I was given an unsmoked meerschaum pipe, large carving of a Zuauve man with a nice yellow stem of unknown material, and I quickly became a "slave to the white goddess". I was loving smoking this pipe, but a few nights when I was outside it got really cold out, below freezing. I had set the pipe down several times while smoking and it must have gotten cold. Then when I relit it I think it developed a hairline crack around the shank's diameter. I rubbed beeswax in it and I was planning to take it to Paul's pipe shop in Flint, MI this Saturday to see if they would recommend any type of repair.
Well, I got home tonight and wanted to smoke it so I went to unscrew the bit and it stuck and as soon as I exerted a slight amount of rotational force the entire shank broke right off of the bowl. I'm still going to the pipe shop Saturday to get some estate briars cleaned so I guess I'll bring this meerschaum and see what they say.
Does anyone know if these pipes can be glued back together in any way or if it would even be worth trying to have it fixed? Living in Michigan and only smoking outside is going to put a real damper on my meerschaum enjoyment if they are always this fragile. Until I get a garage I can smoke in I guess I'll only be able to smoke a meerschaum in the warmer months. Bummer because ever since I started smoking this meer I haven't wanted to smoke anything else. I really should have grabbed the pipe by the shank instead of the bowl when I went to unscrew the bit tonight and this could have been avoided at least temporarily. Maybe if I can get it repaired this one can be my "winter meerschaum".
Well, I got home tonight and wanted to smoke it so I went to unscrew the bit and it stuck and as soon as I exerted a slight amount of rotational force the entire shank broke right off of the bowl. I'm still going to the pipe shop Saturday to get some estate briars cleaned so I guess I'll bring this meerschaum and see what they say.
Does anyone know if these pipes can be glued back together in any way or if it would even be worth trying to have it fixed? Living in Michigan and only smoking outside is going to put a real damper on my meerschaum enjoyment if they are always this fragile. Until I get a garage I can smoke in I guess I'll only be able to smoke a meerschaum in the warmer months. Bummer because ever since I started smoking this meer I haven't wanted to smoke anything else. I really should have grabbed the pipe by the shank instead of the bowl when I went to unscrew the bit tonight and this could have been avoided at least temporarily. Maybe if I can get it repaired this one can be my "winter meerschaum".