Scott,

Thanks for the pics and post.

My knowledge of meerschaum brands and famous names is dated but the basics haven't changed.

Make sure that the stone (raw meerschaum) is of high quality. On Turkish stone there shouldn't be any discolorations, translucent spots (used to be wax fills) or any splits or fissures. There are natural flaws in all stone but the skilled carver works around them and incorporates them into his design. Stone from other areas have different properties depending on it's chemical composition so these points are specific to Turkish meerschaum that is a pure white. African stone is often mottled in color.

The quality of the carving is the real proof of the quality of the cut, no matter whose name is, or is not on the pipe. If the piece is well carved and you like it, then it's a good piece. If there was a noteworthy artisan's name attached you'd expect to pay more but it comes down to your eye test and an ugly name piece is still ugly. From what I can see the woman's head is the best carved piece here. The carving is flowing with clear smooth areas and a long graceful shank. A longer shank can be repaired in the event of a crack (needs to be cut). The man's head is a short shank and not as graceful (as an example) but it's not a bad carving.

Larger pieces tend to be more expensive for much the same reasons that diamonds are priced by size. The Eagle is a large piece but not as well carved as the woman's head. Knowing the size, length, width and height of these pipes could help establish their value.

These cases appear to be custom form fit that used to indicate value but at the least it means that the case has some quality. The exterior material can shed some light on value, especially if it's leather. Look too at the quality of the interior material.

Once you know the size, use eBay for price comparisons. These pipes aren't smoked but they look new or at the least they're real clean. Don't compare to antiques, or pipes that were carved in Austria. Compare them to new Turkish carved stock being sold. These should also be checked for chips from handling.

Pete