Go back 25- 30 years ago, when Missouri Meerschaum was bought by three gentlemen, Michael, Larry, and Bob. Michael tells the story about one of the reasons they purchased 150 acres of land: to ensure they had enough corn to stay in business. The story goes like this: the local Missouri farmers had lost another crop of corn due to catastrophic weather. Things were getting desperate when it came to keeping the factory running because of the shortage of corn cobs, and Michael looked to California to grow some of the hybrid corn they use for pipes.
Missouri Meerschaum Corn Cob Pipe Factory
He found several farmers willing to grow their seed, and once they were done, Michael found a truck driver who agreed to transport the corn from California to Missouri, but with a story like this, there has to be something. In this case, the truck driver only had one arm, his left arm. He drove three back-to-back trips from California to Washington, Missouri, reaching across his body with his left hand to shift gears.
With the year’s most recent devastating floods and loss of corn, this was their only solution to keep the doors open, and Michael realized that he and his partners needed to secure their own irrigated land to grow their hybrid seeds. He found 150 acres, but his other co-owners were not entirely convinced it was their best option. Fast forward a year, and another massive flood in the existing fields caused that year’s corn crop to be lost again. The partners were ready this time, but the land price jumped an extra 200k. They finally managed to buy the irrigated property and secured the future of Missouri Meerschaum with those 150 acres.
Celebrating 155 Years in Business
This year, the 155th anniversary was hosted at the Missouri Meerschaum pipe factory in downtown Washington, Missouri, near where Lewis and Clark stopped and camped in 1804 on their way to Montana.
Washington Missouri
This year’s festivities coincided with Washington’s Fall Festival of the Arts & Crafts, which brought thousands of people downtown to try food, buy arts, crafts, and other assortment of items in the quaint little town, and, of course, get tours of the historic corn cob pipe company.
Factory Right This Way
Missouri Meerschaum is a complete Farm-to-Table process
You can smoke a corn cob pipe today because of an intense dedication to getting it right, from the non-GMO hybrid seed that the University of Missouri helped Missouri Meerschuam work on in the 1970s and 1980s to the way they harvest and remove the husks to the 2-3 years the cobs have to sit and dry out so they can be turned into a pipe.
Large Hybrid-Non GMO White Corn Cobs
An interesting tidbit is that modern corn is nothing like the corn that was grown in our past; with modern farming methods, corn is grown for the number of corn cobs, not for size, and modern yields are usually 30,000 seeds per acre. The University of Missouri found out, through testing, that to get the larger corn cob, you need less corn planted, and the sweet spot for Missouri Meerschaum corn is around 18,000 seeds per acre.
Corn Ready to be Harvested
This is partly because corn will pull a ton of nutrients out of the ground, and there is only so much to go around, even with crop rotation. Thus, modern farming can do a number on your fields, and you’ll have much smaller cobs unsuitable for pipes.
Corn in its Husk
It can take six to upwards of eight months to shell all the corn that is harvested through the custom built walnut shelling system they have at the corn crib.
At the Crib – Corn Silo in the background.
Nothing goes to waste, either. All the corn kernels that are shelled go to this large silo pictured above that is sold to two places: ADM (Archer Daniels Midland), which does corn processing: From Wikipedia: The Corn Processing segment converts corn into sweeteners and starches, and bioproducts. Its products include ingredients used in the food and beverage industry, including sweeteners, starch, syrup, and glucose (dextrose). Dextrose and starch are used by the Corn Processing segment as feedstocks for its bioproducts operations.
Pinckney Bend Distillery
The other place where the corn is sold is Pinckney Bend Distillery, about 20 minutes down the road in New Haven, Missouri. The white corn that Missouri Meerschaum uses has a higher sugar content and is perfect for making a great whiskey.
Pot Still
There, the corn is turned into glorious whiskey, which you can drink Missouri Meerschaum-grown corn whiskey while you smoke your Missouri Meerschaum corn cob pipe while sitting in the place that makes it all. Meta much?
