Meerschaum Lined Pipes

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Domer

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I see smokingpipes has a few of these.
Anyone have any opinions on this system? Durability?

I do have an old Hayim Pinhas but it's pretty big and clunky. So it doesn't get smoked much. Great for English blends though.
 
They seem to be one of those love em or hate em kinda things. They are more durable than a straight meerschaum. They reputedly allow you to smoke multiple bowls in a day without problems. Never had one but the ones Pipes and Cigars has in their latest print catalog are quite fetching looking. I've never seen meer lined pipes with that much meer showing.
 
I read somewhere that they are prone to cracks due to the fact that the inside and outside of the bowl tends to cool down at different temps.
 
I've had a couple of these and most came to me with a undisclosed crack or chunk out of the bottom. Whether it was from a drop or not I don't know. I have smoked one but, didn't noticed anything special. To each his own I reckon.  :| 
 
I got in a meer lined Brebbia Author a while back but haven't set fire to it yet. Apparently the meer is block rather than pressed, which is supposed to be better.

Need to get a round tuit soon!

 ;) 



Cheers,

RR
 
Never used a meer-lined bowl, but I suppose in theory it would allow you to use a briar pipe w/out having to really break it in, i.e. no cake required.  IMHO, the only real benefit to this type of pipe is you get the look and durability of briar on the outside coupled with the ease of smoking a meer on the inside.  That's my take on it.  Someone can chime in and correct my statements if I'm way-off.  Just .02 cents from a novice...
 
Have a couple of them, got as a pair off HeaveBay, allegedly Italian. Smoke great after several years. Developed small bottom of the bowl hairline cracks that never went any further than that. YMMV
 
I've had/smoked three over the years.  Two were those French meer lined leather covered things, they both smoked hotter than blazes.  Too many layers of insulation to let the heat dissipate.  The other was an OK smoker.  I don't remember the brand, but it was pretty inexpensive at the time, short and moderately light, a good packing/canoeing pipe.  Last time I saw it, the keel of my canoe was pointing towards the sky, my face was playing rudder with the rocks at the bottom of the Cossatot River, the the pipe decided to run for it's life.

Natch
 
Natch":jzkxifk4 said:
Last time I saw it, the keel of my canoe was pointing towards the sky, my face was playing rudder with the rocks at the bottom of the Cossatot River, the the pipe decided to run for it's life.
Click to expand...
At least it was not one of your Kirstens that ran away...
 
Had a Dr. Grabow meer lined from the 40's.  Gave it to Aj...smoked it a few times and it was very nice, cool and dry...  I liked it alot, which is why I gave it to Aj.

I believe it was a Gaspirini carving.
 
I know these regularly get poo-poo'd by fans of briar and meerschaum alike (and pipe forum cognoscenti in general), but I'm a fan personally. They're great knockabout pipes that do a very workman-like job of burning up tobacco in my experience. Not the most glam of smoking tools but quite utilitarian nonetheless.
 
I have both a LaRocca and an EWA - billiards both - one bent and one straight. Both are great smokers - and I use them when I know I'll have more than one bowl quickly - and don't want to worry about handling my meer pipes.....they seem to be regarded poorly, but I've found them to be excellent from the first bowl, mine free from cracking, and certainly a good pipe for the price....my opinion of course - and I'm learning there's no more subjective hobby than this one!

Happy puffing....
 
Good evening,

Excuse me when I'm wrong but to my opinion the meerschaum used in these pipes is not blockmeerschaum but pressedmeerschaum. With this kind of pipes you will never get the the satisfaction of a blockmeerschaum pipe.
 
Perhaps I'm the wrong guy to respond, since I've never smoked one. I have 6 Meerschaums and about 100 briars, and I love them all. Well, most of them anyway. A good block meerschaum can be a wonderful smoker, as can a good briar. So my question is, since a good briar can be a wonderful smoker entirely on its own, what would a meerschaum lining contribute that the briar doesn't already possess? Remember, it's pressed, not block meerschaum, and while there's nothing inherently bad about that, but this is a pipe that will never develop a cake--the best part of a briar. Unless, of course, it's an inferior grade briar to begin with, in which case I'm not certain that a meerschaum lining pressed into the bowl will help much. But remember, I acknowledged at the outset that I'm speculating, since I've never tried one. It's just that if someone came along and offered to line my briars with meerschaum at no cost to me, I'd decline his offer.
 
I have 3 meer lined briars in my collection right now, and one meer pipe. I am much more comfortable with the meer lined as I don't feel that they are as delicate as the full meer. I know that meer is not that delicate and people get years of faithful service from them. I't just one of my many paranoia things I guess. I also enjoy the meer lined as they do not ghost, can be put in my jacket pocked and knocked around without worry of damage. I love them for sampling different blends. I will say however that meer lined briar pipes, at least the ones I have, have a fairly small bowl.
 
Gentlemen.

I just received several antique Meerschaum pipes on consignment. Let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks,
Hank
 
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