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Jan 10, 2014
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Obtaining estate (used) meerschaum pipes is certainly a way to acquire high quality pieces at reasonable prices. Of the approximately two dozen meerschaum pipes I currently possess only one was purchased new. Virtually all were obtained via an online auction site. There are both benefits and risks. The positives include the following:

Pipes by carvers who have gone out of business are available only used. Andreas Bauer of Austria, David P. Ehrlich of Boston, Paul Fischer and WDC (William Demuth Co.) are some of the non-Turkish carvers who produced pipes from block meerschaum. Their estate pipes function as well as, or better than, new.

Estate pipes on internet auction sites (eg., eBay) are often being sold by non-smokers who are completely unaware of their actual value. I obtained two genuine Austrian (not Konçak) Andreas Bauer estate pipes for $12 each as part of a four pipe lot.

The negatives include the following:

There is a lot of garbage being offered for sale. Some pipes are what can be considered counterfeit and that is often not the seller’s fault. For example, when Bauer sold its business to Sadat Konçak of Turkey, it apparently also sold its inventory of pipe cases that were already embossed with “made in Austria.” Konçak packed his own Turkish made pipes in these cases and offered them for sale. He later produced his own Bauer pipes, legally because he had bought the business, but the logo was slightly different in color and font. (Konçak is no longer in business.) The remedy is research, observation and patience. Learn “the market.” Watch what is being offered for at least two months before making a purchase.

Most estate meerschaum pipes offered for sale have been abused to some extent. The worst is a pipe with a cracked stummel. Buy it only if it will never be smoked. Many are caked with carbon and have air holes constricted with uncleaned residue. A pipe upon its arrival is usually subjected to an hour of cleaning and bowl reaming. Many are half a century to a century (or more) old but look pale for their age and obvious usage. After the stummel’s exterior surface has been cleaned, usually with 600 or finer grit sandpaper and water, it is dried then coated with a beeswax compound. It almost always begin to show color, sometimes very dramatically. Simple restoration will transform a meerschaum into a pipe that will deliver a smoke far superior to that of a new pipe.

 

bnichols23

Lifer
Mar 13, 2018
4,131
9,554
SC Piedmont
eBay is to be cautious of. You can get hosed, or find a really good deal. Case in point -- I recently picked up a very nice estate Pioneer meer for $46. Yes, screw trnon, but in excellent shape, proper alignment, no cracks, & light as a feather. Only slightly colored when I got it, it's darkening up quite nicely & is a truly stellar smoke.
Truly a bandit of a deal at that price, but if I hadn't known what to look for I could easily have gotten the shaft, even that cheap. }:)

 

shanez

Lifer
Jul 10, 2018
5,188
24,084
49
Las Vegas
eBay is to be cautious of. You can get hosed
Too true but the same can be said of the whole internet.
Whilst perusing a local buy and sell website I stumbled across this:
01fb1dd8289544d2b15bbc6ee2f7c2ff.jpg

It was posted over a year ago but not marked sold as of yet. So I took a shot and made an inquiry. Long story short it was offered to me at $300, half of which the seller claimed to have paid. While I suppose it is possible the seller did indeed pay that much, I wasn't about, especially after said seller informed me that it was, and I quote, "genuine rhino tusk". I was unaware rhinos had tusks. You learn something new everyday.
Of course, if that really is genuine rhino tusk, I just might be missing on a really great deal.

 
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bnichols23

Lifer
Mar 13, 2018
4,131
9,554
SC Piedmont
eBay is to be cautious of. You can get hosed
Too true but the same can be said of the whole internet.
Ztrudat too.
Rhino tusk? Yeah, my Aunt Fanny. What a maroon. Anybody who pays that is an idiot. Like some books I've seen on amazon. Seller wanted $195 for one, used, "good" condition. I chose a like-new of the same title for $17. I'm sure she'll find a goober who'll pay that .. in 20-30 years. -snicker-

 

gatorlope

Part of the Furniture Now
Feb 5, 2019
503
196
South Florida
My most recent meerschaums have been bought directly from the artists who have their own offerings on eBay and have been shipped directly to me directly from Eskisehir, Turkey.

Meers that are copies of traditional briar designs are uninteresting to me and the standard skulls, claws etc. are everywhere, so I do try to find pieces with both skill and originality.

I suppose that I’m a bit of an odd bird in that I’ve been a pipe collector while remaining (for the most part) a non smoker. My Beklers are nigh 50 years old and have never been smoked...

 

jonasclark

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 4, 2013
738
384
Seattle
Shanez, I'd call that okay-ish carving. Not great, not worth $300... and I'd love to ask the seller exactly how they know it's "genuine rhino tusk." On that last part, I assume they're thinking of elephant ivory but, not knowing much about it, are mis-remembering and saying something they think sounds good.

 

alexj52

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 26, 2018
177
21
Look for Hilmi Cay. His website is pipoogle.com, and occasionally he'll post a pipe for less than $100. My only meer is one of them and it has served me well.

 

marconi

Part of the Furniture Now
May 17, 2019
694
5,321
England
I agree with Alex Hilmi Cay is a very nice man and great to do business with.If you send him a photo or drawing he will make you a custom block Meerschaum pipe for less than $100.I bought a large pipe for $69 that was on sale smooth classic shape.It is such a good smoker that I ordered another one it was posted out to me today.The whole transaction was done through whats app.Hilmi kept me informed of the progress by sending me photos as It was being made.I paid using paypal through his website pipoogle.com

 

jonasclark

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 4, 2013
738
384
Seattle
Shanez, another stellar buy, if you want a classic shape for coloring purposes, is at the bottom of Pulver's Briat's "Misc" page. $45 for a nice smooth Canadian, smoked but lightly, with case. New, I think that's an $80 pipe at least.

 

marconi

Part of the Furniture Now
May 17, 2019
694
5,321
England
I have just ordered my third custom meerschaum from Hilmi. He is going to make me a Lee van Cleef pipe with a 9mm filter. I sent him a photo and a size chart of what I wanted.I don't know how it will turn out but I do know the quality of the block meerschaum he uses and the skill his shop has, should be interesting. We also agreed a price that I was more than happy with.
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,678
29,400
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
buying tip. Meer isn't expensive, it's rare but you can't do much profitable with it otherwise then carving pipes. It's the carvers that you're paying for. So a very plain unembellished or lightly embellished pipe will be cheaper no matter the chamber size.
 
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