Rested American Whiskey
Unfortunately, the laws of the state of Missouri say they cannot ship outside of the state, and the current distribution is not large enough to reach most readers, but you can drive there and buy some bottles to bring home.
Not your average whiskey barrel
Of note, aside from the great whiskeys they have, they also have a whiskey with some flavor to it called Apple Ambush, which, I kid you not, tastes like you’re drinking spiced apple pie.
Apple Ambush
The Pinckney Bend Distillery offers a tasting flight for $15, which includes a glass. The flight includes eight or so different liquors and a tasty mixed beverage.
Corn Harvester
When we stopped at the Corn Cribb, we checked out the two 1980s model pickers. Modern Combine/Harvesters don’t do the job needed—keeping a pristine cob that can be used for the pipes.
From Start to Finish
Cob Storage
Cobs are stored for 2-3 years on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the factory, where a shoot that goes down to the first floor drops cobs ready for production. Each corn cob you smoke takes around a week to make. They leave the windows open at the factory, especially during the winter months, because it helps dry out the corn better.
Cob Shoot
The cobs come down the shoot and are cut into the size they need based on their current production. Next, the cobs are bored out to create the tobacco chamber.
Boring out the Tobacco Chamber
Cut and Drilled Cobs ready for Plaster
Once the cobs have been bored out for their tobacco chambers, they throw them in these 100+ year-old wooden bins throughout the process. The slats in these bins also help with the drying process as they go through manufacturing.
First Coat of Plaster
Missouri Meerchuam’s proprietary plaster originally helped the cobs stay cooler. Now, because of the size of the cobs they can grow, the plaster is more aesthetic than functional. The cobs get two coats of plaster and have to dry and be sanded in between. These guys in the picture can do just about 2,000 cobs a day.
Sanding down the first coat
They then sand and smooth out the inside of the tobacco chamber.
Smoothing Out The Tobacco Chamber
Each step of the way is also an opportunity for quality control. If the craftsman working on a cob sees an imperfection or issue they can’t resolve, they throw it into the “seconds” bin or chunk it entirely.
2nd Coat Sanding and Polishing
They go through a 2nd coat and get sanded and polished.
Drilling the Shank
Moving through the final steps, they drill out the hole for the shank.
Larger Cobs
Larger cobs and cobs with a specific shape go to the lathe to have their shapes more defined.
Video Player
Media error: Format(s) not supported or source(s) not found
The standard stems are dropped in a crockpot full of hot water to warm up before being hand-bent.
The Stem Crock-Pot
But the more fancy acrylic stems are done a bit differently: individually heated with a heat gun and then bent.
Using a Heat Gun
Lastly the cobs go through final assembly where the shanks are glued and hammered in.
Glue applied
Glue is applied to the shank.
Hammering the Shank in
Once the shank is dipped in the glue, it is gently hammered into the cob.
Labels Applied
Labels are applied at the final step.
Sorted for Shipping
Cobs are then thrown into bins, and set aside for sorting into shipping boxes to go out around the world.
No Shortage of Cobs
Needless to say, the past couple of years have been good growing years; there is no shortage of cobs.
History, Stories, and More
To the South Pole!
Looking in the display cases at the factory, you’ll find some amazing cobs and their journeys, like the picture above. This pipe went around the world and to the South Pole!
You’ll also find the letter from General MacArthur to the company. MacArthur was rarely caught without this extra large corn cob pipe in his mouth in photographs.
General Douglas MacArthur
The gentlemen at the Skillet Fork Museum set up a display in the factory and had a fantastic amount of cobs and history to share.
Display from Skillet Fork Pipe Museum
Cured in Bourbon?
Missouri Meerschaum did a lot of “white-labeling” for other retailers like Wally Frank, and some of the marketing was, let’s say, misleading. Cobs have never been aged in bourbon barrels.
Colored Bowls
Another “mistake” was the colored bowls, which, when you smoked them, the paint started to crack and crumble off.
1869, Henry Tibbe made the first cob for his neighbor.
