robd
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Post by robd on Jul 19, 2019 18:20:09 GMT -5
At the pipe club last night, I was smoking one of Greg Pease's blends with a little cavendish in it. Started out in a Dunhill billiard, then we started talking about Meerschaums so I dug out an old one - amber stem and all - that I hadn't smoked in more than a year. Tried the blend in the Meer. What a difference! The cavendish popped out in a way it hadn't in the briar. Got to fire up that baby more often.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 19, 2019 18:23:43 GMT -5
As you report, I have discovered dual profiles too in Briar and Meer.
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Post by McWiggins on Jul 19, 2019 18:24:31 GMT -5
Sounds like a good experience.  I cant say which is better let alone versus other materials. What I do know is that all materials make for a different smoke. Thats why as I get to know a new blend, I smoke it in everything. Sometimes clay is better, other times briar or cob. |
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Post by Legend Lover on Jul 19, 2019 18:25:30 GMT -5
I think I need to get my hands on a briar pipe.
Tell me, is the difference as pronounced when comparing briar to cob?
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Post by pepesdad1 on Jul 19, 2019 18:27:05 GMT -5
I think I need to get my hands on a briar pipe. Tell me, is the difference as pronounced when comparing briar to cob? Yes, it is^^^^^^ |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 19, 2019 18:51:42 GMT -5
Andre has some briar pipes, he must have meant Meerschaum?
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Post by trailboss on Jul 19, 2019 22:32:32 GMT -5
Pipe diversity is a good thing!
I love my old meers, and my Austro Hungarian meerschaum lap pipes are always magical in the Christmas season.
I have a Charles Maas meer that really delivers the goods, and a few others too with the original amber stems... when the history of an old pipe meets up with a great tobacco, it is a great time.
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Post by smellthehatfirst on Jul 19, 2019 23:00:18 GMT -5
I think I need to get my hands on a briar pipe. Tell me, is the difference as pronounced when comparing briar to cob? After the first smoke, to break it in, a cob smokes somewhat similarly to meerschaum. The brand name "Missouri Meerschaum" is only half joking.
Edit: Really the only reason I smoke briar pipes is that I enjoy the collectible/aesthetic value. As far as getting a good smoke, my cobs and meerschaums are very fine indeed. I have a few "magic" briars but I am pretty sure the "Magic" is accumulated tar 
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Post by smellthehatfirst on Jul 19, 2019 23:02:38 GMT -5
As you report, I have discovered dual profiles too in Briar and Meer. I find a Meer or a cob is a less, uh, cake-influenced smoke.
It's like taking a mysteriously neutral sample of a given tobacco. A given tobacco will smoke the same in my meerschaums every time, but every briar tastes a little different.
Maybe it's all just the tars accumulated in each briar. I can't say why every briar tastes a little different, just that a Meerschaum is a more neutral medium.
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Post by Legend Lover on Jul 20, 2019 2:02:08 GMT -5
Andre has some briar pipes, he must have meant Meerschaum? you are spot on there. I did mean meerschaum. |
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Post by pepesdad1 on Jul 20, 2019 7:38:06 GMT -5
All this talk about meers and I now have to break out one to fire up...probably the Bacchus with some butternut burley one of my favorite early morning smokes.   I should have shot these pictures with a background not as "busy" as leaves on the ground. |
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Post by Ronv69 on Jul 20, 2019 10:03:15 GMT -5
Some meerschaum pipes seem to suck the flavor out of a blend, and they will dampen some flavors more than others. They really don't give a neutral smoke. If you try a given blend in in different briars you will also get a different taste from each. I believe that the only truly neutral pipes are the ceramic pipes like the Zenith double walled pipes.
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chasingembers
Senior Member
Posts: 1,911 
First Name: Duane
Favorite Pipe: My Growing J. Everett Collection, Fifteen Day Bruce Weaver Set, Meerschaums, Oguz Simsek Skulls
Favorite Tobacco: Black Frigate,Solani Silver Flake, Yenidje Highlander, Angler's Dream, Watch City Slices, Salty Dogs, Mephisto, Ennerdale Flake, Rich Dark Honeydew, 1792 Flake
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Post by chasingembers on Jul 20, 2019 11:14:49 GMT -5
When fully broken in, I can't discern the difference between a briar, meerschaum, or cob. A meer will seem to mute a blend when new much like a gourd calabash until it is saturated with tobacco oils. After that it will smoke much like a briar.
