What classifies a "good" meer? Are there any specific pipe makers who are better than others? I'd like to purchase a meer sometime in the next few months but I don't want to dump a lot of money in one in case i'm not a fan of how they smoke. I like just the plain lattice ones, nothing fancy. Can anyone shed some light on this for me?

Thanks!

http://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/new/imp/index.cfm



There will be some that disagree, but that's the best meer for the money.

You can find em cheaper but you won't like them. They'll be pressed meer, or have those tiny little air ways that burn your tongue and clog up like crazy.

But if your looking for the ultimate cool dry smoke, you can't beat a gourd calabash with a meer bowl.. Avoid the porcilin bowls like the plague though.

I will second the choice of IMP Meers. Another source to consider is Altinok Pipes. Not taking anything away from Smoking Pipes but he also has very good service when it comes to purchasing Meerschaums.

IMP and Altinok are both excellent choices (I have 2 new Altinok lattice pipes myself). I also have a CAO that's a good smoker. Baki is another good maker, though I think a notch more expensive than some of the others. Sinan Altinok is also a great guy to do business with.

Avoid cheap meers, especially on ebay. If they aren't block meers they will not smoke well, be as durable, or color properly.

I don't know what is too much to invest for your budget, but you should probably expect to spend $75 - 100 on a decent meer. A $20 ebay meer is not likely to be solid block meer and will ultimately be a poor choice.

Not everyone likes them, but certainly most pipers who try them do like them. Some of us fall in love with them. Their general properties (as compared to briar) are cool and dry smoking. The other thing about meers is that you really taste the tobacco, not the wood nor any ghosts (they don't generally ghost flavors). They also tend to have a more constrained draw due to the way the tenon-mortise has to be done on meers (I recommend make sure you get one with a push-pull tenon).

-Andrew

I've seen some on ebay going for 30 or 40 bucks after shipping. They are from turkey and claim to be block meershaum. Is there any way to actually tell without purchasing it and smoking it?

FB-15...Just my two cents....Unless you know someone who has done business with the EBay meer sellers; be careful! While the vast majority of Turkish meers are block meers; a lot of the other "stuff' on EBay is pressed. Buying direct from Turkey...you should be OK. Your safest bet is to buy an IMP or Altinook to see if you enjoy the meer experience. I also heartily recommend that you get a real gourd calabash with meer bowl; new (if you can find one) or off of EBay, etc. I only have one now; but it's a wonderful smoke...even has an amber bit!! FTRPLT

I'm not meaning to sound like I'm telling you how to spend your money... Just trying to avoid you wasting money and having a bad experiance with meer pipes.

Don't buy off of ebay.. I bought four of the bay before deciding to go with IMP. They are for the most part unsmokable, when you do get one to stay lit its like sucking a strawberry through a straw... The only thing you get is tongue bite, even with burley blends.

IMP.. Is the way to go.

Altinok is probably a good choice but I can't reccomend them because I have no experiance with them.. But I withe the endorsements they are giving them I might just try him next time I am looking.

I'm not sure if the above post is a typographical nightmare or 15th century spelling but I'll let it stand

Thanks for all the input. I have no experience with meers, so i'm looking to you more experienced brothers for help! I don't feel like anyone is telling me how to spend my money, just educating me. So thanks again for all the help!

the pipe i smoke primarily is a meer. Now for a little back story.

One of my pipe smoking buddies was in the navy, and on his tour wound up in Turkey where he found a pipe shop that delt in meers and he bought a few for his friends on the cheep. Fast forward a few years and he shows me the website for the pipe maker and now I share it with you. www.sultanpipes.com

that is where my wife got me my meer. For my money it's sultan.

What makes the real gourd calabash with a meer bowl such a great smoke?

It's a very dry and cool smoke,,,,the bowl absorbs the moisture and the smoke has time to expand and cool in the gourd,,,,they've become expensive lately and several companies offer a calabash mounted in mahogany ,,,,can't say how they smoke, but I have a Big Ben briar/calabash with a pressed meer bowl and it smokes fine,,,,,,so maybe the gourd isn't essential, just traditional,,,,,,I purchased a calabash bowl to replace in a broken friends pipe and was told it was pressed meer cause Turkey won't allow just the bowls out of the country, only completed pipes, but it smokes fine, ,,,as far a Baki pipes go, I just sent for a canadian pot from them,,,should be here next week and I'll let you know how it smokes,,,,,

FB15
www.smokingpipes.com is having a nice sale on IMP Meers at the moment; you can pick up some large ones for $78. Mediums are $64 I believe