Passed up a meerschaum pipe... Was it a mistake?

[photoman13]

I was at an antique store in Knoxville today and saw a small meerschaum pipe. It had no manufacture markings on it. Just some crude flowers on a vine. It was a billiard with a yellowish green stem. It also had a case that the hinge was broken but said Genuine Turkish Meerschaum. The cost of this item was 12 dollars. Does anyone have any info? Should I go back and pick it up?

 

[grizzly86]

For $12 if there is nothing wrong with the pipe and you can clean it up to smoke I would say go for it.

 

[brewshooter]

If the thing looked to be in decent shape and drilled correctly, I probably would have gone for it for $12.

 

[spyder71]

I agree with these fellas.

 

[photoman13]

The stem is on there pretty tight. Is there a tell tale way to tell if it is legit meerschaum? I have also heard that old Turkish meerschaum pipes can be low quality (not new, Storient). Does that matter when it comes to smoking or is it just aesthetics.

 

[photoman13]

I wish I could. I will only be in Knoxville till tomorrow so it is either purchase or pass up. I will try and find a similar one online. Sorry to trouble everyone for 12 bucks but right now that is a lot.

 

[photoman13]

Here is a picture I found online of one that is similar. This one says pioneer in the case on what looks to be a sticker. There was no sticker in the case instead I saw Genuine Turkish Meerschaum on the outside spine of the case in gold writing.

 

[shaintiques]

Ide buy it and prob you could buy it and someone on here will take it off of yout hands if you dont want it

 

[photoman13]

the flowers look similar but are on the side furthest away from the stem and are carved deeper into the pipe.

 

[shaintiques]

Oh yeah def woth 12 bucks. I just sold a similar one for 30

 

[photoman13]

I kind of figured it was to cover natural defects. I know carvers of briar sometimes do the same thing. Thank you guys for all the help.

 

[uberam3rica]

I'd buy it. It looks like a good deal for the price, and like shaintiques said, someone here will probably buy it if you don't want/like it

 

[brewshooter]

Yeah, I'd buy that for $12 no problem. I've got several meers, some better than others, but I tend to enjoy the simpler designs like that or if they have a pattern, something different. I'm not a fan of figure carving for the most part. That being said, there are actually a couple of figure carvings on the Storient site that I am really liking right now.

 

[topd]

Snatch it up!

 

[nsfisher]

Don't think about it, just buy it mate.

 

[barkar]

I'm still waiting for my Meer I ordered from smokingpipes.com july 71h...maybe tomorrow.

 

[photoman13]

maybe I will. I don't spend much on myself and Friday is my birthday. I try and make it back there today.

 

[mrgunnar177]

@nafisher
Lol that's the code I live by when it comes to pipes and baccy :mrgreen:

 

[jpberg]

Is it a screw, or push tenon? Either way, you should take the pipe apart before you buy it to see what it looks like.

 

[ohiopuffer]

I would prob grab it for 12 bucks if it were me.