Well that didn’t last long…

[NTHilderman]

It’s very faint, but there is definitely a crack there. I’ve only put 15 or 20 bowls through it so that’s a bit disappointing.
I’m not sure if I just pushed it too hard to try and color it fast, or if it had flaws to begin with. I feel like I’ve been overly cautious with the way I handle it, and I only spent $80 on it so I’m leaning more towards it being the pipe and “you get what you pay for” coming to bite me in the ass. Next time I probably won’t buy anything that cost less than my Peterson.

Does anyone have any recommendations for favorite distributors for quality meer? I like what I see on Royal Meerschaum and Meerschaum Market but I’d like to see what other places there are. If I’m going to shop around I might as well take my time.


I did really enjoy the smokes I got through it, and the crack dosnt seem to even go deep enough to be visible at the bottom of the lattice work so I think I’ll just continue smoking it until I can save up a bit more to get a better quality meer to replace it. Probably with a slightly larger bowl too, it was a little difficult to clean the inside of this one with it being relatively deep and narrow.

 

[xrundog]

I have very old meerschaums with surface cracks like that. Just keep smoking it.

 

[Waning Embers]

Looks superficial.

you get what you pay for

Being a natural material, that can happen regardless of the price. I've had IMP lattices do that.

 

[jhowell]

Just stabilize it with CA and keep on puffing...

 

[seanv]

That doesn't look like a big deal. As mentioned, it appears to be superficial. I would keep smoking it

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

If keep smoking it, likely not an issue. I recommend Altinay. Excellent carver, great service and the best stem work of any Turkish carver I've seen.

 

[starrynight]

If keep smoking it, likely not an issue. I recommend Altinay. Excellent carver, great service and the best stem work of any Turkish carver I've seen.

Seconded on the stems, i absolutely love mine.

 

[Waning Embers]

If keep smoking it, likely not an issue. I recommend Altinay. Excellent carver, great service and the best stem work of any Turkish carver I've seen.

Seconded on the stems, i absolutely love mine.

I'd avoid them after sideways comments like this one.

 

[Brendan]

Not sure what you mean there @Chasing Embers , that seems like a reasonable response to me? Am I missing something?

 

[Auxsender]

I'd avoid them after sideways comments like this one.

View attachment 412077

Doesn’t seem the least bit sideways to me.

 

[Sig]

Ive got Meers with worse cracks than that. I've been smoking them for nearly 30 years with the cracks. None of the cracks have got worse. They were made in the early 1900s?

 

[jerry]

I have a Baki meer that I been smoking with a surface crack for 10 years, no problem. Yeah, keep smoking it!

 

[Pypkė]

I agree with the rest here. Just enjoy the pipe. If it breaks you can just glue it back together.

My father used to bang the ash out of his pipes like banging a gavel. Don't do that.

 

[Waning Embers]

Doesn’t seem the least bit sideways to me.

Not sure what you mean there @Chasing Embers , that seems like a reasonable response to me? Am I missing something?

When I've gotten defects from other meerschaum carvers they offered a replacement. After a certain price point, "overlooking" obvious flaws by a meerschaum carver isn't acceptable. Many of them throw away finished pipes for flaws as simple as that.

 

[Auxsender]

When I've gotten defects from other meerschaum carvers they offered a replacement. After a certain price point, "overlooking" obvious flaws by a meerschaum carver isn't acceptable. Many of them throw away finished pipes for flaws as simple as that.

Interesting.
I thought he was nice about it but I definitely get your point.

 

[Waning Embers]

Interesting.
I thought he was nice about it but I definitely get your point.

I've ordered two pipes from Yanik and both were broken in shipping. The first one was a nude floral and Yanik refunded me when i sent him the photos. The second was an owl. He tried to refund me for that one but I blamed him for neither and told him I didn't want to put him out again for something he had no control over. He occasionally emails me still with apologies. I've gotten emails and DMs from other carvers asking me how I like their pipes and how well they smoke.

 

[NTHilderman]

I've ordered two pipes from Yanik and both were broken in shipping. The first one was a nude floral and Yanik refunded me when i sent him the photos. The second was an owl. He tried to refund me for that one but I blamed him for neither and told him I didn't want to put him out again for something he had no control over. He occasionally emails me still with apologies. I've gotten emails and DMs from other carvers asking me how I like their pipes and how well they smoke.

I’m encouraged to hear that there are some good carvers with good customer service, hopefully I’ll be able to commission some pipes in the years to come. No such luck for this pipe though, I’m pretty sure it was done by a no name apprentice since I got it cheap.

 

[Waning Embers]

No such luck for this pipe though, I’m pretty sure it was done by a no name apprentice since I got it cheap.

That flaw may have been unseen, wax wouldn't hide that. Being fundamentally stone, there may have been a fissure just beneath the surface. Sand a high grade briar down far enough and you won't find many without sand pits. Even this pipe bears no name.

 

[NTHilderman]

That flaw may have been unseen, wax wouldn't hide that. Being fundamentally stone, there may have been a fissure just beneath the surface. Sand a high grade briar down far enough and you won't find many without sand pits. Even this pipe bears no name.

View attachment 412239

I’m surprised nobody put their name to that one it’s real nice. I’m assuming the bare spot on the shank is meant for the did stutter to put their branding, but I see a lot of pipes on meerschaum market and royal meerschaum that never got their name on those bare spots either. If the distributor aren’t gonna use the space the carvers should.

 

[NTHilderman]

I’m surprised nobody put their name to that one it’s real nice. I’m assuming the bare spot on the shank is meant for the distributor to put their branding, but I see a lot of pipes on meerschaum market and royal meerschaum that never got their name on those bare spots either. If the distributors aren’t gonna use the space the carvers should.