Meerschaum?

[dmkerr]

Originally Posted by IKMeerschaum

Our experience is a bit different on these two points.

Cake: We've always advised that customers NOT allow cake to form on their meerschaum pipes for the same reason that someone mentioned earlier. Thick cakes have the potential to expand at different rates while heating than does the stone so we've seen some cases of this leading to bowl cracks. It also puts you back into the whole "ghosting" or muddling of flavors when you mix tobaccos so why even go down that route when just folding over a pipe cleaner and running around the inside of the bowl after a smoke session will keep this from happening.


Touch: Again, we are strong proponents of touching your pipe while smoking. We find that overheating your pipe is the surest way to evaporate or drive off the wax on your pipe, not holding it.

• Holding or touching your pipe allows you to better keep track of how hot you are letting your pipe get and take corrective actions before it is too late. Getting it too hot will lead to either driving off the wax that aids in the coloring process or it will blacken the bottom of the bowl/shank of your pipe. Most people prefer blackened effect on their cajun food, not on their meers. And since the wax is what draws the color out to the surface of the pipe, you don't want to "boil" that off the stone.
• Provided your hands are relatively clean (don't touch a hot bowl after reading the Sunday newspaper or after changing the oil in your car without washing up), our experience has been that the oil from you skin can help encourage the coloring process. While on some pipes you might find this will lead to some areas coloring more rapidly than others, we've mostly seen the additional coloration as a good thing. After all, they used to coat meer pipes using sperm whale oil rather than wax and human skin oil should work pretty much the same.

You can learn more about coloring pipes at http://meerschaumpipes.com/ColorYourMeerschaum.aspx

Based on your moniker, how could I disagree?

Have to say, though, that your comments regarding holding the pipe are very interesting, inasmuch as they go against the prevailing "wisdom" of the time that I learned about this stuff. But that was the 1980's and things do change.

Comments about adding coloring wax? I still have some - they look like tubes of chapstick. I've used it in the past - any reason to do so?

I was always taught that when in the presence of an expert to shut up and learn! Thanks for your insight. Much appreciated!

[IKMeerschaum]

Originally Posted by dmkerr

Have to say, though, that your comments regarding holding the pipe are very interesting, inasmuch as they go against the prevailing "wisdom" of the time that I learned about this stuff. But that was the 1980's and things do change.

Yeah. That was right about the time of the real heyday for "that other company". Prior to that, unless you were talking about a real, prized posession, people really didn't care. I've looked at old coloring theories in number sources, including the NY Times from the 1800s (no, I'm not that old. The Internet is a wonderful thing) and can really find no negative against holding other than perhaps uneven coloring.

Originally Posted by dmkerr

Comments about adding coloring wax? I still have some - they look like tubes of chapstick. I've used it in the past - any reason to do so?

I'm familiar with this product. We recently sold off the last of that we had in stock to customers via our website. I can't say one way or the other if this will encourage or discourage coloring. My thinking is that this was just a handy way to store and apply wax to areas where you might have driven off the original wax coating (wear and overheating being most likely causes). We sell small blocks of bees wax that come from our workshop in Eskisehir for coating or re-coating pipes but most of these go to people carving their own pipes.

I've also heard that Paragon Wax for the Pipe. I ordered a set of the two different waxs to try on a pipe but haven't, as yet, started that experiment.

The pipe shown above is one that we "inhereited" at the shop from a family that has been handing it down for 140 years. Below is a pipe I'd been smoking a couple of times a week for 6 months by comparison.


Mine is the one in focus in the middle. This picture was taken at a coloring contest we held in our retail store last January.

[TheTraveler]

Originally Posted by IKMeerschaum

You can learn more about coloring pipes at http://meerschaumpipes.com/ColorYourMeerschaum.aspx

Wow, that's a pretty pipe!

[dmkerr]

Well, that's a relief! I don't necessarily "hold" the thing but I would like to be able to pull it out of my mouth from time to time, especially the Bekler (that "other" company?) which is kind of heavy. But it has my name and my design on it so I make do. And now I can take the stem off to clean it without having to use my finger inside the bowl as a "gripper". What a relief! Man, I just got to this site and already my life has changed.

[cp478]

i am still a nooby but i do have a meerschaum and i must admit it smokes great and well worth the money but i dislike the fragility of the thing. the corn cob for testing new tobaccos are definately the way to go.

[dmkerr]

[quote=IKMeerschaum;1964466]Yeah. That was right about the time of the real heyday for "that other company". Prior to that, unless you were talking about a real, prized posession, people really didn't care. I've looked at old coloring theories in number sources, including the NY Times from the 1800s (no, I'm not that old. The Internet is a wonderful thing) and can really find no negative against holding other than perhaps uneven coloring.
quote]

I'll have you know that last night I cut all the carbon out of the one meerschaum I own that had any! I may be ignorant but I'm not stupid! Fill me in and I'll get with the program.

