Meers are very Durable, Not Fragile - Discuss

[mwsmoker]

I’ve never dropped a meer, but I’ve read and heard of many others who have. Most (all?) that I can remember had minor dents or scratches, but zero shattered pipes.

Conventional wisdom implies the fragility of a meerschaum pipe is only bested by clay.

Have you broken a meer in circumstances you’re confident a similarly shaped briar would have survived? Are meers really more durable than their reputation? I’m not considering delicate and intricate figurals, just your typical billiard, dublin, apple, etc.

Thanks!

 

[Briar Lee]

I’ve not dropped a meer either.

But the Turks that carve them always mention how fragile meerschaum is. Sometimes an extremely expensive pipe cracks and is ruined at the last stages of carving.

But meerschaum is nearly everlasting unless you break the pipe.

There’s many over a century old in daily use.

 

[burleybreath]

I've dropped them several times, on carpet. The carpet fared worse than the pipe, which escaped any kind of damage, structural or cosmetic. They're not fragile. Lattice maybe, but not solid meerschaum.

 

[warren]

My meers do not see action when I'm out working, chainsaw, tractor, photography, etc. They are smoked in doors or on the porch. I've dropped them on tile and wood. A gouge or other minor damage is the worst I've experienced. I would observe my dropped meers were not ornately carved with details which could easily be broken. Those pipes are smoked at my desk or while sitting in my easy chair. Whether meerschaums or briar, damage is mostly dependent on what the surface is that it contacts and the angle of impact. A briar or meerschaum are probably most likely to suffer a broken stem if the angle is right and the surface if very hard. But, all in all, a fairly plain meerschaum is, in my experience, is no more likely to suffer a break than a briar.

 

[cshubhra]

Most of my Meerschaum pipes have proven to be very hardy so far.

One exception is the Altinay. It is a translucent meerschaum and scratches and dings easily on normal handling.

 

[augiebd]

I have found them to be quite durable. I agree with the degree of carving and angle of impact. I think age might be a factor, I have some older ones that have chipped.

 

[Davy]

I've dropped one, 4 feet high, on a hardwood floor at that.
No damage whatsoever besides a small dent.

 

[RustiePyles CPG]

From a repair standpoint, they are VERY fragile. When preforming any kind shank or mortis/tenon work on a meer they are very prone to cracking. They are far more susceptible to axial forces than they are compression forces.

Like any natural material, it’s near impossible to tell if there is a natural weak point until it’s too late. They are also very prone to cracking when subjected to rapid temp changes. Like opening the freezer with a lit meer clenched has resulted in many cracked pipes.

 

[brian64]

In my experience with them in terms of just every day handling and smoking, over many years now, they are not fragile at all.

I can definitely see however the point @RustiePyles CPG is making from a repair standpoint...makes sense.

 

[Merton]

They are both fragile and durable. Durable if you take care of them but avoid dropping one on concrete. True, really, for the vast majority of pipes of all kinds. I speak from experience having dropped a Becker 4 club dublin on my driveway of the very first day I owned it. It actually didn't seem that durable in reality and, boy oh boy. it proved not be.

 

[condorlover1]

With all the pipes I own with an average age of 125 years they must have something going for them as they are still around!

 

[crashthegrey]

I dropped one in my car and snapped the shank but it was pressed meer.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I dropped a big multi-section Kenan skull on the kitchen floor. It dented the linoleum but the pipe was unscathed.

 

[kcghost]

They are susceptible to breaking when dropped on anything other than carpet but not always. They do have a reputation for breaking if dropped on concrete. Sometimes you are lucky and other times you are heart broken.
This applies to other things pipes are made of.

 

[mso489]

I've always been impressed with the durability of briar and cobs, so I wouldn't risk taking my one Meer on a trip or outdoors, but that's just from inexperience.

I would think a Meer with a lot of detailed carving would be vulnerable.

 

[mwsmoker]

The latest desert island post got me to thinking. Maybe I should choose a meer as the one.

I’ve only been smoking meerschaum since 2010 or so, but my few seem pretty bulletproof. I’ve traveled with them regularly. My 2 pipe travel roll usually has 1 briar and 1 meer.

I try not to drop any of my nice things on concrete. Maybe the tribal knowledge of their fragility is a little overblown?

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

I've never broke one from dropping, as I'm careful not to drop them. I have broke one when I put the stem back in the shank. Apparently, it was one to many turns and I over-tightened it and broke the shank. I was able to repair it, but now I have a permenant crack in the shank.

 

[MinnesotaNice]

I've never dropped one but have found them to be very durable. I smoke mine in the high heat and humidity of summer and the extremely cold of winter.
I think there is a lot of misinformation around meers that have been accepted as common knowledge. In the case of them being fragile I think this is a case of perception becoming reality. I think most pipe smokers have the opinion of meers being fragile without the experience to back those thoughts.