The Thrown of Cobs
To top off your tour at the factory, you can sit in the custom thrown of cobs to snap a picture. You can stop by the factory year-round, check out the store, and get a tour and history from the nicest people who clearly love what they do.
Wrapping Up
Thanks to Shannon and Brett Hoch, Phil, and Pat Morgan, and the owners for letting us ask many questions and showing us around for their 155th Anniversary. It’s a one-of-a-kind experience to travel to Washington, Missouri, and check out where the famous corn cob pipes are made. It’s pretty eye-opening to see how much work it takes to bring those cobs from the ground to your mouth to smoke your favorite tobacco.
Master of Pipes , Certified Salesforce Tobacconist #2145 from tobacconistuniversity.org , President of the Austin Pipe Club, and Author at Pipesmagazine, James is also the owner of thepipetool.com. James has written numerous articles on the industry and interviewed some of the greats over the years.
What a well written article, I’m sorry to have his this event. I’d normally say “maybe next year”, but the next one is a long way off! Thanks for sharing your experience!
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 672. Our featured interview tonight is with Jamie Marcey from Marcey Handmade Pipes. Jamie has been a pipe smoker since 2017, and he started making pipes in 2024. He is inspired by both Danish and English styles. He uses Italian and Grecian briar along with German Ebonite. He resides in Virginia. At the top of the show Brian will have a tobacco review of Cornell & Diehl’s Virginia Flake.
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 671. Our featured interview tonight is with Anthony James. Anthony is a micro-blender of pipe tobaccos. He started smoking pipes in 2020, and because of his chef background he immediately became interested in blending tobaccos. He was led to pipe smoking after his wife’s grandfather passed away and they found 10 Kaywoodie pipes while cleaning out the garage. Anthony was already intrigued by pipes from his own great grandfather being a tough Navy man pipe smoker in WWII. He always had this macho image of pipe smokers and when he found the Kaywoodies, that was the last push he needed. In Pipe Parts, Brian will have a list of pipe smoking related things you must at least try once.
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 670. Our featured interview tonight is with Beau York. Beau is the former co-host of the now ended pipes and tobacco based podcast, Country Squire. We’ll talk about his early days of getting into pipe smoking and meeting his former podcast co-host Jon David Cole when he was an employee at the store and not the owner. You’ll hear how pipe smoking is different for him now that it is not part of his job to talk about it each week along with some of his favorite memories from the show. Beau will also tell us about his new project – Midnight High Immersive Theater. At the top of the show Brian will talk about a bitter pipe that he has.
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 669. Our featured interview tonight is with Kirk Keener aka “Kaptain_Kirk32”. Kirk is a member of the Indiana Pipe Club. We’ll be talking about their upcoming pipe show in Gas City, IN on September 20th. Kirk has worked as a machinist, and played guitar in bands in the past, and he has a YouTube Channel with 985 subscribers and 346 videos devoted to pipe smoking and tobacco reviews. At the top of the show, Brian will have a tobacco review of Cornell & Diehl’s Haunted Bookshop.
