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jhowell

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 25, 2019
634
1,020
70
Phoenix, Arizona
Holy smokes! Is that 100% smoking, or was there some pre-coloration going on there?
To the best of my knowledge it is from 100% smoking. I purchased the pipe used and it was already well colored - it has continued to color as I smoke it. Judging from the orifice stem (which appears to be original) the pipe is about 100 years old.

Here's a Bacchus / Dionysus from my collection that is well colored also...

baccus.jpg
 

Homer

Starting to Get Obsessed
Aug 7, 2020
258
806
44
Finland
Thank you.
Those are 2 Estupendos from the 1980s I was lucky enough to find at a long closed tobacconist. I'm waiting for a significant occasion to light them up.
They truly are something very special. I rarely see something like that even at FOH forum.

Have you long time pipe smokers have advice about meerschaum pipes? I have found a store in Denmark that sells calabash pipe with meerschaum bowl but the pipe is mahogany. Does it matter that its mahogany?
 

OzPiper

Lifer
Nov 30, 2020
5,822
30,988
71
Sydney, Australia
Have you long time pipe smokers have advice about meerschaum pipes? I have found a store in Denmark that sells calabash pipe with meerschaum bowl but the pipe is mahogany. Does it matter that its mahogany?
If the calabash has a meerschaum bowl, then it doesn't matter what material/wood the rest of the pipe is made of. The tobacco goes into the meerschaum bowl - the rest of the pipe is "decorative".

With gourd calabashes, the gourd part is quite absorbant and gives a very dry and cool smoke, which is a huge plus for me. The downside is tars get absorbed. I have a 40 yr old gourd calabash which I cleaned recently by packing with cotton balls and soaked with alcohol (a clear peach brandy) for 48 hours. It smokes so much "sweeter" now.

I've steered clear of buying antique calabashes where the bowl is not removable for the above reason.
 
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Homer

Starting to Get Obsessed
Aug 7, 2020
258
806
44
Finland
If the calabash has a meerschaum bowl, then it doesn't matter what material/wood the rest of the pipe is made of. The tobacco goes into the meerschaum bowl - the rest of the pipe is "decorative".

With gourd calabashes, the gourd part is quite absorbant and gives a very dry and cool smoke, which is a huge plus for me. The downside is tars get absorbed. I have a 40 yr old gourd calabash which I cleaned recently by packing with cotton balls and soaked with alcohol (a clear peach brandy) for 48 hours. It smokes so much "sweeter" now.

I've steered clear of buying antique calabashes where the bowl is not removable for the above reason.
Thank you for the advice.
This is what is said about the pipe.

Impressive work from our meerschaum pipemaker Emre Bay in Turkey. The body of the pipe is made from Mahogany wood, and the cup is 100% handmade of real block meerschaum and the pipe is delivered in custom made case.
 
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Homer

Starting to Get Obsessed
Aug 7, 2020
258
806
44
Finland
Any
Thank you for the advice.
This is what is said about the pipe.

Impressive work from our meerschaum pipemaker Emre Bay in Turkey. The body of the pipe is made from Mahogany wood, and the cup is 100% handmade of real block meerschaum and the pipe is delivered in custom made case.
Any ideas where I could find new real gourd calabash pipes?