MM cobs

[BlueRidge]

I may be in the minority here but I treat my cobs no different than briars in regard to upkeep and maintenance.
I try to make them last and have no problem doing so

 

[fMf Piper]

New smoker here with a Missouri Meershaum bent Diplomat 5th Avenue. My experience has been absolutely great so far. No tounge bite, no wet bowls. So great that I just ordered a Mark Twain and a Country Gentleman as well to add to my new collection. I am very happy with my cob - economical, smokes cool, can take some abuse, and repurposes what some consider a waste product. What more could one ask for?

 

[burleybreath]

As hoosierpipeguy alluded to above, the specs for each pipe are given on the MM website. A half-inch difference on the General seems odd. Cobs can last forever. The only one I ever had that "failed" was one left for several years in the trunk of a beater Cadillac I had. The trunk leaked, and the poor thing mildewed. Completely unsmokable.

 

[shermnatman]

The only one I ever had that "failed" was one left for several years in the trunk of a beater Cadillac I had. The trunk leaked, and the poor thing mildewed. Completely unsmokable.

I only had one MM "fail" on me as well.

I have no idea what the deal with that cob was - and, I had many great MM smokers prior to the one in question - but, right from Jump Street, it gave off the worst burnt cob or wood taste and smell. I may have accidentally burnt the stem where it appears at the bottom of bowl... who knows.

I throw it end-over-end right over the hedge of the one neighbor I didn't like.

Anyway, after that, to break a new cob in for the first time, I always prep my MM Cobs by coating the inside of bowl and the upper rim with either Honey or Maple Syrup, and, let the bowl dry to a hard shellac in a day or two depending on the humidity level and how heavily you coat the pipe.

Then, "Fill, Fire, and Smoke".

You could repeat the process if you like, but I have never found the need to do so.

It's an old-timers trick that works just great for me; and, I love my honeyed MM cobs.

Here's a picture of one of my all-time best smokers, which got both the honey AND the maple syrup treatment during it's breaking-in, which was years ago; and, I just smoked it the other night:


About 100,000 miles on that bad boy, and still going strong as ever. - Sherm Natan

 

[pipingfool]

I have several MM cobs that I use for new blends or for the occasional Aro blend.

I’ve only lost 2 in the years I’ve been smoking.

One was a Lil Devil that I left in my fishing bag for several months and the wooden shank came loose due to the hot Florida sun bearing down on it.

The other was a new a new Morgan that my French Bulldog decided to use as a ches toy.

They’re cobs. They’re cheap. But they smoke great for what they are. Their longevity is a direct relation to how well they are maintained.

Just take a look at some of the estate pipe lots that are available on the major auction sites and you’ll always find some cons that are half a century old and probably smoke great.

 

[kcghost]

I see no reason to challenge how they make the pipes. The do deal with an agricultural product so that may have caused the deviation of the product.

 

[blackpowderpiper]

I have a fair number of MM cobs and smoke them frequently. As I've mentioned before, I have a few that are over 10 years old and are still providing great service. As with all my tools, I try to take care of them and not subject them to undue hardships.

For me, a cob makes a great outdoors pipe. Fishing, hunting, hiking, cutting firewood, whatever might be in store, a cob fits easily in the pocket and is ready for action when I am. While I never want to damage or lose a pipe, if I do lose or damage a cob, I'm not going to break down in tears.

Overall, there inexpensive, provide a great smoke and more durable than one might think.

 

[Bob the bear]

I've only ever had one cob burn out on me and it was the lowest of the range natural they had. I bought 2 at the time and the other is going strong and the other fried in 5 smokes. Might be the cob itself. Who knows. But at 5 bucks I'm not crying about it haha. I personally like the cheap natural cobs as I find they "age" nicely and seem to radiate heat more effectively than the filled ones. However In saying that they don't colour as nicely as the filled ones do. Almost like a meer in some ways

 

[blackpowderpiper]

I was recently digging around through one of my pipe drawers and found a couple of the plain, unfinished Missouri Pride pipes. The last time I checked, they could be had for less and $6. Weighing less than an ounce and having a smaller, but not tiny, bowl size, I started using them for my stronger evening smokes (1792, Black XX, etc). I have been amazed at the quality of the smokes I've had. I find myself reaching for them quite often.

 

[Cyxelsid]

Great thread! I recently purchased a Country Gentleman and a hardwood pipe, just to give them a try and fill in a 5 pipe rack! I like the idea of carrying these less expensive pipes on camping/kayaking trips, so that I don't have to be worried about dropping or losing a more expensive pipe. It is great to hear that they are good smokers!

 

[cshubhra]

I got this HUGE MacArthur from Smoking pipes today

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

I have 10 pipes from Missouri Meerschaum with one being a hard wood and the rest corn cobs. I've never had a problem with any of my cobs. Some of which are seconds from those grab bags. Though I've not bought any cobs in several years, I do know that their stock changes from year to year as each year's harvest yields different results. I've been out of the loop for a while in regard to cobs, but my guess is that if the pipes are smaller than years past then they are possibly making pipes from a poor harvest. Nice thing about cobs is that they're cheap. Buy a couple more in a few months or next year and you may get different results.

 

[fMf Piper]

As a new smoker and Missouri Meershaum cob fan, I wanted to know what you all think of the MM bamboo stemmed pipes, or any experiences you would be willing to share.