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Post by Legend Lover on Jul 20, 2019 11:33:00 GMT -5
When fully broken in, I can't discern the difference between a briar, meerschaum, or cob. A meer will seem to mute a blend when new much like a gourd calabash until it is saturated with tobacco oils. After that it will smoke much like a briar. That's interesting. Is there much difference with respect to the goop in the bottom third of the bowl between briar and Meerschaum? I've noticed a big difference between briar and cob in that many briar pipes are wet and goopy in the bottom... Never had that with a cob. |
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Post by Ronv69 on Jul 20, 2019 13:20:46 GMT -5
A meer will get dsmp, but it soaks it up like a cob. Thing is that a meer gets soft when you smoke it and you can't clean the bowl until it dries. You would actually wipe away the material.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2019 13:40:26 GMT -5
I like my Meers, but they will always be an alternative to my briars. Some pipers get totally entranced with them and start extolling the virtues of the White Goddess and smoke Meerschaum exclusively.
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chasingembers
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Posts: 1,911
First Name: Duane
Favorite Pipe: My Growing J. Everett Collection, Fifteen Day Bruce Weaver Set, Meerschaums, Oguz Simsek Skulls
Favorite Tobacco: Black Frigate,Solani Silver Flake, Yenidje Highlander, Angler's Dream, Watch City Slices, Salty Dogs, Mephisto, Ennerdale Flake, Rich Dark Honeydew, 1792 Flake
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Post by chasingembers on Jul 20, 2019 15:44:03 GMT -5
When fully broken in, I can't discern the difference between a briar, meerschaum, or cob. A meer will seem to mute a blend when new much like a gourd calabash until it is saturated with tobacco oils. After that it will smoke much like a briar. That's interesting. Is there much difference with respect to the goop in the bottom third of the bowl between briar and Meerschaum? I've noticed a big difference between briar and cob in that many briar pipes are wet and goopy in the bottom... Never had that with a cob. I smoke everything bone dry and lightly packed straight to the bottom of the chamber. Not much moisture left in either. During my last culling I got rid of an AKB and IMP meer, not because of bad smoking, just for the fact that you really can't use bristle pipe cleaners on the chamber. That's what I like to use exclusively and they will score up a meer. |
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Post by bigwoolie on Jul 20, 2019 18:20:45 GMT -5
I smoke meers more than briars, for me the smoke tastes better. BTW, my son came in the other day with a Meerschaum the size of a softball, it was a grizzly bear head held by a claw, carved by Salim. It was, without a doubt, the most beautiful pipe I've ever held. I couldnt get it from him, no matter how I tried. There is great beauty in a classy brier, but a quality meerschaum is in a class by itself
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Mac
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Post by Mac on Jul 20, 2019 21:45:39 GMT -5
When fully broken in, I can't discern the difference between a briar, meerschaum, or cob. A meer will seem to mute a blend when new much like a gourd calabash until it is saturated with tobacco oils. After that it will smoke much like a briar. That's interesting. Is there much difference with respect to the goop in the bottom third of the bowl between briar and Meerschaum? I've noticed a big difference between briar and cob in that many briar pipes are wet and goopy in the bottom... Never had that with a cob. No goop here in either briar or meerschaum. I dry my tobacco before loading, and usually smoke it 95% of the way down. Knock it out on a soft surface, sometimes there's a trace of moisture in the heel, but it dries in minutes. |
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robert5570
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Favorite Tobacco: Virginia coins,flakes,cakes,ribbons,aged long as possible
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Post by robert5570 on Aug 8, 2019 22:41:51 GMT -5
All this talk about meers and I now have to break out one to fire up...probably the Bacchus with some butternut burley one of my favorite early morning smokes. I should have shot these pictures with a background not as "busy" as leaves on the ground. That’s a very nice carving! It looks like whoever carved it did so knowing how to make it functional without charring the features around the rim. It doesn’t looked smoked or show charring around rim or carving features. Who careered that meerschaum? |
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Post by peteguy on Aug 8, 2019 22:56:58 GMT -5
I like Meers as much as Briars with Cobs a bit behind those two. I can't taste a difference between the 3 or it is so small it doesn't matter. The reason cobs come in third is the look of them. If I had to choose only one I would probably go with Meers.
