Not Fancy But Cheap

[AJL67]

Found this 4 pipe lot on eBay, seller must be an estate scavenger and didn’t know much about them except what you see and one is marked “Turkey” (hopefully not a premonition about me for buying them). They were just too cheap to pass on and even if one of them is good then it’s a good deal at the price.












Should be delivered soon, fingers crossed!

 

[Grangerous]

Nice group of meers! Should clean up well! Enjoy all

 

[AJL67]

Nice group of meers! Should clean up well! Enjoy all

I hope so and thank you, have to start reading up on the cleaning meers threads. I was looking at things like briar tampers online … what are people nuts, I’ll use a golf tee to start ?

 

[AJL67]

For the record the lot of 4 was $70 + shipping

 

[mso489]

The bottom two I can't tell, but the Meers look in generally good shape and should be sturdy smokers. For the Meers alone, you can't beat the price. Good catch.

 

[kcghost]

Nice haul!!

 

[AJL67]

The bottom two I can't tell, but the Meers look in generally good shape and should be sturdy smokers. For the Meers alone, you can't beat the price. Good catch.

They are all meers that one picture those are just the ratty old leather cases they are in. It got me the first time i saw that pic too ?

 

[warren99]

As long as it doesn't say "jive Turkey," I think you'll be okay.

 

[mso489]

My one Meer, an estate, came in a little wooden box adapted to the purpose, so I didn't even think of the cases. Ha! I'm glad I didn't try to smoke one of those.

 

[AJL67]

As long as it doesn't say "jive Turkey," I think you'll be okay.

“Excuse me stewardess i speak jive “

 

[AJL67]

I think we can take the fancy out and stick with cheap. Arrived today and I'll put it to the experts here. Bowls are incredibly caked, the dream of a quick wipe and smoking them went right out the window, again for how cheap they were I can always just toss them on a rack to look nice... ish.



The top one seems to have a meer tendon



The bottom pipe mortise seems to maybe be off a bit and when you screw it together the stem is kind of "bent" to the side, even though the connection looks good, almost like it was made that way, see pics below





and the bowls on all the pipes are fairly heinous






This one isn't as horrible.




So thoughts and opinions from those that have been around the block a few times? Again they were basically the price of a couple of tins of tobacco so I would be hurt or depressed if the general idea is to put them, much like baby, in a corner. I also already ordered a small one off of SP because I really like the idea of them, being able to just smoke the same bowl a few times in a row, not as much to worry about with as briar, etc.,

On the bright side no musty smell LOL

 

[AJL67]

This one is cleaning up fairly decent, alcohol on a pipe cleaner through the stem (6 of them) till coming out clean and the bowl isn't looking bad, just lightly going over the inside with a medium bristle brush and a bit of spit shine and some papertowels being careful not to F it all up.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I'd start with hot water and gentle, careful scraping of the excess cake.

Great acquisition!

 

[crashthegrey]

I think we can take the fancy out and stick with cheap. Arrived today and I'll put it to the experts here. Bowls are incredibly caked, the dream of a quick wipe and smoking them went right out the window, again for how cheap they were I can always just toss them on a rack to look nice... ish.

View attachment 150911

The top one seems to have a meer tendon

View attachment 150910

The bottom pipe mortise seems to maybe be off a bit and when you screw it together the stem is kind of "bent" to the side, even though the connection looks good, almost like it was made that way, see pics below

View attachment 150902

View attachment 150903

and the bowls on all the pipes are fairly heinous

View attachment 150908


View attachment 150909

This one isn't as horrible.

View attachment 150907


So thoughts and opinions from those that have been around the block a few times? Again they were basically the price of a couple of tins of tobacco so I would be hurt or depressed if the general idea is to put them, much like baby, in a corner. I also already ordered a small one off of SP because I really like the idea of them, being able to just smoke the same bowl a few times in a row, not as much to worry about with as briar, etc.,

On the bright side no musty smell LOL

The over clocked one looks like it had a spacer that is gone, or the reverse tenon got twisted.

 

[AJL67]

I'd start with hot water and gentle, careful scraping of the excess cake.

Great acquisition!

Started with just the bristle brush and got a lot of it this one (the later post pic) wasn't nearly as bad but I figure they will make good little projects and if they clean up I'm even further ahead of the game.

The over clocked one looks like it had a spacer that is gone, or the reverse tenon got twisted.

It's a shame because i really do like that one and it's just odd that it fits so well but is "twisted" a bit, amusingly enough i actually twist my MM stems a bit because I like to hold the bowl at an angle... maybe it's just meant to be!

I keep thinking they are actually messed up like the tendon is not in the stem ... like they got stuck and someone pulled too hard and it came out of the wrong piece of the pipe.

 

[AJL67]

I’ve made an executive decision, i will clean this up on the side for practice and all of that and in the meantime i have ordered one of the Ali small skull bowls off of SP. i mean for the price it’s a no brainer, not going to futz around with these and worry about it, i think my first Meerschaum should be a good one.

 

[AJL67]

After about 2 hours of slow steady cleaning the first one is cleaning up nicely using a shit ton of damp paper towels to wipe out the bowl and then now and then using the old school English reamer to gently scrape away bits of the softened cake then back to paper towels, just repeating that process over and over. Still have a ways to go but it’s definitely working.

For the stem i used a super thin bottle brush brush that i dipped in a little 151, the stem was the easy part, did that until no more goop. It’s relaxing in its own way.

 

[reloader]

I think you got a great deal there. They will probably all clean up nicely. When I get an estate that has a lot of cake I can only assume the previous owner really liked the way the pipe smoked. Once you get them cleaned to your satisfaction, please let us know how they perform.

 

[AJL67]

I think you got a great deal there. They will probably all clean up nicely. When I get an estate that has a lot of cake I can only assume the previous owner really liked the way the pipe smoked. Once you get them cleaned to your satisfaction, please let us know how they perform.

Yes i need to take better before pics of the other bowls, they are all heavily caked, i have a decent pic of the one I’m working now, im to the point where i can start to see Meer in the bowl.

 

[lukasstrifeson]

This one is cleaning up fairly decent, alcohol on a pipe cleaner through the stem (6 of them) till coming out clean and the bowl isn't looking bad, just lightly going over the inside with a medium bristle brush and a bit of spit shine and some papertowels being careful not to F it all up.

View attachment 150913


View attachment 150914

Was gonna mention this in your original post, but this is a real beauty. Very nicely "fumed" I suspect.