Why Don't You Smoke Meerschaums?

[spider61]

>>On the left side of the shank it says IKOOP or IKoor
Charlie,

I wonder if Akdolu is the carver of your pipe. Here is is mine...

 

[badbeard]

Up to that point they smoke in a very neutral way which some may find odd or even off-putting.

This is exactly what I am going through now, perhaps with a bit of a twist. I have been A-B-C'ing different blends with briar, cob, and meerschaum to see what flavor differences there might be. I've noticed that certain blends are really intensely flavored in the meerschaum, such as Gaslight - in brair or cob they retain complexity but are much mellower. Conversely, if I smoke Charing Cross in Meerschaum it tastes very muted and really lacks sweetness and complexity(is just not enjoyable at all). Whereas in briar/cob it has all the interesting flavor nuance you'd expect from a GLP blend.

Unfortunately most of my favorite daily smokes do not seem to pair well with my particular meerschaum, and so I find myself leaning more towards other pipes.

That said, I will still keep at it once in a while to see if it improves over time.

 

[renfield]

Badbeard, your experience mirrors mine. Some blends just do better in particular pipes and not so much in others. I find that Oriental blends are better defined in most of my meers but sometimes that’s not the experience I’m after.
Some blends being muted in a meer is something that’s always puzzled me. Conventional wisdom says the opposite should be true. I’ve wondered if it’s more due to the materials or the engineering.
Your ABC testing sounds fun. I’ll have to do that with the Blairgowrie I’m currently going through.

 

[curl]

I’ve put off buying a meerschaum cause I haven’t figured out how to smoke a pipe without touching it.

 

[badbeard]

Some blends being muted in a meer is something that’s always puzzled me. Conventional wisdom says the opposite should be true.

I am discovering that while the meerschaum is very consistent in smoking dynamics and flavor of each blend, the flavor variance between meerschaum and briar/cob can be quite large. Certainly more so than the difference just between briar and cob. I have found that Burley forward blends in particular(which I have been favoring) generally do not perform well, and taste flatter than Florida.

The difference seems to be greater than just a specific flavor imparted by the material, as the entire flavor profile can change. Charing Cross has been very interesting in this regard. In briar and cob, I get a very pronounced zesty, almost citrusy tartness - this is entirely absent in meerschaum. The only explanation I can fathom is that the average burn temperature is different, or the moisture level is lower on average during smoking(which could also influence burn temp)?
At this point Gaslight is the only blend that seems to really blow my mind in the meer. The rest have been kind of "meh", and I find when I follow up with the same blend in briar/cob I am usually more satisfied. It has been a fun experiment though, and has given me something to use as a valid excuse to smoke more :D

 

[panamacharlie]

Spider, here is the signature on mine. It looks different.

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

I’ve put off buying a meerschaum cause I haven’t figured out how to smoke a pipe without touching it.

I handle all of my meerschaum pipes just as I would a briar or corn cob pipe. I travel with mine and smoke them on the go and outside. Don't be afraid to handle the pipe. It will be okay. :wink:

 

[theloniousmonkfish]

Meerschaum holds up to handling, don't let that deter you. Yet to destroy one and my hands corrode metal. Look for an African meer if you're worried about their durability.

 

[curl]

Thanks.

 

[renfield]

So long as your hands are clean I wouldn’t worry about touching the pipe.

 

[badbeard]

I am not expert on Meerschaum as I only have one, so take this with a grain of salt - I've read a lot of the information from various carver's sites and it's my understanding that Meerschaum is waxed specifically to protect the stone from oil and dirt on your fingers. I wouldn't worry about touching one unless it was unwaxed. As a side benefit, the wax apparently also helps develop the coloration that Meerschaum is known for.

 

[piperay70]

Well when it comes to Meerschaum pipes I have few, only one I smoke is a Calabash from my dads estate . I smoke that Calabash only at Christmas time another wise it stands idle. I have nothing against Meerschaum pipes but I still love the unique taste from a decent briar. I know few puffers who really enjoy Meerschaum pipes but unfortunately I'm not one of them.

-Ernie

 

[jpmcwjr]

Any tell the difference in appearance of the two meers I posted upthread? And why?

 

[supdog]

jpmcwjr, in the bottom pic the dots (or grapes) are darker. Also I have several meers and that's what I smoke exclusively,but then again I only smoke 1-3 bowls a week. To me they smoke sweeter and gives me a more balanced smoke (I smoke a lot of balkan blends) where the lat and orientals can dominate.
ps the darker one has more color

 

[cortezattic]

Any tell the difference in appearance of the two meers I posted upthread? And why?

I'll guess the carved pipe in the lower picture was "fired-up" briefly just before the picture was taken, and the heat made the color migrate closer to the surface. The coloring on the meer I smoke moves all over the pipe in response to changing temperature(s) from start to end of the smoke, and subsequent cool down (whereupon the color retreats back into the meer).

 

[cortezattic]

OK, John, so what's the answer?

 

[jpmcwjr]

Very close! The answer is both pipes were flushed with hot water, then re-photgraphed. The hot water brings out the color, which then fades back to its normal coloring. Gives a nice preview.

 

[owen]

I have added a couple of Peterson Meerschaums to my rotation and they smoke really well, they do however have a big effect on muting the tobacco flavour.

 

[kola]

The feel and looks, don't like either.

 

[slowroll]

I have had a beautiful meer for decades and a meer bowl calabash that are pretty well broken in after all these years, but I still find that the flavor is very muted from both. Consequently I don't smoke them much. Must be another of those personal chemistry issues.