Do Missouri Meerschaum Hardwoods Last Longer Than Cobs?

[Skippy B. Coyote]

If they are splitting, maybe trim the cake. I consume cobs like you. I can't smoke a wood or meer like I can smoke a cob, and I abuse them on vacation on the beach or water. It's a nice change from the nice, easy smokes on the patio or in a smoking club.

I actually make it a point to never let my cobs build a cake, past the initial break in period of getting the bowl carbonized from top to bottom. After that first week or so of smoking I always wipe down the inside of the bowl with a folded up pipe cleaner after every smoke to prevent cake buildup; which I had read was the best way to maintain a cob since cake buildup can cause the cob to crack.

In any case, I did email Missouri Meerschaum customer service this afternoon to explain what was going on so I'll be curious to see what their thoughts on the matter are.

 

[mpjetset]

...In any case, I did email Missouri Meerschaum customer service this afternoon to explain what was going on so I'll be curious to see what their thoughts on the matter are.

Let us know!

 

[KruegerFlap]

I predominantly smoke cobs and have not ran into an issue like this. The shapes I've smoked the most are Country Gentleman's, Legends with the Rob Roy shaped bowl, and unfinished Morgans. I will even allow them to build cake and then shave it back when needed. I have an Ozark hardwood but haven't smoked it enough to say how durable it is for the long term but I would think it could last awhile in the right conditions. I don't smoke a lot of aromatics out of my cobs though, so you might be on to the issue. Hopefully you can figure it out and let us know.

 

[Skippy B. Coyote]

After sending them an email with a link to this thread and a summary of what's been going on with my cobs I heard back from Missouri Meerschaum a couple days ago, and the short version of the story is that yes indeedy, it was very likely the smoking of wet aromatics in my cobs with a one day rest between smokes that made them all fail after a year or so:



As an interesting aside, I remembered I actually have a third Country Gentleman that's been stored in the same room as the others that failed but only ever had English blends smoked out of it and it's in fine condition with no cracks or signs of failure; so it's fairly safe to write out environmental factors as the cause for most of my cobs short lifespans. I think the moral of the story here is that if you want your cobs to last more than a year, don't feed them a regular diet of Captain Black and Cult Blood Red Moon.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

@Skippy B. Coyote

Might it make sense to just get some budget beater pipes made of briar to take on the go? There are a vast number of basket or estate pipes (or second lines made by big companies) that might be found for less than some cobs cost.

 

[Skippy B. Coyote]

@Skippy B. Coyote

Might it make sense to just get some budget beater pipes made of briar to take on the go? There are a vast number of basket or estate pipes (or second lines made by big companies) that might be found for less than some cobs cost.

Most definitely! It's hard to go wrong with well drilled properly cured briar, and I'm a big fan of Morgan Bones, Rossi, and Dr. Grabow pipes and own several of them. However, even those inexpensive $40'ish briars still feel special enough to me that I tend to baby them and not want to risk dropping them or getting them all banged up. So, I've just been using $15 or so cobs for my work and walking pipes.

I am intrigued by Missouri Meerschaum's birch and maple hardwoods though, since I've never smoked a hardwood pipe before, so I just picked up a bent Ozark Mountain Hardwood while I was putting in an order for a new Forever Stem from Vermont Freehand the other day. They're nice and light and a lot of people seem to like them once they're broken in, and the birchwood they're made of should be way less porous and less likely to be affected by moisture from aromatics than a cob. Plus they're only $10, so I think I'll give one a try!

 

[Danimal92sport]

I destroyed my first MM cob by trying to aggressively clean out around the shank inside of the bowl. I was a new smoker, also. I was using the pick tool one time right after a smoke (probably a super hot smoke ) and was digging down around the shank to ensure it was “clean” and poked right through the bottom meerschaum plug. That pipe was also developing a crack on the cob where the shank was that was starting to look bad. I know this happens and can be repaired, but I also take it as a sign of me using the cob more as a smelting pot than a tobacco pipe

 

[WirelessSmoke]

I came across a video a while ago about sunning your corn cobs. Anyone heard of this or do it? I haven't tried it myself but I do see the logic.

 

[SmokingInTheWind]

I came across a video a while ago about sunning your corn cobs. Anyone heard of this or do it? I haven't tried it myself but I do see the logic.

Yes, l read about this when I first started out. It was also recommended to have at least 3 cobs to rotate so that after smoking a pipe once, or for the day it could it could be rested for two days to dry out in good shape. I started with 3 cobs but since they are so inexpensive I bought more so I could have different sizes and let them dry even longer. Also, ream out the bowl with a wadded up paper towel after each smoke to dry and prevent cake, or at least at the end of the day, along with pipe cleaners through the stem. I tried putting my cobs on a sunny windowsill but then figured with two days or more rest under air conditioning it didn’t matter so I only did it a few times, but I can see where it would be helpful in a humid environment. I rotate my cobs so they get plenty of time to dry out and all are in great condition. No cake, no cracks.

A person on a tight budget could set themselves up with seven MM Pride unfinished cobs or Legend cobs for the price of one lower end briar and always have a clean dry pipe available.

 

[makhorkasmoker]

Most definitely! It's hard to go wrong with well drilled properly cured briar, and I'm a big fan of Morgan Bones, Rossi, and Dr. Grabow pipes and own several of them. However, even those inexpensive $40'ish briars still feel special enough to me that I tend to baby them and not want to risk dropping them or getting them all banged up. So, I've just been using $15 or so cobs for my work and walking pipes.

I am intrigued by Missouri Meerschaum's birch and maple hardwoods though, since I've never smoked a hardwood pipe before, so I just picked up a bent Ozark Mountain Hardwood while I was putting in an order for a new Forever Stem from Vermont Freehand the other day. They're nice and light and a lot of people seem to like them once they're broken in, and the birchwood they're made of should be way less porous and less likely to be affected by moisture from aromatics than a cob. Plus they're only $10, so I think I'll give one a try!

My ozark is my favorite hardwood. It did require a bit of “mud” because of the all too common hole found beneath mm stickers, but otherwise it’s been great.

I’ve been thinking about trying those forever stems myself

 

[geoffs]

I can tell you this: the other day the shank came unglued from the bowl of one of my hardwoods. No big deal. I just glued it back.

Yep, same thing happened to me, glue fixed it 100%.
For the price, the MM Ozark is the best pipe I've smoked. Lightweight, looks great, smokes like a charm.

 

[Skippy B. Coyote]

Well, I finally got an official answer to the question that started this thread!




I've got a bent Ozark Mountain hardwood and a snazzy bent red amber F-type Forever Stem for it arriving on Thursday and I'll be really looking forward to giving it try and seeing how it smokes once it's broken in.