meerschaum insert question

[pipeguy]

Hi all,does anyone have any experience with meer iserts? If thet are epoxied into the bowl prior to drilling and the finished.When smoked would'nt the adhesive met under the heat? am I missing something thanks for you input

[oklahoma red]

I believe the traditional method is a band of cork gasket for a friction fit.
Chas.

[pipeguy]

You are correct Sir. as it applies to Calabash pipes Thes are lined in the bowl

[wmolaw]

You are correct Sir. as it applies to Calabash pipes Thes are lined in the bowl

My experience is limited, for a reason. I bought one meer lined pipe, admittedly not overly expensive. After about a month of smoking from time to time, the meer bowl began to creep up on me. After a couple of months it was clearly climbing out of the bowl, over an 1/8 of an inch showing above the rim.

Never bought another, so don't know if it was the pipe, or if that is a generic problem.

[oklahoma red]

You are correct Sir. as it applies to Calabash pipes Thes are lined in the bowl

Oops, my bad. It was late.
Personal opinion here but I have trouble getting the point of a meer liner beyond a marketing ploy. By trapping the liner inside a wooden shell is not the purpose being defeated? I confess to not owning one nor have I ever smoked one so I could be all wet.
Many years ago I did get suckered into one that had a "pyrolitic graphite" liner. That was a dud.
Chas.

[wmolaw]

You are correct Sir. as it applies to Calabash pipes Thes are lined in the bowl

Oops, my bad. It was late.
Personal opinion here but I have trouble getting the point of a meer liner beyond a marketing ploy. By trapping the liner inside a wooden shell is not the purpose being defeated? I confess to not owning one nor have I ever smoked one so I could be all wet.
Many years ago I did get suckered into one that had a "pyrolitic graphite" liner. That was a dud.
Chas.

I think that is the reason, actually, so the smoker doesn't get "all wet" since Meer tends to absorb moisture more readily than briar, or so the reasoning goes. Thus, makes for a drier smoke.

[pipeguy]

Also I have been told that there is no break in time.

[DMI]

The method varies according to the type of pipe you are making, a traditional gourd calabash or wooden equivalents can have removable bowls whilst billiards etc tend to be glued in.

Epoxy and water based glues should not be used as they either soften or dissolve, my normal is old fashioned melt in the pot bone/resin glue which is probably illegal nowadays.

The liner rising above the rim slightly is not that unusual, I don't know but would guess it is down to the liner expanding as it adsorbs water.

Meer has no real break in period and only needs a very thin cake, what you have to make sure of is that you let the pipe cool before cleaning it out as the meer in contact with the baccy can become very soft during smoking as it adsorbs moisture.

If you are buying a calabash insert from say PME this does not apply.

During the 60's and 70's a lot of liners for billiards etc. were made from a composite of meer and several additives some including asbestos, these tend to be slightly yellow in colour and have a grainy surface.

Another variation is to make a liner from the same material they line kilns with, this tends to be beige.

I have seen both types for sale on ebay in europe where they come from closed factories.

David.

[wmolaw]

The method varies according to the type of pipe you are making, a traditional gourd calabash or wooden equivalents can have removable bowls whilst billiards etc tend to be glued in.

Epoxy and water based glues should not be used as they either soften or dissolve, my normal is old fashioned melt in the pot bone/resin glue which is probably illegal nowadays.

The liner rising above the rim slightly is not that unusual, I don't know but would guess it is down to the liner expanding as it adsorbs water.

Meer has no real break in period and only needs a very thin cake, what you have to make sure of is that you let the pipe cool before cleaning it out as the meer in contact with the baccy can become very soft during smoking as it adsorbs moisture.

If you are buying a calabash insert from say PME this does not apply.

During the 60's and 70's a lot of liners for billiards etc. were made from a composite of meer and several additives some including asbestos, these tend to be slightly yellow in colour and have a grainy surface.

Another variation is to make a liner from the same material they line kilns with, this tends to be beige.

I have seen both types for sale on ebay in europe where they come from closed factories.

David.

Hmmm, asbestos in the bowl? Doesn't seem a great idea to me. I think I will stay away from buying older meer lined pipes, eh?

[DMI]

Only if they are cheap no names from Germany.

I have an old well smoked Dublin from around 1900 that is solid asbestos, it has never been reamed or worked on and it will never be smoked by me.

David.