Coloring Meerschaums

python · Jun 3, 2010

I was thinking about meerschaum pipes yesterday and I started wondering about something. This is what I was thinking about:
I know that in this day and age that almost everybody who smokes meerschaum pipes say that you shouldn't touch the bowl while smoking. I also know that it seems that meers are a little difficult to color.
I have seen really old meers that are colored beautifully and look great. I know that it is probably a different grade of meerschaum on those pipes, but I was wondering if the reason that they colored better back then is because the smokers more than likely DID touch the bowls while smoking and handling them with no regard to coloring technicalities. I also am pretty sure that we wash our hands a lot more than they did 100 years ago (around the turn of the 20th century).
So I am wondering if the reason that these old meers have so much more color on them is because the meerschaum absorbed the oils, dirt, etc. from pipe smokers hands and that added to the coloring of the pipe.
What do you guys think?
Discuss...

surfmac211 · Jun 3, 2010

Well I am glad you brought this up. I just won a lot on ebay that came with a new pipe rack and an IMP meerschaum thrown in. I am not much of a clencher except when I have to while doing work or something. Should I try not to touch the bowl? If not should I hold the stem or suffer through it and clench it? I think I'm going to just break the rules and hold the bowl in my hand but if anyone has any comments I'm open.
I would find it funny if everyone has been not touching the bowl and it was indeed been the oils and dirt back in the day that made them look better lol.

admin · Jun 3, 2010

I started following the no touching rule, and then I said screw this. I want to enjoy smoking my pipe and I'm not turning it into a chore.
I like to hold the bowl in my hand and no one can stop me! Mwa ha ha ha ha!

pstlpkr · Jun 3, 2010

I'm of the mind that touching the bowl is a non-sequitur.

I have never gotten a finger print or other marks on mine, nor has there been any noticeable change in the coloration because it was handled.
Here is a beauty it is supposed to by 140 years old.

admin · Jun 3, 2010

Wow, that's gorgeous pstlpkr.

surfmac211 · Jun 3, 2010

Check this one out!

pstlpkr · Jun 3, 2010

It's beautiful Surf.

Seems like the simpler the style the better the color.

surfmac211 · Jun 4, 2010

Is that pipe above one you purchased? I really like the coloring as well on that one.

unclearthur · Jun 4, 2010

I prefer a purple cray

on myself : - )

dunendain · Jun 4, 2010

My Meer has fingerprints, scratches, and a few dings. It is coloring nicely though.

hauntedmyst · Jun 4, 2010

I dont think that's the reason for the coloring. I think just more smoking is. Once when I worked at the tobacco shop we decided to see how fast we could color my new meerschaum. 3 or 4 of us always smoked the thing at least once during every shift. When it wasn't being smoked, we'd keep it in a jar and people who smoked cigars constantly would blow smoke in the jar and seal the top. After less than a month, it looked 100 years old.

classicgeek · Jun 4, 2010

I like the pure white of fresh meerschaum, but the color in the photo is breathtaking, pstlpkr. I've gotta get me one.
Simon

bytor · Jun 4, 2010

That is a beauty Lawrence! I've thought about getting one for a very long time...might be time to resume my search.

pstlpkr · Jun 4, 2010

Is that pipe above one you purchased?

Hey Surf, no it's just one I found on the internet.
Supposedly, Czar Nicholas of Russia wanted to give a Meerschaum as a gift to another ruler and had his army smoke the pipe continuously for a year (or something). I don't remember exactly. Maybe what this calls for is a smoking machine to "break one in" or "color it up".

admin · Jun 4, 2010

That one on SmokingPipes.com is very tempting.

fred · Jun 5, 2010

Eventually, a Meerschaum will color to black. This can take different lengths of

time, depending upon how much use the Pipe gets, the smoking characteristics

of the Pipe smoker, the types of blends that are smoked, the characteristics of

the Block itself along with the application of Beeswax, or lack thereof. These

days, the colors will range from golden tans to darker mahogany browns and

deep blues to black. The older Meerschaums that were finished with Spermaceti

seem to be more likely to go to a deep red than the more recent Pipes that

have been finished with Beeswax, with or without additives that Carvers employ

for signature dark luster finishes..., which is something that they do not discuss,

as each has his own mixture and process. Here's some further reading on this topic.
http://www.seattlepipeclub.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=969877&module_id=16943
http://www.seattlepipeclub.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=969877&module_id=16944
http://www.seattlepipeclub.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=969877&module_id=16944
And lastly, there is ample information on this and other related Meerschaum topics

in the All Things Meerschaum Forum on Smoker's Forum.
http://www.smokersforums.co.uk/

python · Jun 5, 2010

Those colored meers look great! I love the way that a meer colors over time. I just wish that I enjoyed smoking them...

fred · Jun 5, 2010

Yes Bob, I'm on the other end of the spectrum on this matter, as I cannot understand how more people don't smoke Meerschaum Pipes. To me, the qualities of the stone produce a clarity of smoke not found in any other material. Morta comes close but doesn't serve as a filter for moisture like Meerschaum does. The charm of the Briar appeals to many, as the wood and cake enhance the smoke, while a clean Meerschaum will impart no taste to the blend being smoked. The matter of coloration attracts some to smoking Meerschaum, but it soon becomes apparent that this is going to be an experience in delayed gratification, which can leave some disenchanted with these Pipes. What keeps me coming back is the clarity of the smoke achieved in a clean Meerschaum Pipe. I might be of assistance if I knew more about what it is that you don't enjoy about smoking Meerschaums.

unclearthur · Jun 5, 2010

Being serious for a change. I love my meerschaum pipes but don't get over excited about trying to get perfect coloring (what ever that is ) on them. If I think of it I wax them as I smoke them. Some are coloring nicely some (Like the African meerschaums, Mann and Peterson ) that I have probably never will color. OK by me! They all smoke well.

fred · Jun 6, 2010

Actually, the African Block Meerschaums will color, as I've seen them go all the way to black. As far as perfect coloration, I'm confused by this concept. Each Pipe will color on an individual basis, much of which is due to the grain of the Block. Some will color uniformly over the entire surface of the Pipe, while others will display a mottled and multi-colored pattern, not due to imperfections or flaws in the Block, but according to the twists of the grain. Additional factors that affect coloration are seen in the preferences of the Pipe smoker. Even though this is what many Meerschaum smokers focus on, it's only a part of the charm of these Pipes. They afford a cool and dry smoking experience due to the characteristics of the stone, and they improve in smoking quality the more that they are smoked. This is what has kept me coming back to these Pipes for years. If coloration was my primary focus, I'd have likely given them up long ago, as the Muse plays with us all in regards to coloration. Can you tell that I'm biased in the ways of the White Goddess? This I freely admit.

Coloring Meerschaums

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