Which Pipe Material If You Had To Choose One

[mso489]

The purist in me says Meerschaum for sure; the easygoing side of me says cob every time; the traditionalist must be dominant with briar; and the non-conformist wants those good old hand carved Mountain Laurel pipes. That's why I have way too many pipes. Yet, mostly briar.

 

[jaytex1969]

Most of my smoking is in briar and I find it to my liking.
The one cob in my rotation does a very nice job with its designated aromatic, so I have no complaints, just limited exposure.
My one morta is an enjoyable smoke, but the walls are so thin it becomes a furnace in no time. I restrict it to burley flakes and ultra slow cadence, most often resorting to having a grip on the long, lovat stem. I would need to try a beefier morta bowl before my rating might rise.
My meerschaum experience to date is a Falcon bowl. It's growing on me but briar is still my go-to.

 

[redone]

Meerschaum for me because it is light and doesn’t ghost easily. Cobs second, Briar third, although most of my pipes are briar.
However, I have a Morta coming later this year and may change my mind once I smoke it.

 

[64alex]

[My one morta is an enjoyable smoke, but the walls are so thin it becomes a furnace in no time.]
My Duca morta has decently ticked walls and does not become a furnace. Yes, it gets hotter than a briar but I can always hold comfortable by the bowl and also it cools down quicker than a briar. I also love Duca morta as aesthetically are very beautiful to me (I agree not all mortas might not be appealing cosmetically) and mechanically drilled perfectly.

 

[alaskanpiper]

Briar, no question.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Cobs.

 

[mso489]

Over the years a few members have named clay pipes as their favorite or exclusive pipe material. They burn hot, but they tend to define blends nicely, not much cake or usually none.

 

[64alex]

[Over the years a few members have named clay pipes as their favorite or exclusive pipe material. They burn hot, but they tend to define blends nicely, not much cake or usually none.]
Particularly the double walled clay pipes (with the bowl running not as hot as the tavern models) are fantastic. However as the meers have the problem of being fragile.

I think however how I read the question asked originally (maybe I misinterpreted) was a little bit different, more than what is the best pipe material (in which case I would say clay or meer) what is the best material if you are going to have only 1 pipe and in this case the fragility of clay and meer should be taken as a detrimental factor. Still great pipes and wonderful to smoke.

 

[disinformatique]

I am an eclectic pipe smoker and I don't wish to restrict myself to one media or material.
I love all of them pipe materials !!
Cheers,

Chris

 

[npod]

Briar, smoked exclusively out of the left side of the mouth, stem must be rested on the first molar, relative humidity and precisely 65%, Length 5.5 inches (no exceptions) and weight 28-38 grams. If there is any deviation from this protocol, then you can never call yourself a pipe smoker. :puffpipe:

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Briar is my passion; however, if I can find a beautiful blast done in strawberrywood, I will knock someone out to buy it first.

 

[shayde]

Briar, but just for aesthetics! I can’t really pull off smoking cobs, although I do very much enjoy them. Briars just fit my style a more. Admittedly, this choice is essentially between three different materials as I’ve never smoked clay, meer, or any other woods than those MM wooden pipes (Pearwood...I think?) and briars.

 

[logs]

No love for gourd?? Granted they're clumsy, but they provide a great smoke and never get hot.

 

[Chasing Embers]

The ember and tobacco is still burning in a meerschaum or porcelain chamber.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Forgot about clay. So, revised list:
1. Briar

2. Meerschaum

3. Morta

4. Any other wood

5. Clay

6. Cob

 

[jchaplick]

Thats a tough one for me. My ceilings are higher in briars. BUT I think I choose cobs. My baseline is higher in cobs than anything else. I have never had a morta, my 1 meer I own isnt any special smoker. I have good briars and bad briars. SOme briars give me exccelent smokes everytime, some are transcendent occasionally. But cobs are reliable. I like clenching and cobs are light. I smoke a lot when I do projects and have left many pipes outside by accident.
For me cobs are the winner. If I could smoke inside more often, or could smoke in a nice comfy chair and just enjoy it, I may have a different answer.

 

[anotherbob]

honestly if I could have a magical supply of pipes and not have to worry about wear... I'd go with clay. Clay smokes perfectly. The only problem is how darn fragile it truly is. Though clay smokes so nice and cool even if the bowl will give you a third degree burn. That said if I had to pick I'd go with Briar.

 

[warren]

I'm thinking my answer must involve where I'm smoking and what I'm doing. Usually a briar when driving, walking or chasing wildlife. If I'm safely ensconced in my chair, reading at home, a meerschaum would be my weapon of choice. If I'm fly fishing, working on the tractor, or doing yard work, it must be a disposable cob.