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

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Jun 9, 2015
3,970
24,856
42
Mission, Ks
I see, speaking of pre-coloring

This is my Kiko I believe was “calcined?”
20-30 bowls of black cav on top of a meerschaum button which turned completely black and condensates still.

View attachment 203179
Kiko’s were African block meerschaum, it’s always precolored and not nearly as absorbent as Turkish block. African block does not color from smoking.
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
16,867
31,627
46
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
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.
mine certainly came with a bunch of scratches nothing major. I figured if I only spent 50 bucks on it a few scratches seemed a fair trade off. haven't found any new ones and I do treat it well but I don't baby the thing.
 
Feb 7, 2023
34
61
If you wipe off an estate meer with an alcohol wipe and it looks darker afterwards, would you assume you merely removed an obscuring layer of dust and grime? I’ve observed this a few times.
 

canucklehead

Lifer
Aug 1, 2018
2,862
15,355
Alberta

TheWhale13

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 12, 2021
803
3,427
Sweden
View attachment 203306

You think a van cleef aesthetic could be done using black beeswax?
I wouldn't. If you want the top to be black it can easily be done just by being very generous with a lighter or match when lighting.

Making the meerschaum crackled/calcined/marbled (whatever it can be called), I've never seen naturally occuring, and might just be something artificially made.
 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
45,328
119,779