New Pipe Smoker With A Question? Ask an Old Fart

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by jkstewart1

...How else would you know what seems to smoke best in what pipe? Part of the plan is to acquire a meer to start working from a neutral base. Good idea or not so good?

Thanks.

For the serious explorer with an eye towards understanding how it all fits together this may be the ONLY thing that makes sense. I was thinking along these line earlier today that getting a cob for newguys is good advice but a meer (with some caveats) is probably better.

According to how you're thinking, get a good meer. There are a lot of $35-$65 (smaller where it sucks) meers that are more claw-and-ball than pipe, if you know what I mean. Get a full-sized quality meer with a 4mm bore from the respected Altinok line or get a Fikri Baki. No problems with construction or geometery - a great pipe for life that will reveal tobacco with great clarity. After a while you may augment such a meer with 5-50 briars or you may find that one or two meers will satisfy a lifetime of adventure.

Of my three conventional meers, two are large and made right and one was cool looking, a bit on the small side and modestly priced. The little one is a gurgly PAS and the two others (cost me twide as much but) smoke wonderfully.