Meerschaum?

[mahtofire14]

What are the positives and negatives of these opposed to regular briar pipes?

[rharris]

pros; Meerschaum is light, it can be carved into great shapes. It tends to not "ghost" as briar can. It is easy to clean, as it usually just needs a pipe cleaner run down the stem.
cons; it is somewhat brittle and can break if handled roughly. Some people do not like the coloration as it absorbs tars and the like. As with most things it is a highly subjective personal preference thing. I happen to like them, and use a few of them.
Rich

[nutcracker]

You just have to try one and see....
They don't like our cold weather though, so indoors when it's 40 below! (Brittle and will crack)

[OnePyroTec]

PROS:

IMHO DENIZ URAL is one of the best and sells the best but his prices reflect it.
http://bestmeerschaums.homestead.com/coverpage.html

Meerqueen has a wider selection and a lot of affordable pipes.
http://www.meerschaumstore.com/

CONS:
Some of the Meer suppliers can be real asshats to deal with. Yavuz Körpefiliz / Storient pipes Would be #1 asshat.

[The.Sheepdog]

Friends dont let friends patronize asshats!

I happen to love the way the white pipes turn a deep rich waxy brown as they absorb the tobacco love. I dont have one now but used to have one pipe that was a deep brown like a beautiful glazed briar. They also smoke so very cool!

[JohnnyFlake]

Pros - Meers can be had in a enormous variety of shapes, style and configurations.

They smoke much cooler than briar or other wood pipes.

Unlike briar/wood pipes, they can be smoked over and over again with only a
15/20 minute rest between smokes.

They are super easy to clean

You'll truer flavors from the tobacco you smoke, than from a briar/wood pipe
and there is far less, almost no ghosting, from previously smoked tobaccos.

Cons - They are delicate and can easily crack or break if dropped on a hard surface.

They will all color, a deep brownish color over time.

Here is the caveat, you need to buy a true Block Meerschaum pipe, for a good pipe, that will do what it should and last a lifetime. 80% of the Meers for sale are made from pressed Meerschaum and not Block Meerschaum. That is why they are so cheap!!! A good Meerschaum Pipe, made from Block Meerschaum, will start in the $80/$90 price range.