Thanks for the heads up.

[afilter]

Well, the E-bay bug bit me. I will now be the new owner of not one but two Meerschaums. Opps

They are advertised as unsmoked and look pretty nice. I guess we we see.

First is a dragon claw which I have seen similar designs:




2nd is a hand holding a basket which I have not seen:




Each comes with a fitted case by Sevi-Meershaum. Not sure if I will keep both, but seemed to good to pass up especially if they are in new condition. Did a quick search and if on line prices are anyhting to go by I think I did pretty well.

Boy this can be addictive. No more EBAY!

Now I just need to get the quality stuff to smoke in them.

[dmkerr]

Originally Posted by afilter

Well, the E-bay bug bit me. I will now be the new owner of not one but two Meerschaums. Opps

They are advertised as unsmoked and look pretty nice. I guess we we see.

First is a dragon claw which I have seen similar designs:




2nd is a hand holding a basket which I have not seen:




Each comes with a fitted case by Sevi-Meershaum. Not sure if I will keep both, but seemed to good to pass up especially if they are in new condition. Did a quick search and if on line prices are anyhting to go by I think I did pretty well.

Boy this can be addictive. No more EBAY!

Now I just need to get the quality stuff to smoke in them.

Sweet! I like the hand holding basket one particularly, I guess because I've never seen one like it either. I have several meerschaums (just bought 3 on Ebay - heh, heh!) and as much as the "run of the mill" carvings are fun, the more original ones are more so. Enjoy!

[Requiem]

Meer lovers, I need a few tips.

Please read my last post in here ---» Self review: Requiem

thanks.

[dmkerr]

Originally Posted by Requiem

Meer lovers, I need a few tips.

Please read my last post in here ---» Self review: Requiem

thanks.

Get an IMP. I prefer the smooth over the lattice and I still don't do a lot of finger touching. Old habits dying hard, and all that. CAO's are also good, as are SMS. But the IMP's have the HUGE advantage of being more like briars in the tenon/mortise junction. If you get some other brand, you'll see what I mean in a hurry. Also, meers tend to have crappy draws more often than briars. Make sure you can send it back if you buy it sight unseen.

Get an IMP. I can't stress that strongly enough.

[Requiem]

Thanks, Dan.
IMP, ok, assimilated.

[Bear Graves]

As a disclaimer, I stock (and will only stock) IMP meerschaums. So feel free to to take this with a grain of salt. Over the years I have collected a meerschaum for every 9 (or so) briars that I add. If there is a company making meers there's a chance that it is represented in the 50+ meers that sit in my stash. Prior to joining SP.com, I didn't know from an IMP, so I bought one (I have to admit that an employee discount had some factor in the purchase). I was quite impressed with the initial smoke and blown away after a few weeks worth of bowls and subsequent cleaning. The guts inside any IMP are spooky-close to that of a briar.

Their shapes can be pretty "out there", their founder made a decision early on that they weren't going to do the so called "classic set of figurals". Having said that, if you like the shape, you won't have any qualms with the smoke.

Da' Bear

[dmkerr]

Originally Posted by Bear Graves

As a disclaimer, I stock (and will only stock) IMP meerschaums. So feel free to to take this with a grain of salt. Over the years I have collected a meerschaum for every 9 (or so) briars that I add. If there is a company making meers there's a chance that it is represented in the 50+ meers that sit in my stash. Prior to joining SP.com, I didn't know from an IMP, so I bought one (I have to admit that an employee discount had some factor in the purchase). I was quite impressed with the initial smoke and blown away after a few weeks worth of bowls and subsequent cleaning. The guts inside any IMP are spooky-close to that of a briar.

Their shapes can be pretty "out there", their founder made a decision early on that they weren't going to do the so called "classic set of figurals". Having said that, if you like the shape, you won't have any qualms with the smoke.

Da' Bear

Unbeknownst to you, you talked me into getting my IMP. Well done, my hirsute friend!

[laney1566]

I have quite a few meers and have never worried about touching them. I ignored one kid at a local shop who said I should buy a gloved designed for smoking meers. Misinformation can sometimes lead you to do the strangest things.

[DeadFrog]

The whole touching issue was a big concern for me as I just recently got my first meer. A smaller SMS smooth sitter. I've read so many different opinions on the issue. But not being a clencher, I just had to hold the pipe. I said screw it, I'm smoking it to enjoy it not place it in a museum one day. Well, the colouring is coming along quite nicely so far. The whole bowl has gone from bright white to a bone colour. The stem and a ring a round the top of the bowl are now going a honey colour. IMO it looks really good. And I'm no longer stressing when I smoke it. I do keep the bowl clean as well as my hands and really haven't seen any issues with it colouring. I smoked this pipe almost exclusively all weekend and it's a real gem.