Found a Meer

[monbla256]

Was toolin thru the 'net and came across this Meer that looks like it would be THE one for Bob Guitar my Friend:

http://www.meerschaumstore.com/proddetail.asp?prod=PE201

A chef for a chef

 

[Growley]

That's a great looking pipe. I think it was laser carved though :suspect: , it just looks too perfect. Thinking out loud....I wonder if some meers are actually laser carved these days? Probably not, they're probably just 3D printed, LOL.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Nah, there's carvers out there that can make meer pipes look that good. With all the cheapy mass-produced demand (and the fact the newer generations in Turkey likely not wanting to continue the family buisness or trade as a carver to go be programmers or doctors) means less availability of really good meerschaum work to be had. I've perused pictures of old meers that are Michelangelo-awesome. Technology, admittedly, is becoming the trade-off for...erm...actual skilled trade...so the suspicion is well-placed. Since it's still Turkish law to not let unfinished meer outside its borders, and the likelihood a meer carver there has access to such sophisticated laser machinery is very faint, I'm thinking the Chef Pipe is legit.

8)

 

[Growley]

Nah, there's carvers out there that can make meer pipes look that good. With all the cheapy mass-produced demand (and the fact the newer generations in Turkey likely not wanting to continue the family buisness or trade as a carver to go be programmers or doctors) means less availability of really good meerschaum work to be had. I've perused pictures of old meers that are Michelangelo-awesome. Technology, admittedly, is becoming the trade-off for...erm...actual skilled trade...so the suspicion is well-placed. Since it's still Turkish law to not let unfinished meer outside its borders, and the likelihood a meer carver there has access to such sophisticated laser machinery is very faint, I'm thinking the Chef Pipe is legit.

8)

True. I was mostly jesting...with a little conspiracy theory thrown in for fun. I wonder if they could make a Meer "pipe kit" and call it finished enough to export...

 

[puros_bran]

I think Mon should buy it for him... It's not fair teasing a guy like that.

 

[monbla256]

I think Mon should buy it for him... It's not fair teasing a guy like that.

NAH! He's joined the Bob so now he's playin' wit da big boys :twisted:

 

[Kyle Weiss]

True. I was mostly jesting...with a little conspiracy theory thrown in for fun. I wonder if they could make a Meer "pipe kit" and call it finished enough to export...

Dang Internets masking its digital tongue-cheeks.

If the kits included a laser carver, maybe.

8)

 

[RDPipes]

Yes sir, nice pipe if your a chef or of sorts.
It seems to be well carved and certainly a piece of art without saying but, I'm not a chef so...
I mean if it was of a personality or of some interest of mine I would want it. Now,if it were
vintage I'd want it just on that. Just my two worthless cents.

 

[Anonymous]

If it WERE laser carved, that would be the greatest thing that ever happened to meerschaum pipes -- maybe, if it worked with briar too, to pipes in general.

EXQUISITE quality at an affordable price !

There would still be artist carvers, whose work was collected as (smokable) art.

And the other guys in the current picture would not be gracing the world with pipes that are somewhat less than artistic triumphs.

People think that "art" = sandpaper.

Not so. Get good with sandpaper, and evolving fluid curves & the rest of that gets pretty easy. That isn't Art. It's competent Craftsmanship.

:face:

 

[Growley]

True. I was mostly jesting...with a little conspiracy theory thrown in for fun. I wonder if they could make a Meer "pipe kit" and call it finished enough to export...

Dang Internets masking its digital tongue-cheeks.

If the kits included a laser carver, maybe.

8)

I should have thrown in a smily face in there somewhere. The always seem to help convey the message. Or do they? :scratch:

 

[PipeDragon]

If it WERE laser carved, that would be the greatest thing that ever happened to meerschaum pipes -- maybe, if it worked with briar too, to pipes in general.

EXQUISITE quality at an affordable price !

There would still be artist carvers, whose work was collected as (smokable) art.

And the other guys in the current picture would not be gracing the world with pipes that are somewhat less than artistic triumphs.

People think that "art" = sandpaper.

Not so. Get good with sandpaper, and evolving fluid curves & the rest of that gets pretty easy. That isn't Art. It's competent Craftsmanship.

:face:

If the day ever comes when Meerschaums are carved by laser instead of by hand then that is the day I will stop buying Meerschaums. This goes for Briars as well but esp so for Meerschaums.

Its the Human element that in turns puts the individuality into the pipe esp the figural with the "emotional" expressions portraited

 

[GuitarMyFriend]

That's awesome!!! The second I can grow a full mustache I plan to, and he's got the sideburns like I do.
...I've never had/never smoked outta a meer before...
Looks really cool! Thanks for showing!!!
Zach

 

[Kyle Weiss]

I should have thrown in a smily face in there somewhere. The always seem to help convey the message. Or do they? :scratch:

According to some, I have a very aloof and infantile understanding of people's emotions, so I actually take the emoticons at...*cough*...face-value, but at times I've used them to soften a point or make a joke, and it enraged people even more because I guess there's ways to use them to appear particularly arrogant and/or inappropriately sarcastic, when all that was desired was fun. I've never tuned in certain frequencies, but I'll get strung up again for it in the future. :lol: In other words, don't take my advice on smiley face usage.

Meanwhile, skipping ahead to the wagon train, I bet meerschaum would lend itself well under a laser-knife, but I believe briar would be troublesome.

8)

 

[Harlock999]

I could be wrong (!), but there do seem to be a few
carvers who laser inscribe their pipes, rather than stamping them.
Just being pipe nerdy... :roll:

 

[RDPipes]

People think that "art" = sandpaper.

Not so. Get good with sandpaper, and evolving fluid curves & the rest of that gets pretty easy. That isn't Art. It's competent Craftsmanship.

:face:

I can't agree with you there having some artist abilities since I was a child, or heck maybe I do.
As the saying goes, "you can lead a horse to water but, you can't make him drink."
You can give all the tools and training needed to a person but, it still takes skill and the artistic ability
to create art. I've seen many people that were well trained create nice things but, ever so often
you'll see one that stands out from all the rest. In other words, it's not knowing how to use sandpaper,
it's the way you us it. That is my belief and MHO.

 

[beetlejazz]

Heck that's lovely work! The man's expression is great too, like he was watching someone gobbling down his cooking, gently amused.

Whatever the tool used is, in the end it's understanding of shape that's that I personally would find a dealbreaker. When looking/drooling at meers over the internet, I've seen so many with a human figure with precise detail here and there but misertably wonky proportions. :evil: Could never smoke a pipe like that... or perhaps I could if it was a good smoker and just avoid looking at it.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Beetle you just touched upon why I don't like most figurals...modern ones, anyway. Most of them are either perfectly carved and have vapid personality written all over the faces of the subject, or they're off somehow and make me wonder if those poor carvers in Turkey have ever seen a woman under age 50 or without a mustache. :lol: Cartaphilus' screaming Mohawk Indian meer is probably one of my favorites, and there's a few others that really have some depth of soul to them. Meanwhile, my meers are all standard shapes. Yanik makes some beautiful pieces, but after Kaiser's experience, I'm not ready to get a pipe that only sits and won't smoke well.

I take my toys out of the package and play with them. You can read into that and giggle all you want, you saucy girl, you.

8)

 

[George Kaplan]

The second I can grow a full mustache I plan to,

Are you not allowed to have a mustache at work, Zach?