Title edited for caps. Please see rule 9!
Are all Meerschaums created equal? Or are some Meerschaums created more equal?
I have never really been drawn to Meerschaum pipes, I don't get the fascination. Until now! What is a good Meerschaum to own and why?
Your opinions greatly received.
Trigger Warning: This post contains broad generalizations which are often proven false when scrutinized.
First off, I love the reference to Animal Farm in this context.
Second, there's three general types of meerschaum. African, Turkish and pressed. African meer is no longer mined (as far as I know) and is often found in older British/Irish/Isle Of Man brands like Manx, Barling and Peterson (exceptions occur for the last 2). There are other brands from around the world like much of the Pioneer offerings and Tanganyika stuff. I'll see if I can get around to posting one of the latter. It's harder, more resistant to coloring and is often heavier. Pressed meer is basically meerschaum dust that is pressed together, often with binders, and is common in some older American and Austrian products. Turkish is the one that most prefer and consider to be superior. It is still mined to this day in places like Eskisehir and has differing qualities and grades which are often not disclosed or are *ahem* made up. Some will legitimately disclose the quality though. It is not currently legal to export uncarved meerschaum from Turkey as far as I am aware.
Third, there are some much beloved and much reviled vendors of Turkish Meerschaum. It's a bit of a minefield to figure out which are the "good" ones and which are the "bad" ones so you basically have to go with word of mouth from someone you trust or with a larger retailer. Estate meers, like estate pipes are a bit of a mixed bag.
It's a deep subject but worth a bit of a dive to learn more about it.