Messing With Meerschaum

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jhowell

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 25, 2019
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Phoenix, Arizona
I got a meerschaum pipe with a lot that had been dropped a few times. It was a Bacchus but most of the features are gone. It was completely un-smoked and new so I decided it has volunteered for some testing. I decided since there are so many warnings about alcohol and meerschaum to start there. I put enough 91% isopropyl alcohol in a container to immerse the strummel. 1st observation: It Floats! The head floated for approximately 2 hours until it absorbed enough alcohol to sink. I let it soak for 7 days. it took 4 days for the alcohol smell to disapate. There is no damage whatsoever. One myth laid to rest... I will try to come up with some more torture testing buy I am open to suggestions. -jeff
 

cortezattic

Lifer
Nov 19, 2009
15,147
7,637
Chicago, IL
I think the warning is that alcohol in a colored meerschaum will screw-up the coloring; but I only know what I've read here, and what's that worth?!

What were you expecting when you immersed an unsmoked meer in alcohol, that it would fall apart?
 

jhowell

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 25, 2019
628
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Phoenix, Arizona
Is the chamber still absorbent?
Still passes tongue test. I have also confirmed that a sterling silver article will leave no black on meerschaum block. While the strummel is wet it is extremely soft. I was able to scratch it with a fingernail (MOHS 2). Chemical composition of meerschaum and Talk seem to be identical. and occur in the same strata opal and asbestos also occur nearby
Is the chamber still absorbent?
Is the chamber still absorbent?
Yes still passes the tongue test
Is the chamber still absorbent?
Yes it is.
 

jhowell

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 25, 2019
628
1,014
70
Phoenix, Arizona
I think the warning is that alcohol in a colored meerschaum will screw-up the coloring; but I only know what I've read here, and what's that worth?!

What were you expecting when you immersed an unsmoked meer in alcohol, that it would fall apart?
I was not sure what to expect. After reading over and over that alcohol and meerschaum don't mix, I thought I'd try to see why.
 

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,565
27,066
Carmel Valley, CA
Good work, all in the name of science!

I soaked a lightly smoked meer in water overnight. It absorbed enough water to more than double its weight.(!) A few days' drying time, and it was back to fighting (original) weight. I did not try to test the material's softness, as I assumed it would be soft enough to readily take scratches, marks and indents. But it now smokes just fine, and looks good.
 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,248
108,343
Still passes tongue test. I have also confirmed that a sterling silver article will leave no black on meerschaum block. While the strummel is wet it is extremely soft. I was able to scratch it with a fingernail (MOHS 2). Chemical composition of meerschaum and Talk seem to be identical. and occur in the same strata opal and asbestos also occur nearby


Yes still passes the tongue test

Yes it is.
Yikes, repetition error? They was the answer I was looking for though.?
 
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unadoptedlamp

Part of the Furniture Now
Mar 19, 2014
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1,368
Long ago I used to regularly clean my meerschaum with alcohol with no ill effect -for many years. I've since switched to soap and water for cleaning all of my pipes, including meerschaum.

No problems.

Doesn't get soft either, but I usually only scrub for a minute or so with a shank brush and some suds.

I do this with an I. Baglan dragon claw with ornamental egg and an IMP bent apple. Both cost a fair bit of money and they're definitely not junk pipes.

I've dropped the bent apple a few times, on wood and concrete, without much damage. Just a few dings for character. Could be easily buffed out, but I like the look. Dropping an ornamental meer could be problematic though.

The pipe world is so full of myth, it sometimes feels like a gathering of astrologists and bigfoot hunters. I think people just get bored with talking about the same thing for so long that they just make stuff up.

Take water and briar, or water and meerschaum. Where did any of that actually come from? It's all a load of armchair bullshit, unless I've somehow managed to secure magical briar and meerschaum in a cosmic pipe lottery.
 

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,565
27,066
Carmel Valley, CA
I'm pretty sure that the myth of pipe and water not mixing came from a number of manufacturers who were selling snake oil- I mean, their own pipe cleaning fluids of various descriptions, and often containing alcohol as a base. Many actually stated effectively that water would ruin their pipes! All in an effort to drive sales of their after market supply division. Yes, that's marketing bullshit at its finest.
 
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jhowell

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 25, 2019
628
1,014
70
Phoenix, Arizona
Phase 2: Submerged in water this time. Again the strummel floated for about 2 hours until it absorbed enough water to sink. Let it soak for a week - nothing happened as I would expect. Then boiled it for 4 hours. Meerschaum is such a good conductor of heat that all the bubbles from boiling originated from the strummel. Boiling did remove the beeswax coating from the pipe. Probably gonna experiment with some Jojoba oil (technically a wax) and see the effects. Always open to suggestions as to new "experiments" -jeff
 
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