Problem Meerschaum Pipes: Myth or Legend?

[indigosmoke]

I just wanted to post an update on my SMS meer. Since I disassembled and reassembled the mortise and tenon (see my posts in the other thread) the pipe aligns reasonably well and has held up so far. I'm still not thrilled with their warranty policies (only provide warranty if bought directly from their website and only warranty the bowl, etc). As this thread has demonstrated, IMO there are manufacturers who do a much better job of supporting their customers (Altinok & Tobacco Barn, for example) and when I purchase meers in the future I will do so from these manufacturers/importers. However, to be fair, I wanted to update the pipe's status as far as quality goes so that everyone has all the facts and can decide for themselves.

[jamesstew]

I have an old Pioneer meerschaum bulldog that never smoked well. A few weeks ago I snapped the tenon on it. I shipped it to nightowl pipeworks and Ron there created a new vulcanite stem with a stainless steel tenon. A mortise insert was epoxied in and the whole pipe was opened to 4mm. It is now one of my best pipes bar-none.

[MarkC]

This is off topic a bit, but how do you guys store your meerschaums? I've never had one; closest I came was a gourd calabash decades ago that had it's own stand. I mean, do you just keep them in the case, or put them in your pipe rack or what? If the latter, does the pipe rack hurt the resting point of the pipe at all? Excuse my ignorance...

[IKMeerschaum]

Originally Posted by indigosmoke

I just wanted to post an update on my SMS meer. Since I disassembled and reassembled the mortise and tenon (see my posts in the other thread) the pipe aligns reasonably well and has held up so far. I'm still not thrilled with their warranty policies (only provide warranty if bought directly from their website and only warranty the bowl, etc). As this thread has demonstrated, IMO there are manufacturers who do a much better job of supporting their customers (Altinok & Tobacco Barn, for example) and when I purchase meers in the future I will do so from these manufacturers/importers. However, to be fair, I wanted to update the pipe's status as far as quality goes so that everyone has all the facts and can decide for themselves.

Thanks for the update and the kind words IndigoSmoke. I'm glad you were able to resolve some of your problems with your pipe!

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by MarkC

This is off topic a bit, but how do you guys store your meerschaums? I've never had one; closest I came was a gourd calabash decades ago that had it's own stand. I mean, do you just keep them in the case, or put them in your pipe rack or what? If the latter, does the pipe rack hurt the resting point of the pipe at all? Excuse my ignorance...

The calabash stays mounted in the original box to prevent accidental smashage and keep dust off; the little guys are either being smoked or they're closed up in their clamshell cases.

I don't think much of the long-term prospects for a meer sitting out on one of my pipe stands. Something awful would happen; four kids, three cats, a barely pipe-conscious spouse (that would be Mrs. Moo) and my own clumsiness would doom them to chipping or worse after a while.

[MarkC]

Thanks; I was beginning to suspect that I'd asked a question too stupid to be answered or something... I'm in the early stages of convincing myself that I have to have a meerschaum (I've seen the signs before; three months max and I'll have one, even if I think it's just a possibility right now!). Next dumb question: how are you supposed to smoke the thing if you aren't supposed to touch it? The calabash was no problem; just hold the gourd. I can't see holding a pipe by the mouthpiece as I daintily smoke.

[indigosmoke]

Originally Posted by MarkC

Next dumb question: how are you supposed to smoke the thing if you aren't supposed to touch it? The calabash was no problem; just hold the gourd. I can't see holding a pipe by the mouthpiece as I daintily smoke.

Here is what they have to say on the Altinok website:

Can I smoke my Meerschaum pipe the same way I smoke my briar pipes?

No. One of the fascinating qualities of Meerschaum is its ability to change color from white to golden to a deep reddish brown. This results from the oil in the tobacco and wax on the outside of the bowl. If it is smoked too fast or too hot, the wax may melt down and only the base will color. Do not touch the bowl with your hands when the pipe is warm. The softened wax may cling to your fingers and the pipe will color in blotches. However, some pipe smokers prefer Meerschaum for its smoking properties, rather than for its ability to change color. If the coloring is not of importance, then, of course the Meerschaum can be handled and smoked in the normal manner. Note: Some manufactures produced antiquing or re-wax kits that can be used to touch up a Meerschaum pipe.

On the other hand meerschaumpipes.com says this:

The key to coloring your pipe is to SMOKE YOUR PIPE! Smoke it frequently. One common technique to color your Meerschaum pipe is to smoke it as many times a day as you can for two weeks and then set it aside for a period of time. The pipe should feel heavier since it will have absorbed all sorts of fluids. Letting it sits allows the wax coating to draw the color out to the surface where you want it.

Don't worry about touching your pipe's bowl with your bare hands UNLESS your hands are dirty or you have gotten the bowl too hot too touch. The former will cause staining as the wax pulls the dirt off your hands while the latter may allow fingerprints to get embedded in the bowl. However, you should never get your pipe too hot to hold (see below).

The cooler the bowl (the wax actually) remains, the better its ability to draw the color out torwards the surface of the pipe. If you smoke your pipe too hot, the wax may be driven off the pipe, causing it to no longer pull color to the surface of the bowl.

