Coloring Progress Over Time/No of Bowls in one Meerschaum Pipe

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It was long overdue for an update. I cleaned up the pipe yesterday to take a photo. I prefer taking a photo in the full Sun, but today is overcast and it’s dusk now so the photos were slightly underexposed

I did a minor luminosity adjustment for mid-tones and highlights. Gave a tight crop. The first photo looks correct/true. Rest still underexposed but will not hurt

No of bowls : 339
Weight: I really cleaned it I suppose as it weighs 51 g (gone down by a gram from all previous weighing)


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That's really coloring beautifully. The more it's smoked the better it gets! How do you like the pipe otherwise? Altinay really seems to understand how to do it right.
I like the way this pipe was made and its smoking qualities.
The only thing that is kind of worrying is that the material is very soft and delicate and I have scratched it all over. I mentioned it a couple of times in other threads
 
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didimauw

Moderator
Staff member
Jul 28, 2013
10,664
37,350
SE WI
I like the way this pipe was made and its smoking qualities.
The only thing that is kind of worrying is that the material is very soft and delicate and I have scratched it all over. I mentioned it a couple of times in other threads
Yes meers scratch more easily than any other pipe. And they don't really show untill the coloring starts! So sometimes I wonder if the scratch was there when I got it and didn't notice or if I put it there.
 

MCJ

Can't Leave
May 22, 2022
418
3,612
NW Connecticut
It was long overdue for an update. I cleaned up the pipe yesterday to take a photo. I prefer taking a photo in the full Sun, but today is overcast and it’s dusk now so the photos were slightly underexposed

I did a minor luminosity adjustment for mid-tones and highlights. Gave a tight crop. The first photo looks correct/true. Rest still underexposed but will not hurt

No of bowls : 339
Weight: I really cleaned it I suppose as it weighs 51 g (gone down by a gram from all previous weighing)


View attachment 202129View attachment 202130View attachment 202131View attachment 202132
Coming along nicely!
 

brian64

Lifer
Jan 31, 2011
10,025
16,070
It was long overdue for an update. I cleaned up the pipe yesterday to take a photo. I prefer taking a photo in the full Sun, but today is overcast and it’s dusk now so the photos were slightly underexposed

I did a minor luminosity adjustment for mid-tones and highlights. Gave a tight crop. The first photo looks correct/true. Rest still underexposed but will not hurt

No of bowls : 339
Weight: I really cleaned it I suppose as it weighs 51 g (gone down by a gram from all previous weighing)


View attachment 202129View attachment 202130View attachment 202131View attachment 202132
Very nice. Yours is coloring much more quickly than mine. What blend(s) have you primarily smoked in it? I'm wondering how much of a factor the type of tobacco may be in coloring development. I never used to give it any thought, but ever since meer coloring has become a religion on the forum I find myself lured into paying it more attention.
 
Very nice. Yours is coloring much more quickly than mine. What blend(s) have you primarily smoked in it? I'm wondering how much of a factor the type of tobacco may be in coloring development. I never used to give it any thought, but ever since meer coloring has become a religion on the forum I find myself lured into paying it more attention.
I smoke everything in it which would roughly be about 40% Virginia Family, 30% Latakia Family and 30% Burley Family

Since a lot of members are posting their coloring progress, looks like some are coloring very fast (less than 50 bowls), while others refuse to color. Mine is like middle of the pack.
 

brian64

Lifer
Jan 31, 2011
10,025
16,070
I smoke everything in it which would roughly be about 40% Virginia Family, 30% Latakia Family and 30% Burley Family

Since a lot of members are posting their coloring progress, looks like some are coloring very fast (less than 50 bowls), while others refuse to color. Mine is like middle of the pack.
Thanks for the info. I'm only comparing it to my "translucent" meer. I only have one of them, and it has been coloring much slower than any of my "standard" meers.

I have only smoked one blend in it though (except for maybe a few bowls) but I've been smoking it about a year longer than yours and it's not even close to that degree of coloring. It may be that these translucent blocks are not all the same. Mine may be denser than yours because I have not noticed it being any softer or more delicate (as you described it) than any of my other meers.

PS: the pic Said Altinay posted of his personal translucent meer which colored magnificently has sort of large squares to its pattern...whereas I've noticed the underlying pattern I see in mine seems to be much smaller or tighter...which leads me to theorize that it may be a denser block, and may account for its slow coloring. But this is pure wild speculation.
 

TheWhale13

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 12, 2021
803
3,426
Sweden
Thanks for the info. I'm only comparing it to my "translucent" meer. I only have one of them, and it has been coloring much slower than any of my "standard" meers.

I have only smoked one blend in it though (except for maybe a few bowls) but I've been smoking it about a year longer than yours and it's not even close to that degree of coloring. It may be that these translucent blocks are not all the same. Mine may be denser than yours because I have not noticed it being any softer or more delicate (as you described it) than any of my other meers.

PS: the pic Said Altinay posted of his personal translucent meer which colored magnificently has sort of large squares to its pattern...whereas I've noticed the underlying pattern I see in mine seems to be much smaller or tighter...which leads me to theorize that it may be a denser block, and may account for its slow coloring. But this is pure wild speculation.
Where is the picture of Said's pipe?
 

brian64

Lifer
Jan 31, 2011
10,025
16,070
Where is the picture of Said's pipe?
The below thread was where it was originally discussed. He made some general comments about these blocks and posted a series of pics:

 

Pipeoff

Part of the Furniture Now
Jun 22, 2021
928
1,556
Western New York
I know that some meers come precolored but look at the over large antique, it must have taken years. The case has a double opening not only to protect but pipe can be smoked in case.
 

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