Translucent Meerschaum?

[Chasing Embers]

Thanks for finding that.

IMHO, I don't think you'd ever see that kind of pattern on a meer from a "standard" block...so I take that as evidence that there is a real difference.

Everyone always says that every meerschaum colors differently. Even chsubhra's translucent isn't showing that trait.

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[brian64]

Everyone always says that every meerschaum colors differently. Even chsubhra's translucent isn't showing that trait.

​

Well, I'm just going on all of the pics I've ever seen over the years...and it seems very unusual to me to see any kind of structural pattern like that, sort of just beneath the surface.

And it seems to me that most don't have any pattern at all...just sort of random coloring. A good example is the differences between the first pic that Jerry posted and the second with the 3 Bakis....their coloring looks normal compared to the first.

EDIT: but Said's is even much more unusual. If I'm wrong and that is actually common, then I've somehow missed it.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Well, I'm just going on all of the pics I've ever seen over the years...and it seems very unusual to me to see any kind of structural pattern like that, sort of just beneath the surface.

And it seems to me that most don't have any pattern at all...just sort of random coloring. A good example is the differences between the first pic that Jerry posted and the second with the 3 Bakis....their coloring looks normal compared to the first.

EDIT: but Said's is even much more unusual. If I'm wrong and that is actually common, then I've somehow missed it.

Which goes back to why I want to see one color like that progressively rather than just a before and after.

 

[jhowell]

Apparently @jerry believes the one he posted above is "translucent" and the only other I remember is Said Altinay posted a pic of one of his once quite a while back that was fairly well colored if I remember right...I would have no idea how to find that now.

The famous pic of Baki's alleged personal pipe of course that is the ultimate in coloring and some claim it's a "translucent"...whether it is or not I have no idea.

 

[gervais]

I have one from Altinay but didn't cost anywhere near that. They have one or two on their site right now for much less than that, so I'm guessing the one you're referring to had some other features such as bamboo. Unfortunately prices have gone up across the board though...the currency isn't worth what it used to be.

Whether it's worth any amount of premium or not is up to you. There is a bit of controversy as to what if any real difference there is with this type of block. All I can tell you is that the one I have does have a subtle difference in the surface...as @didimauw said, it appears slightly transparent on the surface layer...and I do not detect this appearance in any of my other meers. So if you want one, Altinay is the only seller that tells you up front that's what you're buying.

Mine has been coloring very slowly. I've smoked it almost every day, and it's actually been coloring even more slowly than average for some reason. I'll have to post a current pic later when I have time, but the thing is you really can't see the "translucent" aspect very well at all in a pic for some reason...it just doesn't come across...you really have to be looking at it in hand.

This is the stock pic when it was new:

View attachment 200189

Progress pics on that pipes colouring please!

 

[gervais]

Smoking one now. It was pricey but has a silver spigot. I was a little disappointed with the "translucence" when it first arrived but after 30 smokes it is transforming. The translucent affect is starting to pop. It's the best smoking pipe I own.

Progress pics?!

C'mon, whats wrong with you guys!!

 

[gervais]

Translucent meers (not Altinay) are extremely difficult to spot in pictures that are advertising the pipes. Resolution is never good enough to see.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Translucent meers (not Altinay) are extremely difficult to spot in pictures that are advertising the pipes. Resolution is never good enough to see.

Honestly, I'd be afraid to knowingly buy one. Minerals with clear or translucent edges are often more fragile than those that are not.

 

[brian64]

C'mon, whats wrong with you guys!!

I hope you don't think that's a simple question. lol

As you can see below, the reason I haven't been motivated to post any pics is because this thing is coloring super slow. It has literally been smoked every day since I got it with maybe only 2 or 3 days missed...and I don't even remember now how long I've had it, but must be over a year anyway...maybe it's even been 2 or 3, I don't keep track of these things.

I have no clue why it's so slow to color, but I'll keep you posted when it gets better in a decade or so.

By far the blend that I've smoked in it the most is OJK, and it's almost always the first smoke of the day and I let it sit until evening before I clean it.

 

[brian64]

Honestly, I'd be afraid to knowingly buy one. Minerals with clear or translucent edges are often more fragile than those that are not.

I haven't noticed anything that would lead me to think it's any more fragile than my others, but then I haven't dropped it either. But I do recall that buddy of @alaskanpiper who also had one said he dropped it from the top of a refrigerator onto a hard floor and it didn't break.

And speaking of him, how's he doing @alaskanpiper ? Did he ever get the rest of the wild animal meer commissions done? That Dall sheep meer he had made was awesome! I seem to recall he said he was going to have a whole set of them made and I always wanted to see the rest of them. Hope he's doing well.

 

[alaskanpiper]

I haven't noticed anything that would lead me to think it's any more fragile than my others, but then I haven't dropped it either. But I do recall that buddy of @alaskanpiper who also had one said he dropped it from the top of a refrigerator onto a hard floor and it didn't break.

And speaking of him, how's he doing @alaskanpiper ? Did he ever get the rest of the wild animal meer commissions done? That Dall sheep meer he had made was awesome! I seem to recall he said he was going to have a whole set of them made and I always wanted to see the rest of them. Hope he's doing well.

Yeah that would be Boomer. Unfortunately he has had to pretty much quit smoking, for a very understandable reason, but is all good otherwise.

 

[brian64]

Yeah that would be Boomer. Unfortunately he has had to pretty much quit smoking, for a very understandable reason, but is all good otherwise.

Sorry to hear it, but glad he's ok.

 

[gervais]

I hope you don't think that's a simple question. lol

As you can see below, the reason I haven't been motivated to post any pics is because this thing is coloring super slow. It has literally been smoked every day since I got it with maybe only 2 or 3 days missed...and I don't even remember now how long I've had it, but must be over a year anyway...maybe it's even been 2 or 3, I don't keep track of these things.

I have no clue why it's so slow to color, but I'll keep you posted when it gets better in a decade or so.

By far the blend that I've smoked in it the most is OJK, and it's almost always the first smoke of the day and I let it sit until evening before I clean it.

View attachment 201008
View attachment 201009

Brian, thanks for taking the time to post these. Colouring quickly or not, it's great seeing what they have done

 

[Chasing Embers]

View attachment 200546

That's not one of Said's, it's one of Baki's personal pipes. Never verified to be translucent, only speculated.

 

[TN Jed]

Progress pics?!

C'mon, whats wrong with you guys!!

This is at 35 smokes.

 

[didimauw]

View attachment 201187This is at 35 smokes.

You guys are killing me....35 smokes? 50 smokes? So much more color than my Altinay....I didn't even see anything but white for 30 smokes. And I was under the impression that carved colored faster....

 

[Chasing Embers]

And I was under the impression that carved colored faster..

This was just after 24.

 

[didimauw]

View attachment 201187This is at 35 smokes.

That's probably some of the greatest color I've seen on a meer by the way!

 

[didimauw]

This was just after 24.

View attachment 201190

That one's changing fast! And in some seemingly interesting places!

I always wondered if a small pipe smoked 10 times vs a big pipe smoked 5 times would be the same, and it seems like the bigger chambered pipes color faster.

 

[Chasing Embers]

That one's changing fast! And in some seemingly interesting places!

Seems to be a Kenan thing. There's a spot on the back around the left foot that's getting really dark.