Full Bent White Latice Turkish Meerschaum Pipe

On 12/2/19, I purchased a lovely “Full Bent White Latice Turkish Meerschaum Pipe”(ASIN: B074CHS9QF) from the Amazon vendor E.A. Carey of Ohio, as a Christmas present and paid $109.00. A close friend and avid pipe collector had highly recommended giving a Meerschaum pipe because of the quality, workmanship and outstanding smoke offered.According to the E. A. Carey web site: “Defective products are guaranteed up to 90 days. We will replace defective items for you at no charge. Products that have suffered misuse or extreme abuse and are no longer usable are not considered defective and will not be accepted. These items will not be returned to you, and we will inform you of this by e-mail. Items that are "worn" from normal use, are also not considered defective.”The recipient of the pipe has been a pipe smoker for many years and understands the care necessary for such a special pipe. The day after Christmas, 12/26/19, he began smoking the pipe and taking proper care to maintain and properly clean.In early March 2020, less than three months later, the thread portion of the pipe stem stuck inside the bowl connection so the pipe would not stay together. On 3/10/2020, I contacted E.A. Carey through the Amazon site, described the issue, provided pictures of the pipe and asked for either a replacement or repair since the use of the pipe had been less than three months. The picures are attached to this review.On 3/13/20, the E.A. Carey Company sent the following reply to my request:“The manufacturer did reach out to us. Unfortunately, this is not under any warranty anymore because of the use. If the defect was there when the pipe was first used, they would be able to take the pipe back, but after looking at the pictures, they are not able to accept it back for repair.”The pictures depict some limited natural color change from white to honey brown, which is to be expected but a new pipe should not have this issue when it has been used daily for less than 10 weeks!Internet searches discovered another Meerschaum vendor (not on Amazon) sells a stem replacement with acrylic threads made specifically for the Meerschaum pipe for a cost of about $15.00, which indicates this is a common problem with these particular pipes. The description of the replacement stem reads as follows:“Replacement Regular Size Pipe Stem and Pipe Fitting - Regular sized replacement pipe stem with Teflon push pull fitting for full sized Meerschaum pipes. These high quality stems are made from spacial multi-colored acrylic. All replacement stems have a "tiger print" (marbled shades of amber and brown) approximately 3-3.5 inches long. Pipe stem can be easily bent. Simply dip the stem in very hot (but not boiling) water for a few seconds. It becomes soft enough to bend into the shape you desire.”I have also provided a picture of this replacement stem.E.A. Carey prides itself in being in business since the 1940s yet does not offer this option for repair. I definitely would not recommend purchasing any Meerschaum pipes from E.A.Carey.

This has become my firm favorite go-to pipe for everyday use. A true thing of beauty in the hand, and a cool, dry smoking experience. The intricate lattice work is really starting to take on a nice patina already.

I got this for a Christmas gift. it gave a beautiful smoke, no strange odors during the first bowl, as a lot of pipes do. and continues to be well worth the price