An Arm-chair in the Smoking-Room: or, Fiction, anecdote, humour, and fancy ...

[fred]

This book offers an older perspective of the Smoking Room, in days when a

Smoking Room was in existence. It's a bit of fun for those of us who like

to read about these old traditions and customs....
http://books.google.com/books?id=TBIlAAAAMAAJ&dq="The Meerschaum: how to choose, smoke, and colour it"&pg=PA338#v=onepage&q=%22The%20Meerschaum%3A%20how%20to%20choose%2C%20smoke%2C%20and%20colour%20it%22&f=false
This chapter of the book is most interesting to me.... The Meerschaum: How to

Choose, Smoke and Colour It, starting on page 338.

 

[ernest]

That sounds fantastic fred,I will look into that.What an excellent discussion that would make.They say history repeats itself.I don't believe I have ever been in a real smoking room looking at it from a historical and traditional point of view.I wonder if there would be rules and codes of conduct.Would there be a yearly membership fee or possibly a secret hand shake?Only research will tell.

 

[cortezattic]

Fred, the chapter on the Meerschaum was interesting and a pleasant read,

but I completely failed to understand how to use the plug to which he refers.

Do you have any ideas, or is this bit of arcanum lost to history?

 

[fred]

Yes, Cortezattic. The use of a plug in a Meerschaum is to collect the oils of the smoke to color the Pipe systematically. The plug is left in the Pipe for 1-3 weeks. The smoker smokes the Pipe's load down to the plug. The plug must be removed to clean the Pipe and a new one put back. They didn't have Pipe cleaners back then, but used methods involving alcohol, while others used feathers. For me, the coloration of the Meerschaum is a benefit, but my focus is the clarity of the smoke that a clean Meerschaum provides. I'll still clean my Pipes after every smoke.