Why Don't You Smoke Meerschaums?

[wyfbane]

Same. Love meers, but smoke briars more. For me, I think there is the idea of them being a bit more fragile, and I am clumsy, so it detracts just a skosh from the stress reduction of smoking a pipe.

 

[danish]

Bought a new gourd calabash of highest quality 30 years ago but only smoked it occasionnaly 'for fun', since it felt like too much cool air, like smoking cigarettes through a very long cigarette holder tube, if you imagine what I mean. But fortunately I still have it and later found out that especially some english blends are very enjoyable and not just 'fun'.

I have since also bought some meerschaums of various names, such as Bauer, Koncak and Manx but I felt that the 'design' and amber/lucite stems were not up to par with similarly priced briars; too fat and I better like ebonite. Somehow I have also come to enjoy the taste from quality briar more. So all in all, I am still trying to learn to appreciate meerschaums and will smoke them again this year, when the temperatures are getting above zero outside, since I no longer smoke indoors.

 

[cigrmaster]

I recently bought my first quality Meer which is an IMP. The first blend I smoked in it was some 2007 Stonehaven. I picked that blend because I am so familiar with it. My first impression was that the flavors in the Meer was thin somehow. I have 2 pipes dedicated to that Stonehaven and both had more richness and fuller flavors than the Meer had.
Another blend I tried was Butera Dark Stoved and that tasted fine. I think the more I try different blends the more I will get used to the Meer. One thing I do know for sure is that the pipe doesn't smoke as cool as my briars which all have about a dimes worth of cake in them. I rarely ever have to put my pipe down to cool it, but with the Meer it was noticeable.

 

[tom12]

Cost mainly, I will at some point get a meer bowl for my falcon pipe but I need to do some research on whether they are made out of a whole block.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Funny, I have always seen meers as being cheap (or at least affordable) pipes, much cheaper than the nice briars. I was in a pipe shop when I heard a guy telling his wife that Meerschaums were the most expensive pipes ever... while being an arm's reach away from the Formers, Eltangs, and Beckers. I guess it just depends on what part of the pasture your standing in as to where you see the greener grass.

 

[tom12]

I wouldn't spend more than around £50 - £70 for a briar but that's just me, so if I can get the effect of a meerschaum for £29.99 then I'm all for it.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I have an IMP and AKB that are mostly for days off. The bowls are over 2 inches deep and I prefer to smoke them when I have enough time to devote to them. I've taken them to work many times, but they are just too much pipe for break times.

 

[Chasing Embers]

My first impression was that the flavors in the Meer was thin somehow.

This will improve once the pipe becomes saturated with tobacco oils.

 

[briarbuck]

I have a very simple old Peterson Meer that I really like. Dublin shape. All dank looking and amber. Luv

 

[pipesticks]

I have two estate meers and they both smoke too hot to the touch so I have to hold them by the shanks. I have a porcelain calabash with an unglazed chamber that smokes cooler, but I prefer to let them sit looking pretty on a shelf and smoke my briars.

 

[weezell]

80% of the time it's a meer for me, 15% a MM Cob and 5% a briar. I tend to smoke plug/rope tobacco more than anything else and to me it tastes better in a meer...

 

[thesmokindragon]

I just picked up this IMP beauty but have not had a chance to smoke it just yet

 

[upnorth1]

i occasionally smoke a Kiko meer from Tanganyika. It's actually a meer lined leather covered briar. It was handed down from my grandfather to my father to me, UNSMOKED! So I just had to give it a try. I also just finished cleaning up a solid block Jambo, an African meer, and will be firing it up in the next few days.

 

[saltedplug]

For a long time I didn't buy one for fear that my clumsiness would finish it after a short use. Now that I am less clumsy I haven't gotten one because there are so many briar pipes that slide in front. One of these days. . .but I'm very happy smoking briar.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Upnorth- Photos of those treasures would be greatly appreicate!
Once your photos are on a photo hosting site (such as Imgur.com; Photobucket; Postimage; Dropbox, etc.), or on virtually any site, select the full image, then Control-click (Mac) or Right-click (Windows) on the image itself, then choose copy image location. Now paste that URL (the full web address, which should end in .jpg) into the IMG box in the reply window of the thread you're posting to.
The site's album is also a good choice.

 

[upnorth1]

I'll try to post pics soon.

 

[madox07]

I have one of them push/screw tenon pieces, and I am not liking the smoking experience. I will give meerschaum another chance as this summer I am on a quest to find a good meer in turkey. Quite frankly, I appreciate the art work on meerschaum, but if I were to be honest with myself, I do enjoy my tobacco on the moist side. So probably that's why I own only one churchwarden, and only one meerschaum. I own about three cobs, but don't smoke them on a daily basis.

 

[davek]

This thread has made me think. I had forgotten how different some blends taste in different pipes. If you have something you are less than enthusiastic about in a cob, it is quite possible it will taste good in a briar, or a clay. I should probably look at meerschaums to give yet another option.

 

[rajangan]

I love meerschaum. I smoke it at home more often than briar. I rarely take them out. I figure if you didn't smoke in your own house, you might not want to pull the meerschaum out at all. I smoke briar at work.

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

I absolutely love meerschaum pipes. Over the past 2+ years I went from owning 2 meerschaum pipes; to currently having 15, with another two on the way (a gourd calabash with meerschaum bowl, and an H. Cor Hawkbill). Over the last 2+ years I went from smoking them about 10% of the time to the 90% of the time. I love the look, the feel, the way the pipes smoke cool and dry and the taste of the tobacco during the smoke. For me it doesn't get better than a meerschaum pipe.
For those that believe they're to fragile; I smoke mine outside, on the go, and I travel with them. I handle them like any other pipe, and don't have any issues. Yes, if you drop it on the hard ground it will most likely break, but if you drop a briar pipe on the ground it can also be damaged. Chances are it won't be in pieces though. The figural pipes are going to be a bit more delicate depending on the carving, but the classic shape pipes are pretty solid. As for durable, when it comes to smoking them they're more durable than briars in my opinion. I can smoke my meers all day long every day of the week without issue, but I can't say the same for my briars.
It all comes down to preference, and they're not for everyone but I think they offer the best pipe smoking experience. With that said, the month of March is March Meerschaum Madness. Its a chance for those that rarely pull their meerschaums off the rack to smoke them more and really experience the pipe. So get out those meers and smoke them!