>>28 > Elitism/price: - corncob ($10-30)
- clay ( <$100)
- various other woods
- briar ($80 - $600)
- meerschaum ( $200 - $1000+)
> Quality: - various other woods
- briar / clay
- corncob
- meerschaum
And a criteria you forgot but is worth mentioning:
> Fragility: - clay
- meerschaum
- corncob
- briar
Depending on what you're smoking, briars may deliver better taste. Especially if you smoke a lot of one kind of tobacco in its own designated briar pipe, the tars and resins from the tobacco will flavor the wood in a largely positive way over time. But proper used briars start around $50 and new ones start around $100 -- I'd never recommend starting with one!
Meerschaums and clays deliver the cleanest, coolest, purest taste but clay pipes are a bit tricky to handle and can get too hot. They don't need to be broken in, which is a plus, but decent meerschaums are on the spendy side. There are a lot of really beautifully carved meerschaums so I think they're better to bring to formal occasions (the kind that demand cuff links, polished shoes, etc)
Corncobs (like Missouri Meerschaum) are the easiest to smoke and can really handle humidity well. And if you lose or break a corncob it's only like $10-20 to replace it. But they are a bit... corny... I wouldn't bring one to a casino or wedding
I've been smoking long enough that investing in a few meerschaum pipes was sensible for me. I like them on occasion, especially when I smoke outside of the house, and they really excel for smoking non-tobacco herbs as well. Corncobs are my every day smoke. Used to really love my briars but they cannot handle the humidity where I am now, so they just sit and look nice on the pipe rack.
https://www.meerschaummarket.com
Just look at these beauties. But would you really want to take a $1000 pipe out fishing or mowing the lawn ? Which pipe material is the best is a matter of hot debate; 80% of the time I'm smoking on my cobs.
One thing briars have over cobs is they come in many different shapes, like meerschaum pipes. Some pipes shapes are just more appealing. More satisfying to hold on. Just speak to you, "this is the pipe for me." and having a vibe that suits your vibes will make the smoke better imo.