After smoking one of my briars tonight, I think I can safely say that I am 99% done with them. I've been putting the meer down lately just to put some carbon in my much neglected briars and I have yet to have a pleasant smoke in any of them. I own quite a few, outnumbering my meers 3:1 and I cannot seem to find any of my briars that provide me with a tasty, cool smoke like meers do. Briars to me now seem pointless at this point. They're heavier, hotter, and seem to dilute much of the flavor of the tobacco. I may pick one up on special occasions such as traveling abroad or one of Peterson's/Savinelli's Christmas Pipes but overall I don't think I can smoke a briar anymore! This is strictly my opinion but felt like sharing (though after typing this, seems a bit pointless -- hah!)
Spoiled by Meerschaum
- Thread starter fishmansf
- Start date
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Well, I only smoke meerschaums, and have for years! Works for me!
It seems a shame to dismiss a large chunk of your pipes over something that you have control over. Based on things you have written in this post and in other threads about not being able to taste things in certain tobacco blends, I would highly recommend refining your smoking technique. By your own admission, you have stated you tend to smoke fast. Slooow down. Once you do, you’ll find your briar pipes smoke cooler and bring out plenty of flavours you had no idea were there. Hot pipes and flavourless tobacco is most often due to user error.
I have a few inexpensive cheap meer pies that I bought off eBay, and one of them in particular is my go to pipe. I do like the meers. But I have a pile of briars and a couple cobs. They do work. Not all my briars are equal. Some of them smoke hot and some nice and even. When you combine a hot-smoking tobacco (like some of the barn fire burleys I've tried) you end up with a furnace. Perhaps see if a certain blend and pipe combination are giving you trouble.
The so-called english and balkan blends tend to smoke cooler for me, and in the right briar pipe can be quite nice. As a new pipe smoker I have to pay a bit more attention to packing technique and lighting the pipe, but once they're lit the english/balkan blends tend to produce a cool, long-lasting, slow smoke. GP Meridian, Peretti's Tashkent, and the popular Peterson blends are like that.
I can get a slow smoke going with some burleys too, like C&D Haunted Bookshop or Pegasus. But it took more practice. D&R Two Timer smokes like a barn fire no matter what.
IMHO, setting down the briars and being a meer guy is OK. I'd consider buying some of your briars depending on what you have.
The so-called english and balkan blends tend to smoke cooler for me, and in the right briar pipe can be quite nice. As a new pipe smoker I have to pay a bit more attention to packing technique and lighting the pipe, but once they're lit the english/balkan blends tend to produce a cool, long-lasting, slow smoke. GP Meridian, Peretti's Tashkent, and the popular Peterson blends are like that.
I can get a slow smoke going with some burleys too, like C&D Haunted Bookshop or Pegasus. But it took more practice. D&R Two Timer smokes like a barn fire no matter what.
IMHO, setting down the briars and being a meer guy is OK. I'd consider buying some of your briars depending on what you have.
Glad the meers are doing it for you. Post some pics of your favorite ones! Also, I'm sure you can pull some decent cash by selling those briars here that can go towards more meers.
Good for you. To find the pipes that you love is a blessing. Enjoy the hell out of them.
I have yet to try one because I am generally careless with my pipes but I'm going to grab one this Christmas.
I've primarily been smoking Meers. However, I think my Briars smoke just as good. I think Briars smoke cooler. Love both, smoke both.
I’ll be the first to admit I do smoke hot. My technique does need refining for sure even after several years smoking. This is something I’ve sort of consistently noticed though over the past two years smoking meers and it sort of climaxed in last nights smoke. Perhaps I need to modify my technique for briars specifically.
I always found meers far hotter and flavorless compared to briar ... maybe I haven't smoked meers enough. 
I recentlyish dropped my meer and it broke the stem. need to buy a replacement.
You might try a real 'refresh' of a couple of your favorite briars. A minute of hot tap water run through the chamber and stem may do wonders how you feel about smoking your briars.
@fishmansf
I am a recent convert to the water flush cleaning method for my briars and meerschaum. It is quick and easy and leaves the pipe nice and fresh. I never wanted to build cake in my pipes so it works well for me. I try to water flush after every smoke but sometimes every two or three.
I've gone through phases as I think most of us do. At one point I really got into cobs, but then went back to my briars, and then moved to meers, and after a while back to my briars. I then decided that I really enjoyed meerschaum pipes over my briars and cobs. At that time I sold off a good number of my briars that I rarely smoked, or ones that were not good smokers. I eliminated a bunch of my cobs as well. I then used the money to buy new or estate meers. I then built up a sizeable meerschaum collection. I then realized that I wasn't smoking my pipes enough, and didn't need all the pipes I had, so I sold off a few of my meers that I rarely smoked. Now I have a nice collection of 20 meers, 11 briars, and 3 cobs.
I try to smoke all of my pipes, though I probably smoke my meers 80% of the time. I have found that with certain tobacco's I enjoy said tobacco more with certain pipes, so for some I smoke said tobacco in a briar or cob as opposed to my meers. I think it just takes time to explore which tobacco's you find more enjoyable in certain pipes. I wouldn't abandon all of your briars, but just do some experimenting with different tobacco's to see which ones you prefer in different pipes. Besides it's always nice to have options.
I try to smoke all of my pipes, though I probably smoke my meers 80% of the time. I have found that with certain tobacco's I enjoy said tobacco more with certain pipes, so for some I smoke said tobacco in a briar or cob as opposed to my meers. I think it just takes time to explore which tobacco's you find more enjoyable in certain pipes. I wouldn't abandon all of your briars, but just do some experimenting with different tobacco's to see which ones you prefer in different pipes. Besides it's always nice to have options.