Just to cop a great line for the return of Pundit, here is one of my favorites from “The Shining,” when actor Jack Nicholson scares the life out of everyone with the spooky, “Here’s Johnny.” So, Here’s Pundit! It is so good to return to PipesMagazine. In the interim, I have moved to a smaller apartment. I found out the long-cared-for pipe herd and tobacco cellar were a monumental chore to move. Boxes upon boxes, tobacco jars by the ton. Seriously. The late Bill Unger of The North American Society of Pipe Collectors (NASPC) said if you have one pipe you are a pipe smoker. If you have two pipes, you are a pipe collector. I followed that path like a yellow brick road. Pundit advice No. 1: Trim the pipe herd often without replacing too many. Pundit advice No. 2: Smoke the tins, except for vintage blends, and store as few jars of bulk tobacco as possible. I know, this is easier said than done. It is difficult to part with pipes and a precious and babied tobacco cellar. In the interim, I have been cataloging pipes and tobacco to come to a better understanding of this collection. Yes, Unger’s theory swamped me like a tsunami. What we have here is a perfect storm, a boutique of pipes and tobacco. And my old friends, and many vintage tobacco blends no longer available, make life quite a bit more enjoyable and relaxing. Along with perplexing decisions: What to smoke up and what to continue the aging process. Like adolescents. They will mature at some age. Right. But one never knows. Here is to the future and to your collecting and cellaring. It is a wonderful hobby and enterprise. Before I launch into Pipe Smokers of the Past or in Quotable Pipe Quotes (a new Pundit feature), there is a solid ground rule that you, dear readers, can count on from Pundit. As long as I am writing Pundit for your entertainment and hopefully a bit of education on the art and love of pipe smoking, you will never have to be concerned that Pundit has resorted to letting AI handle the writing. Pundit does not believe in allowing some sort of artificial intelligence to write copy for me. In fact, Pundit is concerned that writing, creative non-fiction, and narratives of other genre in general, will succumb to this rage for AI in our lives. Can you imagine legendary pipe-smoking novelist William Faulkner’s prose style being AI’d? Or are Shelby Foote, John Steinbeck, Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway, and any of the past great writers and pipe-smokers to be ripped off by AI? This is not for pipe smokers. Our writers were the contemplative authors, who penned magical works while puffing their pipes and special blends. AI is not a pipe smoker. It is a thief of words and styles that were honed by years of toil over pen and paper, typewriters, and eventually the computer. Sure, writing is easy. Just listen to the legendary New York Times sports columnist on how effortless writing can be: “There’s nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at the typewriter and open a vein.” This is not a rant. Pundit is worried that our wonderful pipe-smoking authors, and those of us who write about it today, will be haunted by the shadowy AI, ready to strike at the heart of what is so important to the pipe smoker: authenticity. Good writing doesn’t come at the push of a button in a remote office somewhere. It takes dedication and years of learning to devote time to detail and intense observation. That’s not exactly a talent everyone has, let alone a machine. Becoming immersed in writing about pipes and tobacco takes time, learning and listening to and reading the masters of pipe making and tobacco blending. And pipe writers and storytellers. It takes years to craft a readable style about the briar and leaf. The sermon is over, but this is just to let you know Pundit will never, ever resort to using AI to write this column monthly. It is a privilege and an honor and I’m very grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the community of pipe smokers. A favorite pipe-smoking quote: One of the best pieces of advice comes from Albert Einstein, Mr. Relativity himself, who is reported to have said: “Before answering a question you should always light your pipe first.” And that first spark of fire, curling leaf in the bowl; that first sip and taste leads to a more contemplative endeavor as Mr. E=MC2 once explained. Now for a July birthday of note is Carl Jung, Swiss psychiatrist and the father of analytical psychology. Jung was born July 26, 1875, and died June 6, 1961. For an in-depth read, check out Chuck Stanion’s Carl Gustav Jung: Pipe-Smoking Founder of Analytical Psychology in SmokingPipes.com, Feb. 11, 2022, Pipe Line. A Parting thought: Pipes new and old brim with mystery and art, heart and soul. It’s a natural wonder, from earth to hearth.
Welcome to The Pipes Magazine Radio Show Episode 668. Our featured interview tonight is with Paul Greenwood. Paul is the pipemaker behind Grunewald Pipes. He started smoking pipes in his late-20s and then stopped for almost 30 years. He started smoking pipes again in February 2022. Two months later he went to the Chicago pipe show and signed up for the pipe making seminar. He noticed that there weren’t any pipes at the show resembling the pipes from The Lord of the Rings and decided to do something about it. He launched his Instagram in April 2023 and produces handmade pipes inspired by LOTR pipes. At the top of the show we will continue the tour of Brian’s personal pipe collection with four Danish or Danish-inspired pipes.
What a well written article, I’m sorry to have his this event. I’d normally say “maybe next year”, but the next one is a long way off! Thanks for sharing your experience!