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elric
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Post by elric on Aug 9, 2019 4:17:55 GMT -5
When fully broken in, I can't discern the difference between a briar, meerschaum, or cob. A meer will seem to mute a blend when new much like a gourd calabash until it is saturated with tobacco oils. After that it will smoke much like a briar. That's interesting. Is there much difference with respect to the goop in the bottom third of the bowl between briar and Meerschaum? I've noticed a big difference between briar and cob in that many briar pipes are wet and goopy in the bottom... Never had that with a cob. You must be smoking aromatics. And/or not resting a pipe for long enough maybe? I only smoke one bowl in-between resting a briar. I don't like smoking moist blends so also ensure that they're sufficiently dry. Probably why I don't get any goopy crap at the bottom of a bowl. |
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elric
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Post by elric on Aug 9, 2019 4:24:08 GMT -5
I've got more than enough pipes and have told myself no more ...... except for a few special ones.
I've just crossed a Morta pipe off my list, having just won one on ebay for $15.51.
A block meerschaum is at the top of my list.
Last is a Cavalier [that bloody well smokes properly!]
MB Plumcake is a favourite blend except it bites in a cob or briar.
In a meerschaum lined briar however, I can smoke a bowl without issue once a day. This leads me to wonder how Plumcake would smoke in a block meerschaum.
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Post by Legend Lover on Aug 9, 2019 5:55:06 GMT -5
That's interesting. Is there much difference with respect to the goop in the bottom third of the bowl between briar and Meerschaum? I've noticed a big difference between briar and cob in that many briar pipes are wet and goopy in the bottom... Never had that with a cob. You must be smoking aromatics. And/or not resting a pipe for long enough maybe? I only smoke one bowl in-between resting a briar. I don't like smoking moist blends so also ensure that they're sufficiently dry. Probably why I don't get any goopy crap at the bottom of a bowl. it's the aromatics. I smoke a briar about once a month, so the rest isn't an issue. |
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Post by qmechanics on Aug 9, 2019 7:02:50 GMT -5
I am not one to discount the advantages of different pipe materials. However, I noticed that when I changed my briar cleaning habits (After a smoke or two, I wipe out the bowl with a paper towel and give the stem and shank a light go with pipe cleaner typically dipped in vodka. ), my satisfaction with briars improved. Not to say I had big troubles with briar before, as I was always one to keep my briars generally clean.
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jitterbugdude
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Post by jitterbugdude on Aug 9, 2019 12:00:20 GMT -5
. Thing is that a meer gets soft when you smoke it and you can't clean the bowl until it dries. You would actually wipe away the material. This is a myth. I've (gently) run a pipe knife around my Altinok meer immediately after smoking. Been doing it for years with no ill effects. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2019 13:38:20 GMT -5
Meers are not as dainty as some believe. They don't do well with concrete or hardwood floors but neither does briar.
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Post by Ronv69 on Aug 9, 2019 16:18:47 GMT -5
. Thing is that a meer gets soft when you smoke it and you can't clean the bowl until it dries. You would actually wipe away the material. This is a myth. I've (gently) run a pipe knife around my Altinok meer immediately after smoking. Been doing it for years with no ill effects. Riiiiggghhht! |
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elric
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Post by elric on Aug 9, 2019 19:08:25 GMT -5
. Thing is that a meer gets soft when you smoke it and you can't clean the bowl until it dries. You would actually wipe away the material. This is a myth. I've (gently) run a pipe knife around my Altinok meer immediately after smoking. Been doing it for years with no ill effects. I'm no expert on meerschaum, so just thinking out loud here; being a natural material, would it not be the case where there's varying quality of the material used, where there's varying degrees of hardness? |
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Post by Ronv69 on Aug 9, 2019 21:29:49 GMT -5
There's variations in it for sure. My first experience with a meer was an old Turkish Cavalier from the 70's that I got for a reasonable price on eBay. This was my first learning experience with pipes. I learned about the tiny tenons, and I found that when I wiped out the bowl with a paper towel, there were places that were scooped out in the sides.
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