Too bad every cloud doesn't have a meerschaum lining

[GarWood]

I'm a relative newbie; about 1 year of pipe smoking experience, so forgive me if this has been covered before. One of my favorite pipes is an older meer-lined Kaywoodie. I just fired it up & some thoughts crossed my mind...
Does the meer lining mimick cake build-up?
What is the primary purpose of meer lining?
Are they still manufactured? I haven't really searched, but I've only seen estate pipes with meer lining. ipe:

 

[adauria]

I'm not smart enough to give you an answer you might "useful," or even "informed," but I am prideful enough to share my unfounded thoughts here.

Meer linings are probably for folks who like briar pipes but want the smoking characteristics of meer bowls, i.e. a little drier, no ghosting, no need to build cake, and does not impart a flavor of its own (unlike briar). At the same time, you get a nice wide briar airway, no need to worry about how you hold or color the outside of the bowl of the pipe, and reduce concerns about fragility of an all-meer pipe.

For me, I like both meer and briar, but generally keep them separate. But I see no reason why a meer lined briar pipe wouldn't produce a best of both worlds smoking experience for those who enjoy them.

-Andrew

 

[Anonymous]

Not to disparage meer-lined briars, but these were generally not the top of the line pipes that any top shelf company turned out.

The further down the food chain you got, the more likely it was that a company would be using briar that wasn't all that well cured, and consequently tasted pretty bad until it was smoked in over months of use.

Meerschaum lining was an ideal solution to the problem of a new pipe tasting like a new, green pipe.

This may not have been the whole story, but it was one aspect of it.

Bottom line : a good smoking/tasting pipe is a good pipe, period.

:face:

 

[GarWood]

Interesting thoughts, unfounded and otherwise ;-)
Thanks for the feedback :bball: