Meerschaum joints...

[JMG]

I received this in the mail today as a gift from a friend. This is how meers shank/stem joints should be done...not even the slightest light gap.

[RickB]

That's great. I've all but given up on all my meers but one because of bad or failing stem/shank junctions. The one I still smoke is a special occasions only pipe that was a gift from my dad from his collection. Bummer too because I love how they smoke generally, I just tend to be a little hard on pipes I guess.

[Sasquatch]

So is that just a meer cut for a tenon the way a briar stummel would be? ie is that a sleeve in the mortise or is it just drilled meershaum?

[JMG]

So is that just a meer cut for a tenon the way a briar stummel would be? ie is that a sleeve in the mortise or is it just drilled meershaum?

It's definitely a sleeve...I believe it's delrin. I think the meer would be too weak without a sleeve to support a normal tenon.