Broke My Meerschaum

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

New Cigars




PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Status
Not open for further replies.

muleskinner

Lurker
Jul 7, 2014
10
0
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".

 

warren

Lifer
Sep 13, 2013
11,699
16,207
Foothills of the Chugach Range, AK
Tough way to learn about the fragility of meerschaum. Mine leave the house only infrequently, always in their case. I have briars and cobs for smoking out of doors. I would only smoke a meer outside if the script called for such and I was making a butt of load of money as Eastwood's foil. Oh, and it wouldn't be my meer either.
I doubt there is a suitable repair available. If there is some member will know who or how.

 
Apr 26, 2012
3,350
5,157
Washington State
My meerschaum pipes have only left my shop a couple times and stayed well protected when they did. I would be heart-broken if I broke my Lee Van Cleef pipe. Not sure if your pipe could be repaired without seeing it, but my guess would be no. Never hurts to ask though.

 

gogosamgo

Starting to Get Obsessed
Mar 5, 2015
244
0
Sorry to hear about the pipe breaking :( hopefully there is some way to repair it.

 

muleskinner

Lurker
Jul 7, 2014
10
0
I love Lee Van Cleef in those spaghetti westerns! "Fistful Of Dollars", "For A Few Dollars More" and "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" and the ones with him and Clint in them right? I'll have to download them tonight and watch for him smoking a meerschaum! I seem to remember him smoking at the dinner table when he kills the first guy in TGTB&TU but I'll have to watch it again. Great classics!
If my meerschaum had to break at least it broke after I only spent a couple of weeks smoking it. It wasn't hardly colored at all and other than it being a great gift from a really cool person I admire I didn't have any real emotional attachment to it. I wish I would have known better not to smoke it outside when it was so cold, but now I know and I won't do that again.
As a side note, is there any risk of smoking briars or cobs outside when it's really cold? I don't want to mess up my MM Freehand cob or any of the estate briars my friend gave me with this meerschaum. Thanks!

 

warren

Lifer
Sep 13, 2013
11,699
16,207
Foothills of the Chugach Range, AK
This has been discussed before. I live in Alaska, I smoke briars and cobs outside throughout the winter. The key is to keep the pipe warm. Don't leave it in the truck over night and fire it without letting it warm up. I keep my pipes in my pocket, body heat, load and smoke. As long as you do not let the pipe experience rapid temp changes you should be all right. When you've finished a bowl empty it and put it back in a warm vehicle or an inside pocket.
It's the rapid temperature extremes which can damage a briar or cob. I feel, do not know for fact, that cobs are more temp sensitive than briars which usually have thicker walls.

 

condorlover1

Lifer
Dec 22, 2013
7,995
26,612
New York
Depends where the break is and if you post pictures I would have a better idea. You don't glue them back together you simply band them with a silver band and Rick at Briar Works should be able to help you with that problem.

 

okiescout

Lifer
Jan 27, 2013
1,530
6
Sorry to hear about your meer, Muleskinner. I killed a stem on an pipe once by acting before I gave enough thought about the issues in play.

Inflicted repair is probably an experience that has occurred to many of us if the truth were known.
I was just reading on the" Truth" thread about rules. All the respondents were making good points. But.......this is a hard and fast rule about meers, they are fragile! Being a mineral and sensitive to drastic changes in temperature as previously stated by Warren, Smoking them outdoors is a risky venture. High winds, cold temps, and so forth, subject the pipe to extremes the it cannot accommodate and maintain it's structural integrity. Additionally all bets are off if you happen to drop it. Point being, love this type of pipe but treat it as you would anything else you love, with care and insight. This rule really applies to any of your pipes, however I subject some of my cobs to abuse with the foreknowledge that they may be scratched or even broken (glove & tackle boxes).

 

blueeyedogre

Lifer
Oct 17, 2013
1,552
30
Depending on the length of the shank they might be able to trim it and re thread it. I have a meer getting the same thing done but it had a very long shank.

