What Are Meers For?

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May 2, 2020
4,664
23,771
Louisiana
I scored an SMS meer at an View attachment 46231View attachment 46232View attachment 46233estate sale for $15. Not sure if it's valuable or not, and I'm tempted to smoke it, but I wanted to ask you fine individuals what is the best type of tobacco to smoke in a meer? Any special contraindications with how a meer works? This one looks to be slightly used. Any help would be appreciated.
Smoke whatever tobacco you like in it. Obviously they are more fragile than your average briar or cob, so I only smoke mine while I’m sitting down, and not likely to drop it from any appreciable height.
 

warren

Lifer
Sep 13, 2013
11,699
16,207
Foothills of the Chugach Range, AK
Meers are tougher than one might think. Of course the ornately carved, thin projections and such, can get dinged fairly easily, much as a briar can get dinged, dented and scratched. Mine handle a drop onto carpet, wood or soft tile as well as a briar or cob. That being said, as tiny as the one in the picture is I'd worry more about it getting lost in a pocket or on my desk. I do restrict my meer smoking to the house or deck. They even handle extreme low temps better than most believe. I've smoked on a bright sunny winter's day at below zero on the deck while smoking a tri-tip or some such. Damned hard to keep a consistent temperature when it's that cold so, I really need to crave pulled pork or brisket.

Smoke whatever you like in it. I say that believing you purchased it to enjoy.
 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
Good price. You could have easily paid $60 to $80 for a similar pipe, and more if new. What they are good for is definition and clarity of fine blends (not necessarily expensive blends, but those as well). My local independent pipe shop has similar pipes for $150.
 

jaytex1969

Lifer
Jun 6, 2017
9,517
50,591
Here
Having recently started smoking my first new meer and documenting the coloring process, I can tell you that yours looks like mine did after about 2 smokes. I believe you got a new pipe, basically.

SMS has a decent reputation and it should serve you well. If you use pipe cleaners in it without taking it apart, be careful to not shove it in so far that the end of the cleaner starts to chip away at the far wall of the chamber. Meerschaum is a bit softer and more vulnerable inside after a smoke with the accompanying moisture.

I put a cleaner in it while empty and then measured the remaining part of the cleaner sticking out of the bit so I knew how far to insert if I ever had to do so mid-smoke. I know that bending the pipe cleaner at the length of my second index finger knuckle will get me in the ball park.

No restrictions on what tobacco you use. I chose to start with easily lit ribbons until I got a "feel" for it.


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Effortlessdepths

Part of the Furniture Now
Feb 7, 2020
502
1,060
Micanopy, FL
Thanks for all the replies, looks like I got a good deal on it. I wanted to find out if it was at all valuable, but it seems to be a run of the mill decent meer, and I shall now smoke with it. I think starting out with easy ribbons is a good idea jaytex, and thanks everyone for all the rest of the advice.
 

FurCoat

Lifer
Sep 21, 2020
8,764
78,508
North Carolina
Good price. You could have easily paid $60 to $80 for a similar pipe, and more if new. What they are good for is definition and clarity of fine blends (not necessarily expensive blends, but those as well). My local independent pipe shop has similar pipes for $150.
I have to ask since we live in the same area. What is your local pipe shop? I frequent Pipes by George. I am fortunate to work a few blocks away from the store.
 

F4RM3R

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 28, 2019
567
2,512
38
Canada
Smoke anything you like! Meers give a different flavour and you may like what it does to certain blends. There are no rules when it comes to meers. I like the way it brightens and sweetens an English blend. It might offer too much clarity to a straight burley or Kentucky blend, but just try it out really, almost anything will work ina meer, but just depends on if you like what it does to each blend.
 

warren

Lifer
Sep 13, 2013
11,699
16,207
Foothills of the Chugach Range, AK
Amazing! In fifty plus years I've never broken a meerschaum, I've chipped one or two that were ornately carved. I've dropped them on tile, carpet, wood and one or two have hit the asphalt. All survived and are still good smokes. These days I only smoke them indoors or on a wooden deck, occasionally on the asphalt drive. The tiny ones may be more susceptible to breakage, I've never smoked a thimble sized pipe.
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,677
29,395
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
just to contradict people I say only smoke your very favoritist blends. Honestly I have two meers and they taste different then briar but not so much so that it favors any particular type of blend over any other pipe. Like people said they taste slightly cleaner then a briar. And at 15 bucks I wouldn't be too cautious with it. Nice find. I'll give you a recomendation that should be great in a meer though just for fun. Davidoff Flake Medallions 50g | Buy Davidoff Pipe Tobacco at Smokingpipes - https://www.smokingpipes.com/pipe-tobacco/davidoff/Flake-Medallions-50g/product_id/29702 might be available somewhere. It seems to go in and out of stock pretty frequently.
 
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