they smoke? Are they durable and truly offer the neutral flavor of a meerschaum?

Saw one by Roma that I've got my eye on, but wanted to know if anyone here has any experience with them.

 

[Simmerdown☕️]

I’ve never acquired or smoked one, but always wanted to get one as I’m partial to meerschaum. Eventually. ?️

 

[Streeper541]

I have one. I enjoy it.

 

[ray47]

I have two Falcon meerschaum lined bowls that work great with aromatics.

 

[BROBS]

I’ve got one from the 40s and it smokes great. They are nice as long as the insert is real block meer.

 

[Merton]

Not to resurrect the recent Quiet Man thread, but another line from that movie seems appropriate: " when I drink water, i drink water and when I drink whiskey, I drink whiskey."

 

[Chasing Embers]

I've heard it speculated that it may be a method of saving an otherwise good pipe when some sort of defect was found in the chamber.

 

[warren]

I've had a couple, all straights, over the years. They've been marketed for generations. My first pipe purchase back in '65 was meerschaum lined smoking tool. They all smoked fine. But, I now only have pipes bent to some degree or another. I haven't owned a straight or meer lined pipe in . . . thirty years or so.

 

[OzPiper]

Meerschaum-lined pipes have been around for decades.

These days, new ones are reasonably priced, and well-looked after estates can be had quite cheaply.

40-50 years back, they were quite expensive and often amongst the more expensive lines of the brand (looking through old catalogues).

I have one which don't get smoked much these days. It was the first "meerschaum" pipe I bought in the 1970s. I've since bought a few block meerschaum pipes (African and Turkish) and smoke those in preference.

 

[craig61a]

I think it was mostly a marketing move back in the days when all kinds of innovations/gimmicks were prevalent. Cool smoking, clean tasting…

The advantage was that the combination of the meerschaum lined briar was more rugged than a regular meerschaum pipe, and that was another selling point.

So the advantage would be the characteristics of meerschaum with the durability of briar. The inserts are pressed meerschaum, which is brittle, and can crack if smoked way too hot or banged around. Many older meerschaum lined pipes have cracked inserts from being mistreated.

I guess if it interests you, then buy one and try it out…

 

[GothPiper]

But, I now only have pipes bent to some degree or another. I haven't owned a straight or meer lined pipe in . . . thirty years or so.

I find myself moving in the very same direction regarding bent pipes. Just feels more comfortable and natural.

 

[Grangerous]

I had two of these. My dog broke one of them recently. Actually, it snapped in my pocket when I bent to pick up a stick. That was my meer-lined Field and Stream. It was a great pipe.

That leaves only my meer-lined Dublin styled Dr Grabow. Another ok smoker but with a small, conical bowl. I don’t often grab this one.

The idea with these is that you’ll be fighting cake. I rinse mine clean every smoke or so and twist with a tight papertowel. Tough to keep buildup from forming on meer-lined briars.

 

[captpat]

I had a couple in the 70's, a nice compromise when I couldn't afford a meerschaum pipe. After a number of years, the meerschaum interiors disintegrated into many pieces. The meer probably wasn't block meerschaum -- I probably couldn't have afforded that either.

 

[JKoD]

I’ve got two. They smoke like pipes. Aros do seem to work better for me in them also. I got first one to try meerschaum - cheaper than meerschaum - maybe different experience? Second one because I liked the pipe and it was a hell of a deal. Good pipe too. I will get a real meer someday. I’ve enjoyed the coloring of an unfinished briar, so imagine I’ll enjoy watching a meet change also. ?

I say go for it.

 

[kurtbob]

I’ve got one from the 40s and it smokes great. They are nice as long as the insert is real block meer.

Totally agree. I have a fairly new meer lined Falcon bowl and can tell it’s pressed not block. Has that resin aftertaste…?

 

[JKoD]

Totally agree. I have a fairly new meer lined Falcon bowl and can tell it’s pressed not block. Has that resin aftertaste…?

How do you know if pressed or block?

 

[kurtbob]

How do you know if pressed or block?

I know this is gonna sound stupid but, when it was new I stuck my tongue to the inside of the bowl and it didn’t stick to it very much like block does. Also, if you have ever smoked a cheap pressed meer you know the resin taste of which I speak

 

[Searock Fan]

When a block meerschaum is carved there is a lot of scrap pieces of meerschaum left over... kind of like saw dust. They take this, grind it up, mix it with a binder and paint it on the inside of a pipe bowl. Usually a cheap pipe bowl! They can smoke ok, but you need to be careful cleaning the pipe not to dig the meerschaum out as it can be soft, especially when wet. And for you guys who wash your pipes with water, better not with one of these as it is likely the liner will turn to mush.

 

[craig61a]

I just remembered I had this Chacom Ecume that I bought several years ago sitting in a closet .



It’s an XL bent billiard. My moistened finger sticks to the inner wall… I think that means it might be block Meer. They may have had some old block Meer they came across, I don’t know. Most of the block Meer pipes I’ve come across were made prior to 1970, before Turkey banned the export of unfinished Meer block.

I just have to address the above comment about “painting” a slurry of ground up Meer and binders into a pipe chamber… complete Bullshit.

Pressed Meer inserts are just that - ground up chips with a binder added and
pressed” under pressure in molds.

Carving meerschaum is like carving a bar of soap… they don’t end up with sawdust. Meer is carved while it is still damp after it’s mined from the ground.

 

[craig61a]

Totally agree. I have a fairly new meer lined Falcon bowl and can tell it’s pressed not block. Has that resin aftertaste…?

My Meer Falcon bowls don't taste like anything... and the few odd new old stock Meer lined pipes I have didn't taste like anything either.