Ode to My First Meer

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Dyakoff

Starting to Get Obsessed
Oct 16, 2022
106
341
Ukraine
I got me my first meer.

To tell you the truth, local pipe smokers here are not generally in favour of meerschaums. I have often heard reasoning, that “meers smoke bland”, that “their handwork is sloppy” and worst of all “they have no soul”. This is why in five years of smoking a pipe, I never ever had an idea to buy a meer.
Until I started reading international forums and my opinion changed drastically.

Having read and watched quite a bit, I made a safe choice that my first meer pipe will be an IMP.
Gosh, was I surprised at their prices…

Purchased it from our site sponsors, the smokingpipes.com. For an unsmoked pipe it is a well travelled one: first having gone from Turkey to US and then all the way back to Ukraine.

Took me about 2 month to choose the shape and design and so here is my beauty.
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I immediately fell in love with the stummel. This pipe simply feels right. Massive but slick. She has gravity and essence but she also lively and playful at heart.
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Finish suits me well. It shows both skill and taste. And it ain’t something overly fancy I’d be frightened to handle.
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The stem… is an acquired taste. 😹
When I first saw it, I thought “no way I’ll dare a public appearance with this monstrosity”. But it kinda grew on me.
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With all the frivolous first impression the pipe makes, in fact she still has a rather classical traditional shape. The kiwi-coloured stem actually gives the pipe a high-end impression. Just like an Hermes tie enhances the looks of a business suit, the kiwi stem refines the image of the pipe.

The bowl is large and the walls are quite not as thin as I expected, which is a good thing.
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The stem connection is superb and just what I expected when I picked an IMP.

All in all, I am fully content with my purchase and although I already ordered two more meerschaum pipes, this IMP will forever remain my first one.
 

Pipingntrucking

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 9, 2022
112
242
Zebulon-JoCo NC
Have a meer. I do enjoy the smoke. Not necessarily the price to size deficit. Though I don't bash it because I know the labor that goes into the mining and carving.

If you are a working man that gets dirty in the field, my advice is to make sure your hands are as clean as possible when you smoke. It will absorb all the stuff from your hands faster than the white paint on construction vehicles. Also buy you a soft cheap long bristled $1 hobby art paint brush. All those nooks and crannies will catch every flake of tobacco you didn't know escaped from the bowl.
Or
Go my route and give up after quite a few bowls and accept it and enjoy the smoke. However you already sound a bit attached to the look and style. At which I say, smoke, enjoy, preserve, and enjoy.
 
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PipeIT

Lifer
Nov 14, 2020
4,470
26,877
Hawaii
Congrats! 🎈🎊🍾

Go flash it around town, and show those Ukrainians Meerschaum Soul! LOL 😆

Post some pics in the WAYS (What are you smoking) section, show us some lovely Ukraine out on the town!

Hope all is well in your country!

Ukraine 🇺🇦 ❤️

Enjoy! :)

P.S. I’ve ordered pipes half way around the world from where I live, FedEx, UPS International Express, like $20-$25 and arrives in 3-5 days.
 
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Dyakoff

Starting to Get Obsessed
Oct 16, 2022
106
341
Ukraine
Congrats on your new acquisition, hopefully import fees were reasonable
20 dollars US tax and 70 dollars local import fees.
Sums up to the cost of my Savinelli pipe I bought last.

Still nothing beats the blunder I made 3 years ago when I ordered an American cast iron Dutch oven worth 100 dollars and upon its arrival was billed +150 dollars by the transportation company for the airfreight. Realised they charge delivery cost per weight and this thing was HEAVY
 

Dyakoff

Starting to Get Obsessed
Oct 16, 2022
106
341
Ukraine
You have smokingpipes.eu which will serve you very well if they operate in Ukraine. Great looking meer. It looks really special.
Yes, but the meerschaum choice at smokingpipes.eu seems more limited.

In Ukraine we don’t really care for where the store delivers to, because we have a fantastic local postal shipping service that provides a delivery addresses inside USA, Europe and Asia and forwards your orders to you for a mere $10 fee.

Anyways I decided all my next meers will be ordered directly from the Turkish carvers.
 
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Dyakoff

Starting to Get Obsessed
Oct 16, 2022
106
341
Ukraine
Well that’s a shock.
After the very first smoke I find a dent in the bowl. I didn’t use a tamper. I only used a usual twice folded pipe cleaner. Cleaned it after 5 hours of rest. Handled it like it was made of glass…
Let’s see what smokingpipes got to say about that.
My disappointment hits the roof.
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Chaukisch

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 31, 2021
535
3,568
34
Northern Germany
Didn’t last me one smoke 🤕
Damn do I feel pissed right now, lol
Oh shit, yeah. That sucks! I hope you can just return the whole pipe even though it was smoked, or at least repair it, people here often talk about fireplace mortar. But I'll let the experts talk about that.