A Few Thoughts on Buying Second Hand Meerschaums

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condorlover1

Lifer
Dec 22, 2013
7,995
26,613
New York
Over the years I have purchased, traded and collected meerschaum pipes and listened to dozens of old timers, sadly no longer here on the subject of these pipes. I am sure we have all taken a walk through the famous online auction site that will remain nameless and looked at some of the offering which normally sell for between $100-$200. They are usually well browned or worse and seem to fall into three distinct categories, elaborate carved figurine, pokers and traditional British styles, of recent I have seen a lot of British Bull Dog style pipes show up, finally the traditional clay pipe variety.
The first things I look at are the case and the bit. Original pipes had very nice cases and whilst there was a firm in London in the early 90s who restored these cases they have now sadly vanished, PM me if you know of anyone else who does this type of work! However I usually check the hinges and catch's of the case as they are normally anchored on a very thin flange and are apt to come loose. If you are going to smoke in your study than this should not be an issue but if the case is a little worn and fragile then this pipe cannot go on a road trip with you and should be put into rotation. When I get home tonight I will post some pictures to illustrate my point.
The second point is the bit. Anything made before 1914 or thereabouts is usually made of amber. These stems are often chewed through and then filed down making the pipe shorter and evermore fragile. You can have a new stem made, but with the exception of a firm in Chicago who makes amber stems you are likely to wind up with the amber colored plastic which often doesn't mimic the original very well. This also creates an issue with a tightness of the fit into the shank and leads to ever more issues. In all these instances I give the pipe a wide miss unless you are willing to spend the money. In terms if bits you should look for the more heavy duty bits in the 3/8" and up size as these not only survive but in my experience prove to be very durable going forward.
Having discussed the esthetics of the case and the function ability of the bits it is best to turn to the pipe bowl itself. You should look inside the bowl very carefully and then with a long narrow fine blade very gently remove the cake, but only after purchasing the pipe!. If you find any dimples in the bowl after removing the cake check the outside of the pipe as this area with have a brown patch as the pipe wall is thinner. Avoid scraping this area further and remove the cake from the rest of the bowl again with great care and when finished tap the pipe against your open palm to remove any ash, clinker which is usually formed by smoking 19th century twist etc.
The final part is to see if the bit is attached. Some pipes will have a silver band where the bit meets the shank. Silver bands were used for repairing breaks to stems and bowls and in those cases it is reasonable to assume the bit has been cemented to the shank and it would be unwise to try and detach one from the other. If the pipe is in the style of a 'Clay Pipe' with an amber stem use a paper clip that has been unfolded as a way of checking and removing blockages. I use a very fine dental drill for unusually hard obstructions and that is also about the thickness of a paper clip. Do not put amber stems anywhere near alcohol as you will destroy the polish and like wise the color of the meerschaum. A quick trip to Ebay 'Antique Meerschaum' section will happily illustrate what happened when an idiot antique dealer tries to clean an old pipe and that section is full of casualties which are beyond saving!
Having done all of the above you will be left with a pipe that will give you years of smoking pleasure and serve as a great conversation starter amongst your fellow pipe smokers!
Have Fun!

 

pitchfork

Lifer
May 25, 2012
4,030
605
Bump.
This is rare advice for anyone considering antique meerschaums. Thanks, condorlover1.

 

brudnod

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 26, 2013
938
6
Great Falls, VA
Thanks Condor,

I have been extremely careful with Meerschaums as the consistency of the materials are often more likened to chalk and salt water taffy. I also use sandpaper on the bowel innards which goes through a fair amount of the sanding material but does little harm to the cake that may have built up.

The treatise was excellent and I have, as is often the case with this forum, learned a great deal.

Spencer

 
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