While smokingpipes.com has this to offer:

Concerning 'Coloring':
One of the joys of owning and smoking a meerschaum pipe is watching it slowly change color, from a milky white to a dark brown. When you first get a meerschaum pipe, be careful that your hands are clean as you smoke it for the first few times. Meerschaum pipes are coated in beeswax which aids in the coloring process and protects the brittle meerschaum. As the pipe heats during smoking (and be careful not to get it too hot) the beeswax melts. If your hands are dirty, the beeswax will pick up that dirt. Though some suggest not touching the bowl of a meerschaum pipe while smoking it, I think this is a little extreme. Just take care that your hands are clean and dry.

A sample 'Coloring' regimen:
There are many different ways to go about coloring your meerschaum pipe, but one of the simplest is as follows:
Smoke your meerschaum several times a day for about two weeks. Unlike a briar pipe, meerschaums do not need long periods of rest between smokes, and can safely be smoked multiple times in a day. Do, however, allow the pipe to cool between bowls. After this two weeks, your meerschaum should be noticeably heavier than when you began, owing to the amount of tars and oils now trapped inside the meerschaum. Put your meerschaum aside for a period of about one month. During this time, the beeswax will wick the tars and oils towards the surface of the pipe, coloring it in the process. Repeat and enjoy!

I'll be curious to see what Mr. Moo and others here have to report.

[MarkC]

I wish I could say I that I didn't care about the coloring and just wanted to smoke the thing, but I remember the bowl of that calabash turning golden, and it gives me a warm feeling...

[indigosmoke]

I know some people wear white gloves while smoking their meers...but it would make me feel too much like a butler. Excuse me Jeeves, where did you put the Frog Morton?

[IKMeerschaum]

Originally Posted by MarkC

This is off topic a bit, but how do you guys store your meerschaums? I've never had one; closest I came was a gourd calabash decades ago that had it's own stand. I mean, do you just keep them in the case, or put them in your pipe rack or what? If the latter, does the pipe rack hurt the resting point of the pipe at all? Excuse my ignorance...

My calabash sits out in it's own stand but then I don't have kids running around the house any more.

My meers are either in their original hard case or in my soft pipe case that I keep in my briefcase (along with lighter, tools, some 'baccy and cleaners).

I would imagine that over time you might end up wearing the wax and perhaps some of the stone over time where the pipe touches on the wood stand.

The only thing to keep in mind is that you should NOT put your pipe back into your case (especially if the lining is colored) if the pipe is still hot. This can burn the lining or worse, wick off the wax to the case (see IndigoSmoke's quotes about wax and coloring your pipe).

[IKMeerschaum]

Originally Posted by MarkC

Next dumb question: how are you supposed to smoke the thing if you aren't supposed to touch it? The calabash was no problem; just hold the gourd. I can't see holding a pipe by the mouthpiece as I daintily smoke.

The only dumb question is one left unasked...

At the risk of sounding self-serving, JUST SMOKE IT... So long as you haven't been changing the oil in your car or reading the morning newspaper, we are of the mind that there is no problem with touching the pipe with your hands. To a certain extent, the oil from your hands might actually help encourage the coloring process (albeit not necessarily evenly).

Originally I had been told that the whole (wear a glove when smoking a meer) was concocted by a certain pipe manufacturer that has left the pipe space after their cigar portion of the company was acquired by a large conglomerate. I was told this was a way to make more recurring revenue (selling gloves that don't last as long as the pipes).

I've since found ads dating back to the turn of the century of people selling pipe smoking gloves for meerschaum pipes. My guess is that this might have been more of a requirement back in the day when the pipes were sealed not with wax but with sperm whale oil (which would get pretty messy when it gets too hot). Unfortunately I haven't found any literature to back this up yet

'course I'll have to 'fess up that I wrote the text that appears on MeerschaumPipes.com so perhaps you might want wait and hear from other "real" meer smokers and not just someone who sells them (and smokes them regularly).

Here's a picture of my favorite meer which gets touched everytime it is smoked (the middle one):

It is quite a bit darker now as this picture is about a year old...

And a story about a meer that we acquired that had been in regular use up until recently for 140 years!
Coloring Meerschaum Pipes


Light 'em up boys!

[MarkC]

Originally Posted by IKMeerschaum

And a story about a meer that we acquired that had been in regular use up until recently for 140 years!
Coloring Meerschaum Pipes


Light 'em up boys!

That is amazing; I've never seen a meer that dark. It's beautiful!

[IKMeerschaum]

Originally Posted by MarkC

That is amazing; I've never seen a meer that dark. It's beautiful!

And the picture doesn't do it justice. The depth and range of colors is just fascinating. It sits in a prized location in our shop for all to admire.

It is great to have this piece of history available to share with new pipe smokers when we are extolling the virtues of meerschaum pipes and what they can attain with about 140 years of smoking. After all, the surgeon general's report (or at least an early one) indicated that pipe smokers live longer than the general population!

MJG

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by indigosmoke

I'll be curious to see what Mr. Moo and others here have to report.

I just smoke mine. I don't handle them if my hands are nasty and I don't smoke them so the wax gets sticky. If they darken nicely that's great and if not, that's OK.

From what I've read a lot of people buy meers with expectations they'll darken in about 45-minutes. Some put them in little boxes and heat them up and blow smoke in on them; others report boiling them in milk; and some do wax redipping all with the aim of accelerating the darkening process. Some meers are sold pre-darkened. White gloves...

[Crazycoonass]

No no no... lol I just smoke mine, havent so much since Ive gotten a full rotation of briar pipes, at this rate Ill never finish coloring it.