1902 Cutty with Amber Stem And Colored Meerschaum????

[ashdigger]

Hi gang. I just got this delivered in the mail. I purchased it thinking it was a Dark Briar Cutty from 1902. While cleaning and examining it I confirmed its from 1902. Easy. But, upon closer examination I noticed a couple of scratches....typical for a 114 year old pipe, BUT the scratches revealed WHITE Meerschaum. I took some photos. I love the pipe and its completely in my wheelhouse because its 5 1/2 inches long and 24 grams. The silver cap is an added bonus. BTW, the white beneath the scratches is consistent in three places. I've never seen white briar. Tan yes, white no.
What do you smarter than me folks think....??

 

[hmhaines]

Could it be that pressed Meer I've heard about? I remember someone saying that it behaves much differently than block.

 

[ashdigger]

Hmhaines, I don't think pressed meer was a thing back in 1902. But, I don't know for absolute certainty. All of the meer I own from that time had very hard meerschaum.

 

[jazz]

I don't know but it is very pretty.

 

[pagan]

Nice looking pipe no matter what it is

 

[beefeater33]

That's a beauty!!

I think its an old pre-colored meer, "oxblood-stained"..........

here's an old thread about them.......... ::

Pre- colored Meerschaum
Edit: After looking at yours more closely Ash, it DOES look like briar? And it has nails holding the cap on? Now I am confused............ I think its the very rare, exotic and elusive "White Briar"........... ::

 

[ashdigger]

Beefeater, thanks for the link. It's definitely oxblood-stained.
The small nails are fine. I've seen those before on meerschaum pipes.
I've reached out to Condorlover for the answer too.

 

[beefeater33]

Simon would know.......... that's right in his wheelhouse.

 

[danielplainview]

Great catch. Congrats! I'd love to see a group shot of all the beautiful cased antiques.

 

[ophiuchus]

That's a beauty!!

I think its an old pre-colored meer, "oxblood-stained"..........

I think you nailed it. I'm not the expert you're looking for in this area, and it's hard to tell without holding it ... but the physical appearance of this beautiful specimen is consistent with the ox blood stained meers I've seen over the years. Nice, nice pipe. ::

 

[georged]

Edit: After looking at yours more closely Ash, it DOES look like briar? And it has nails holding the cap on? Now I am confused............ I think its the very rare, exotic and elusive "White Briar"........... ::

Been there, seen this.
Some nearly pure-white wood I've never been able to identify was commonly used in the late 19th / early 20th century for ornamented pipes.
Here's an example:
http://imgur.com/a/fZfpf
If anyone knows what it might be, please say so. (Extremely hard, medium weight, slightly waxy hand feel.)
PS -- the brownish areas/spots are not the wood, it's remaining stain. The wood itself is uniformly near-white.

 

[ashdigger]

George, that's very interesting, but this isn't an ornamental, as such. It's been heavily smoked. I know, I cleaned it. :D

 

[georged]

Ornamented, meaning silver caps & etc, not ornamental as in a non-functional decorative set-down.
Here is the pipe as it came to me, as part of a set that had been glued to a display board (long story). Notice the gold cap and original color. Look familiar?
http://imgur.com/a/8DaNY
They had all been smoked.

 

[ashdigger]

Interesting George. Hopefully that wasn't your stem work. :rofl:
I just finished smoking it....smokes very well.

 

[ophiuchus]

Getting a better look at the image zoomed on the computer. On that bottom image, in the light spot at the bottom of the bowl ... woodgrain?

 

[ashdigger]

Ophiuchus, not wood grain, but you would have to hold it and see to know. It's definitely oxblood-stained.
Smokes just like a Meerschaum should. I just finished my third bowl in it. Third in a row I should say.

 

[ophiuchus]

Can't beat that kind of testing. :puffpipe:

 

[mackeson]

I would guess a stained meer also. Nice find regardless. Great looking pipe!

 

[jonasclark]

Yes, pressed meerschaum existed in 1902. It was known commonly as "chip," or as "Vienna meerschaum" (I think "chip meerschaum" was the more common term). As to what yours is, besides nice-looking, I can't say.

 

[gnesiohamartolos]

Are you sure this was manufactured in 1902? The silver hallmark is for Chester, England, and the H.T. is closest to Henry Thompson of London. However, the script "B" is closer to the mark for 1727 though 1902 is also a script capital B. This pipe may have been dyed. One method was to apply a paste made of aniline dyes of oxblood and Soudan brown that was burned in with an alcohol lamp. Carl Avery Werner, Tobaccoland (New York, 1922.)