New (to me) Andreas Bauer Meerschaum Pipe

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

Watch for Updates Twice a Week

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Drucquers Banner

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Status
Not open for further replies.

bubbadreier

Lifer
Jul 30, 2010
3,011
3
Norman, Oklahoma
Well I went antiquing again today and I came across this lovely little Meerschaum pipe and the seller wanted $25 for it. I have been wanting a Meer for a long time so I thought it over as I went around the rest of the shop, and I decided if he would take $20 then I would buy it! Well I made my offer and after a little thinking he agreed to my price. I was a pretty happy camper even though I had no idea if this was a cheap pressed Meer or a nice block Meer... The only thing I knew is that it claimed to be "Real Meerschaum!
IMG_4569.jpg

So I get home and I start doing a little research and after searching and searching I found out who the carver is... It is Andreas Bauer and apparently he is one of the greats! Here is what Pipedia had to say...
Andreas Bauer of Vienna was probably the most famous brand manufacturing Meerschaum pipes - the best of the best.
And from Smokingpipes.com....
Founded in Vienna in 1908, Andreas Bauer quickly developed what would become the single largest producer of meerschaum pipes up until the second Word War. In most "normal" planes of existence, there is supposed to be a trade-off between quality and quantity, but (evidently) the word never got to Andreas Bauer; at the very height of their production they were raking in Gold Medals for excellence and design (such as the one they were awarded at the 1937 Paris World Exhibition).

Then, or now, to own a Bauer meerschaum is to own an iconic meerschaum, the likes of which have never been surpassed.
Now I am not certain what year mine was made in but the case seems pretty old but I could be wrong! I know nothing of Meers so I could always use some help!
Here it is in all its glory...
IMG_4570.jpg

P.S. - Anyone know how to restore an estate Meerschaum pipe and want to give me some tips? :)

 

ichbinmuede

Part of the Furniture Now
Feb 17, 2011
643
1
Beauty. There's a fellow on youtube the goes by the handle JJJUSCFAN8 with a good many years experience in smoking and restoring meerschaum. I'm sure that if you sent him a message he's be more than happy to help you out.

 

fred

Lifer
Mar 21, 2010
1,509
4
This guy has some interesting things to say about Meerschaum Pipes....

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=jjjuscfan8&aq=0&oq=JJJUSCFAN8
Since you already are a member of SF, you can also join the ATM and read the collected wisdom accumulated over the last 34 months of it's existence...

http://www.smokersforums.co.uk/group.php?groupid=34
BTW, that's a nice Koncak Andreas Bauer Meerschaum...

 

fred

Lifer
Mar 21, 2010
1,509
4
Bubba, Sedat Koncak never used amber or at least I've not seen any Meerschaums come out of the Koncak dynasty that used amber. One of the best descriptions of amber I found in a 1906 Scientific American article, Meerschaum and It's Manufacture into Pipes....
Amber occurs in many parts of Europe and America, but in largest quantity along the coast of Germany. This fossil gum is found in lumps or grains, and is melted at 550 deg. F. and refined. There are two qualities of amber, the transparent and the opaque or cloudy, the latter being much tougher anthereforere more serviceable. The Pipe stems after bing tooled out are bent to to the required shape. They are first immersed in oil and heated until they lose much of their brittleness. Then they are heloverve an alcohol flame and bent as desired.
The Koncaks used plastics that were precursors to Lucite and Acrylic.

 

docwatson

Lifer
Jul 2, 2009
1,149
9
New England
NICE FIND BUBBA. Andreas Bauer meers IMHO are the finest block meerschaum pipes the world over. You scored big time, congrats. They use a replication of amber for their stems which can be a little hard and brittle like real amber, but also more forgiving. I have used the term Amberoid stem for the material used. In the past (1980's) Bauer made many cased sets which came in a mahogany case with custom made tampers of the same stem material. Enjoy your newfound treasure.

 

fred

Lifer
Mar 21, 2010
1,509
4
Yes, the Andreas Bauer trademark has represented quality for a couple of hundred years. I discuss some of the aspect of acquiring them in this article...

http://pipesmagazine.com/blog/put-that-in-your-pipe/the-thrill-of-the-hunt-a-guide-to-estate-meerschaums/
This is one of the early Koncak Andreas Bauer Meerschaums. Many believe that they were carved in Vienna, but despite all of the labels, they are from Turkey. The bit is stated to be 'finest cultured amber', but it is a plastic, which is known as amberoid.

http://pipesmagazine.com/members/fred/album/picture/847
This an Andreas Bauer of earlier origin, likely Otto Kopp, and the bit is amber. The connector is a bone screw, which is something that the Koncaks never used...

http://pipesmagazine.com/members/fred/album/picture/816
This is the current production of Andreas Bauer Meerschaums.
http://en.kopp-pfeifen.de/products/pipes?PHPSESSID=83cb8df9030688e9f95bd208e8c3cef8&sort=desc&criteria=id&se=0&a=24&s=1&this=act&m=3000
Here's a video that gives a closer look at these Pipes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fE4uTR_nENo
The original Andreas Bauer Pipes have not been sold in the retail market for over a century, but are infrequently traded by collectors. The Koncak Pipes are good Pipes, but it is doubtful that the contract for the trademark rights was ever paid off. I have purchased Pipes from Sedat Koncak that were plainly labeled 'Made in Austria', which he carved and sold from Turkey.
http://pipesmagazine.com/members/fred/album/picture/563
http://pipesmagazine.com/members/fred/album/picture/498
There are other counterfeits that are seen in the marketplace from time to time as well. When shopping for these Pipes, it pays to do the homework, instead of relying on blind luck, since many of these Pipes are made of pressed Meerschaum.

 

fred

Lifer
Mar 21, 2010
1,509
4
Bubba wrote: Is there a proper way to remove the cake and rim charring/cake? I used a saliva coated q-tip on one section and after using some force for awhile, it actually smoothed out some of the carving! So what should I use if that isn't the proper way to remove the charring? Thank you so much for helping me out!
You can certainly wet/dry sand the plateau using Everclear and a glass surface to keep things flat, but you will spend years getting the patina back. After reaming the chamber with a sharp, blunt tipped knife, use Everclear and a paper towel to finish. Screwing the paper towel into the chamber, once what ever cake remains has been removed or still has alcohol present, will take things down to the chamber wall. Saliva on a white cotton rag will get a good quanity of the char off of the plateau and using Beeswax on it will get the remaining residuals of the smoke to become diffuse and blend into the patina, over time and continued waxing. With riscorchch, the sanding is about the only option. If you search for the article "Slave to the White Goddess", which I wrote for Kevin, you will get more discussion about this. The sticky threads in the ATM discuss this at length, with multiple viewpoints.

 
Status
Not open for further replies.