 

deathmetal

Lifer
Jul 21, 2015
7,714
32
Very sorry to hear about this. Losing a pipe is traumatic. But these painful lessons lurk everywhere, which is why people like me don't buy into the "it's subjective, do what you want" and instead try to record the lessons we have learned or can verify from others.

 

andrew

Lifer
Feb 13, 2013
3,042
400
I had a somewhat similar experience, I was lazy and didn't take the time to properly remove my meershaum from a 6 pipe holder I had on a bookshelf. It fell, and the shank broke off at the bowl. It was a clean break so I simply grabbed some superglue, glued it back together and have had no problems with it for over a year.

 

muleskinner

Lurker
Jul 7, 2014
10
0
I'm heading to http://www.paulspipeshop.com/ tomorrow. I'll hope they can work some miracle and fix this pipe up for me. I'll post pics if they can't do anything about it.

 

andrew

Lifer
Feb 13, 2013
3,042
400
If it's a clean break it's an easy fix, does it line up nice? Mine lined up perfect and it took me about 30 seconds to fix.

 

muleskinner

Lurker
Jul 7, 2014
10
0
The superglue idea sounds like a winner Andy. I have some Gorilla brand superglue somewhere. I bet that would work well. I'll call the pipe shop on Monday and if they don't suggest anything better I think I'll go ahead and superglue it back together. Hopefully it will hold up for a long time, I love this pipe. Meerschaum is so cool!

 

condorlover1

Lifer
Dec 22, 2013
7,995
26,612
New York
Glue is a bad idea as meerschaum heats up. You would be better served to cement the two halves together and then have a silver band put on to add strength as the bowl is very heavy and if clenched puts pressure on the stem. Once repaired you would be well advised not to dismantle the pipe as it only causes wear and tear on the threading of the meerschaum shank.

 

pipejunky

Starting to Get Obsessed
Feb 16, 2014
210
2
Coat the break with a little egg white let it dry then use super glue.I have repaired 3 meerschaums like this and haven't had any come apart do to heat. Having it banded will insure a longer life.

 

pappymac

Lifer
Feb 26, 2015
3,273
4,268
I found a unsmoked saxophone type meer at a flea market last year for real cheap. The first time I smoked it I noticed a hairline crack on the bowl. The more I smoked it the more visible the crack became. Since I had only paid $10 for it, I did what I thought was logical. The next day I smoked it again and as soon as the crack became visible I applied superglue along the length of the crack with a toothpick. Set the pipe down and let it cool and didn't smoke it for a couple of days. I've smoked it occasionally since then and the crack doesn't appear when it heats up and you would have to look real close to see any superglue residue.



 

muleskinner

Lurker
Jul 7, 2014
10
0
Pipejunky: What is the point of coating the break with egg white? I did some searches online, but couldn't come up with any definitive answers. Thanks, Steve

 

andrew

Lifer
Feb 13, 2013
3,042
400
Is Gorilla Super Glue heat and water resistant? Gorilla Super Glue works well in temperatures as high as 200°–220°F. However, too much exposure to extreme heat will cause the strength of the bond to be compromised. Likewise, too much exposure to water, especially warm water, can compromise the strength of the bond.
My Meershaum or any pipe I smoke hasn't come close to 200 F, or I wouldn't be able to hold it by the bowl, which I always do. A meershaum is too heavy to clench. It looks like a clean break, if you can put it back together before you glue it and it's flush, then I'd say it's going to be okay. The only thing you'll notice is a slight crack where you glued it, other than that I've had no issues. You could get a band to cover the slight crack but you won't even notice it really unless you're looking for it. I'd chalk it up to a lesson learned, repair the pipe yourself as it's probably going to cost around 20$ at least, and they may well just glue it too. I guess you have to ask yourself what is it worth? My meer cost me around 30$, and with the superglue fix, not even gorilla brand, just regular superglue, I've had no issues. Just make sure you coat both pieces with a very small amount before you put it together, as once it's together it's not coming apart.

 
Status
Not open for further replies.