Thread: Meerschaum aficionados please give me your opinion.

Years ago my brother brought me home a Meerschaum from Turkey, a Viking-type, small size. It eventually cracked on the stem.
I am thinking about another Meerschaum, but afraid this would happen again. Here is a link to one I have been eyeing:
S YANIK Meerschaum Pipe Skull 8 Fitted Case

Is this too delicate to smoke? Will it crack also? Is ti just for looks?

Have you checked this thread?

Originally Posted by souschefdude

Is this too delicate to smoke? Will it crack also? Is ti just for looks?

Of course it is not for smoking. Skull is trying to tell you that smoking kills :-(

I have come to the conclusion that breathing kills. It is something we all do, and we all die.

Smaller meers are invariably bad smokers, wet and gurgly. The kind that cost $30 and look like dragons and skulls and buccaneers rarely produce a good smoke for more than five minutes.

Sadik Yanik, self-proclaimed producer of masterpieces, is one of the best meer carvers around. He doesn't make small pipes with restricted airways - he makes carvings that usually work fine as pipes. Not a skull, bones and dragon man myself but I say, "Whatever floats your boat. If Yanik made it it'll probably be a fine pipe in execution and smokeability." If it does break or smoke poorly or develop a few cracks I can almost guarantee a quick email to Sadik will get you back a surly, piss-off reply. Sadik feels you're on your own once you buy one of his pipes. Ornates are a risk but, if you want a skull and you want a meer, Yanik will be hard to beat. I have one of his giant, seriously ugly, florals and it is a brilliant but un-fragile smoker.

If you want to spend the same money on an excellent classic design with makers guarantee of smoke-worthiness, get a Fikri Baki product.

Originally Posted by souschefdude

I have come to the conclusion that breathing kills. It is something we all do, and we all die.

Smoking does a much better job though: it works faster.

Not according to Jean Calmet.