School Me on Meerschaum Pipes

[verporchting]

For me the mortise and tenon fitment are a big deal. Not a fan of the Delrin insert but I get why it is done. Screw in stems can be a problem.

The biggest issue is poor stem work and restricted draw. They just smoke like shit if the draw is too restricted IMO.

I would like to find out who has the best unrestricted draw and good stem work before I buy another meerschaum. I had one modified to be more open a few years ago and it’s way better but still has the Delrin tenon that I’m not crazy about.

Not that I particularly “need” another meer but if I ever do get one those are the things I’d want to know before buying.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

For me the mortise and tenon fitment are a big deal. Not a fan of the Delrin insert but I get why it is done. Screw in stems can be a problem.

The biggest issue is poor stem work and restricted draw. They just smoke like shit if the draw is too restricted IMO.

I would like to find out who has the best unrestricted draw and good stem work before I buy another meerschaum. I had one modified to be more open a few years ago and it’s way better but still has the Delrin tenon that I’m not crazy about.

Not that I particularly “need” another meer but if I ever do get one those are the things I’d want to know before buying.

Yes Sir, I fully agree with You, when I was attempting to buy more or less reasonably priced unfiltered meerschaum they seemed in 99% of cases stems were fitted with poor plastic-like tenons with 3mm bore Only higher-end (read from 200$)had 'normal briar pipe like stems, one of my Tekin's had aforementioned like normal stem but my Altinay has not, so, from this point of view, bowls aside,I'd highly suggest paying special attention to stem work and finishing, Yet uncarved straight Billiard shapes seem to be a rare event among contemporary meerschaum shapes,

 

[shanez]

1. With the exception of Strambach I look for block meer. (Strambach has their own "formula" that seems to be very nice and durable. I love my Strambach.) Those are the only 2 options, IMO.

2. As @verporchting mentioned, mortise and tenon fitment are crucial. If you stumble upon a good deal on a pipe you like but it has a screw in tenon don't worry, there are adapters to make them a slip fit. This is an area where every manufacturer and/or carver would do well to pay more attention than I often see.

3. Bowl size if often left out of the description and on more than one occasion I have come close to ordering a cheroot or cigarette pipe. (I even have one pipe, that I love, but it has a small chamber even by my standards. It's still good for short smokes and high nic content blends but this isn't true for every smoker out there. It just still happens to work for me personally.) Generally speaking, if you see that gorgeously carved pipe at a really good price it's probably not meant to be packed with pipe tobacco.

4. Line of sight to the top of the chamber. This can be hard to tell when viewing online but some of the intricately carved pipes don't allow you to see the top of the chamber which makes lighting it a pain.

5. Aesthetics. This seems plain and simple but really items 1-4 have to be met otherwise this one is rather pointless. I like fancy/funky/intricately carved/wild design meers and I tend toward more well known carvers in this concept but will occasionally take a chance on someone I've never heard of. I also like a classic smooth shape as well and will turn to a brand name in this concept, especially if it's a good deal.

 

[Merton]

Bumping this thread because I'm also considering my first Meer and I'm clueless.

A few questions, and thanks in advance:
-Any "brands" (mostly three letter acronyms like AKB, MKM, IMP) that are reputable? (I'm primarily looking for just a nose warmer)
-I like to smoke w a balsa filter. Seems impossible to find a meer thats filtered, though I'm aware that they do exist. Who makes these on a regular basis?
-Any clear signs that the meer isn't from a block?
-Since I'm going with a smaller pipe, how hot should I expect it to smoke and how thick should I aim for as a result? (Again, looking for nose warmers mostly, and I clench, so not wanting anything heavy or ornate)

there a couple of nice nosewarmers on the SP site right now (AKB). There is an especially nice apple with a ruby stem

 

[Jshogan2]

EDIT: Fixed Capitalization in Title (See Rule 9)

So, I see estate meers on fleabay and some are relatively dirt cheap. Some are quite expensive. What specifics should a buyer be looking for in the purchase of a meerschaum pipe?

You generally get what you pay for... my experience is that you should be spending ~$80+ for an estate meer or ~$150+ for a new meer to expect proper engineering and good shaping.

 

[coyja]

Thanks all. Altinay, Altinok, Blackmeerschaum, and (of course) SP are where I'm looking the most.
Filter ones are hard to find, but at least two of these have options.
I'm dealing with a bit of sticker shock, lol, but narrowing things down.

