Meerschaum Pipe Prices

[LOREN]

It seems to me since I started smoking way back when, that meerschaum pipes have risen in price faster than briar pipes have. It's true that I wasn't aware of artisan briar pipes until about 10 years ago. It's just an observation with no facts to back it up. ?

 

[haparnold]

I'm not sure when Turkey embargoed meerschaum, or what the specific regulations are, but I believe meerschaum blocks are not allowed to be exported out of Turkey, only finished pipes. This anticompetitive action would definitely raise the prices of meers.

 

[creole]

I'm not sure when Turkey embargoed meerschaum, or what the specific regulations are, but I believe meerschaum blocks are not allowed to be exported out of Turkey, only finished pipes. This anticompetitive action would definitely raise the prices of meers.

I believe the Turks banned the export of raw meerschaum decades ago.

 

[Casual]

I don’t think there’s anything resembling factory meerschaum pipe production, at least not like factory briar pipes. Less mechanized.

 

[haparnold]

I believe the Turks banned the export of raw meerschaum decades ago.

According to Wikipedia, it was in the 1970s.

 

[warren]

The "rough" carved pipes are still cheap, rightly so. The better artisans turn out remarkable pipes. While hard to find the really good ones, they are available at what I think are very reasonable prices. The prices have certainly risen but, I think that is because of retailer's costs going up. Turkey is still "third world" with regards to living standards. I doubt carvers are getting substantially more today for their labor than they did twenty years ago.

 

[Brew&Briar]

I have been wondering why you don't see many higher end Meerschaum lined pipes.