Meerschaum vs Briar

[cigrman]

Meerschaum is my favorite.

Briar is freehand art - Meerschaum is exact like “Titian”.

Meerschaum is light and porous absorbing more juice than a briar in my experience.

Meerschaum does not burn and picks up the flavor of the smoke not imparting any taste of it’s own.

I do have many Briars, most I have never smoked; I just liked the freehand art of a great briar and the perfection of the grain - like a swept straight grain W O Larsen from 1985 for instance.

SO - What do you guys think from your experience.

 

[unclearthur]

Personally I am a briar fan. All the good things you say about meerschaum are true but, they aren't to take fishin'.

 

[baronsamedi]

Sometimes the taste of the briar with the tobacco mkes for a great experience, though. Like my kaywoodie is great for aros. I probably do give more time to my Meer right now, though. When I don't want to worry about damage, I take the cob.

 

[pawpaw]

Corn the other Meerschaum :D

 

[spyder71]

Keep in mind I have only been smoking pipe a couple months and got my first Meer a week ago. I really like the meer I have but only with Bulls Eye or Navy flake. I don't like my PA or any English Blends in this Meer and I wonder if I just like the added flavor of a briar. In my first week smoking I bet I tasted a lot of burning Briar cuz I was smoking way too hot! I would like and my Meer better, and smoke it more often, if the stem had a better draw.

 

[ssjones]

I tired a CAO meer but never really appreciated the way it smoked, my tobacco's didn't seem to be quite as flavorful, so I guess I prefer the briar. I smoke outdoors, which is not a good realm for a meerschaum pipe. I passed it on to a more appreciative owner.

 

[shaintiques]

I like both and smoke pretty regular from both. But I only have 1 meer and its a fancy little sherlock holmes style and thus not the best for toting around so much. I agree that briar is like rt. I love all the shapes and grains. I recently went to the Briary, its a store in birmingham, Al, a def. Recommend, by the way. My wife went with me. When we left she said, "when you started smoking a pipe I was worried about you getting addicted to tobacco, but now I see that my worries were misplaced, you aren't addicted to tobacco you are addicted to pipes."

 

[rhogg]

I have only 1 meer I actually smoke. It was an old GBD churchwarden with a nice medium-large bowl that I got unsmoked. It is a good pipe, and I like it, but holy cow does it get hot! I sometimes wonder if its kiln like traits bake some of the flavor out? The heat draws the moisture out of the tobacco, and like others have said I believe I get more flavor from briar. I have never detected a ghost with my meer though. I will likely get another meer. Just waiting to find something that really takes my eye. The next one will need to be substantial and with thicker walls. I want one that will not melt my skin (hyperbole).

 

[asteroid1]

I prefer a briar to smoke straight Virginias as it adds a nice extra flavor to the tobacco and meerschaums for aromatics/balkans

 

[fred]

This discussion has been going on for over 300 years... It is to the individual's advantage to try different materials like Clay, Briar, Cob, Meerschaum, Morta and other materials that Pipes are made from, so that the benefits of each can be learned. To compare them in a competitive format makes as much sense as trying to decide whether day is better than night or just the opposite, at least to me.... Personal choice and diversity of opinion is the strength of the Pipe community.

 

[htmn246]

I dont collect mers I only have 4 plus a calabash. However mers are a great smoke when a person can just sit and smoke while enjoying a sip of a good beverage while watching a movie.

 

[jaybird]

Corn the other Meerschaum

I've heard that...but is it true?

 

[fred]

Yes, it is true Jaybird. A Cob will color to black with use. They are commonly referred to as Missouri Meerschaums and are the only Pipe I've smoked that have never gurgled.

 

[jaybird]

Do they smoke cool like a meer?

 

[baronsamedi]

Mine does. My MM Legend smokes pretty cool for me and I'm a hot, slobbery smoker who smokes too fast. pawpaw and fred are right. The simple cob really smokes clean and is ridiculously low-maintenance, particularly if you 86 the filter or get a stem that doesn't use one.

 

[jaybird]

I have a MM and it's the only one I've smoked so far, I have nothing to compare it to...

 

[portascat]

I have been bidding (and losing) on a few meers lately. I would like one of the one shaped like a normal pipe, as opposed to the fancy carved ones. Just to try it out.

 

[cyndi]

The main difference I find in a meer and a briar is that the meer allows the tobacco to show it's true, unobstructed flavor. However, a briar gives a warmth and complexity to the tobacco that a meer doesn't. I prefer aromatics in my meers (and the Alpha briar with the acrylic stem) while I prefer traditional blends in briars.

 

[locopony]

I got both and its a matter of how I feel at the time.

 

[bubbadreier]

I still need to buy a brand new Meer to try out!