 

[highwaycobbery]

Altinay.

 

[coyja]

Definitely leaning Altinay, best price and selection so far.
Just not quite exactly what I'm looking for, but not sure how long I'll hold out, lol.

 

[shanez]

Definitely leaning Altinay, best price and selection so far.
Just not quite exactly what I'm looking for, but not sure how long I'll hold out, lol.

I'm not sure of the price you're considering but you might want to look at this site:

Meerschaum Pipes | Smoking Pipes | MeerschaumMarket.com

Shop Meerschaum Pipes. Our block meerschaum pipe selection include; IMP, srv and Master Carvers. We also carry Nording, Chacom, Butz Choquin Smoking Pipes

www.meerschaummarket.com

I've bought several pipes from them and been happy. Also, some of the carvers sell directly through ebay or etsy.

 

[coyja]

Meerschaum Pipes | Smoking Pipes | MeerschaumMarket.com

Shop Meerschaum Pipes. Our block meerschaum pipe selection include; IMP, srv and Master Carvers. We also carry Nording, Chacom, Butz Choquin Smoking Pipes

www.meerschaummarket.com

Yeah, that place is dangerous. I'm trying to stay in the $150 range, ideally filtered which is hard to come by.
I just wrote Altinay to see if they have something like what I'm looking for or can just make it for me.
We'll see how that goes...

 

[coyja]

Already heard back from Altinay that they don't have just what I'm looking for right now, but will contact me when they do, which is awesome.

 

[coyja]

Took the leap and ordered a (non-filtered) Altinay billiard with a square shank/sitter feature.
Its beeswaxed with a calcinated look, which I normally wouldn't go for, but it actually looked pretty great... most of all the price was too good to pass up. Will report back... excited to get a meer for the first time!

 

[Merton]

Thank you to all of the posters on this topic, I guess. I did not need another Meer. I did not want another Meer. In fact, I had decided that I had accumulated far too many pipes given my age (65) and therefore had resolved not to buy any more. I have happily been enjoying window shopping and the happiness other posters have when displaying a new pipe or a new to them pipe. I spent the last couple of days looking at the Meerschaum Market website mentioned by an earlier poster. One pipe, a smooth billiard with a midnight blue streaked stem, kept bringing me back again and again. I resisted, I dismissed, I rationalized, I purchased.

 

[verporchting]

Enjoy your new meer, sir!

Post some pictures when it arrives.

 

[coyja]

I went with this one.
Side note: AND Meerschaums out of Michigan looks to have many ridiculous deals, but I went with Altinay for the reputation and customer service I've already seen.

 

[Infantry23]

Thank you to all of the posters on this topic, I guess. I did not need another Meer. I did not want another Meer. In fact, I had decided that I had accumulated far too many pipes given my age (65) and therefore had resolved not to buy any more. I have happily been enjoying window shopping and the happiness other posters have when displaying a new pipe or a new to them pipe. I spent the last couple of days looking at the Meerschaum Market website mentioned by an earlier poster. One pipe, a smooth billiard with a midnight blue streaked stem, kept bringing me back again and again. I resisted, I dismissed, I rationalized, I purchased.

Part of me feels bad for starting this thread.... a very, very small part of me Enjoy your new pipe!

 

[condorlover1]

Buy and old one circa 1900 on Ebay and then enjoy that fact that (a) meerschaum quality is better (b) someone else has broken the pipe in for you (c) you will have hours of funs conversing with old f*rts such as myself and Weezell (d) you will be able to impress your wife/girlfriend/Turkish muscleman lover with you new found hobby (e) if you hate the pipe you can bin it without it having cost you more than the average happy ending on Patpong Street in Thailand!

 

[mso489]

If you are trying out a new blend, a meer is probably the best way to evaluate flavor with definition and clarity.

 

[verporchting]

Lovely craftsmanship on those pipes. Some real stunners. Well done!

 

[renfield]

Another thumbs up for Meerschaum Market. I’ve never gotten a dog from them. They aren’t the only reputable place out there but I can easily recommend them from personal experience.

Make sure you check out the bowl dimensions before you buy any meer. They can often run slightly towards the smaller inner diameter end of things. Not a problem but best to avoid surprises.