Intentionally Blackening the Rim of a Meer to Imitate Van Cleef

[OverMountain]

Thank you! Not pulling the trigger yet, just trying to educate myself. A nice cutty meer would be a grail pipe!

 

[aspiring_sage]

@aspiring_sage: It is simply not true that yours truly and Weezell have cornered the world supply of 'cutty' pipes! All of mine are ancient and 100+ years or more old since I am way too lazy to break in a new pipe. You can buy a new meerschaum 'cutty' pipe from Meerschaum Depot which is run by a chap called Ramazan who supplies meerschaum pipes to Pipes & Cigars who are sponsor of this forum. Ramazan does a line of meerschaum 'cutty' pipes that were copied from pipes in my regular rotation that I lent him since I have known him for years. I also believe he sells these on Ebay as well but I have not searched them out in ages. Good luck with your Lee Van Clef pipe. I am afraid I cannot offer you any words of wisdom regarding new meerschaum pipes since my knowledge such that it is remains firmly rooted in the early 20th century and before then. Anything I may know is gathered from people who are now long since pushing up daisies and sadly no longer around. @Chasing Embers has probably got the best knowledge in regards to newish meerschaum pipes and his opinions in this area are very sound.

You can't fool me! Reading between the lines, I now understand that Weezell must have all of the sub-100 year-olds. BTW the photos from your collection are amazing.
I was not aware that Pipes & Cigars were a sponsor of the forum. I'll keep them in mind as an option now.
I'll keep my eye out for cutty meerschaums. I'll try to keep the PAD under control, so I don't end up with 13 of them next year, but one more shouldn't hurt
Re: meerschaumdepot.com | Their website implies all their stock is sold. I'll likely call or email, when the urge gets strong again.
One thing I learned from this thread was to reach out before staying constrained to the pipes displayed in the online inventory.

But, you appear to be a good fit here. And, if you succumb to the pipe, by all means, at least get the hat to wear while enjoying one of the spaghetti westerns. I'm laughing with you not, at you.

? I understand you were just playin' around, but the mule, he just doesn't get it.
I slept from 4a-7a the past two nights, so I was a bit of a baby today.
I've done a lot of lurking on these forums. I've gotten a lot of value, and entertainment here. Especially you and another 5-10 guys here, I really appreciate your knowledge and attitudes.

On the other hand, I hope to spend less time reading and more time doing.
When you have to smoke, smoke. Don't talk. Right?

 

[aspiring_sage]

T

Or buying a deerstalker to wear while you’re watching Sherlock Holmes.

The nerve!! You'll be crossing the line if you start making fun of my bandolier!

 

[Chasing Embers]

When you have to smoke, smoke. Don't talk. Right?

Nah, you can do both. I'm usually working when I'm smoking.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I now understand that Weezell must have all of the sub-100 year-olds.

I got one of them.

 

[condorlover1]

I love that pipe! Duane can carry that one off whilst I would look sort of out of place trying to smoke it! Well Happy Easter to one and all!

 

[Infantry23]

Always keep them cake free. This can be done by wiping the camber with a damp paper towel after smoking.

The tans and pinks you see as you smoke a meerschaum are just the wax reacting to the warmth of the pipe. The real coloring doesn't happen until several hundred smokes and generally starts in the heel as a dark gray discoloration. Put off cleaning the pipe until ready to smoke again to give the pipe time to absorb the tars from the tobacco you just smoke to aid in coloring.


My routine is to dump ash, gently scrape out / tap out dottle onto my palm, damp paper towel to clean out the inside of the pipe. However, my genuine question @Chasing Embers is how to use the damp paper towel after smoking but put off cleaning the pipe until the next smoke? Do you leave the ash in the bowl until the next smoke and then use the damp towel?

 

[Infantry23]

My routine is to dump ash, gently scrape out / tap out dottle onto my palm, damp paper towel to clean out the inside of the pipe. However, my genuine question @Chasing Embers is how to use the damp paper towel after smoking but put off cleaning the pipe until the next smoke? Do you leave the ash in the bowl until the next smoke and then use the damp towel?

(I copied this because I think I posted it in Embers' quote above and don't know how to change it!)

 

[Chasing Embers]

Do you leave the ash in the bowl until the next smoke and then use the damp towel?

Yep

 

[Infantry23]

Thanks. Would ash not build up in the meer though if you leave it sit like that for too long?

 

[Chasing Embers]

Would ash not build up in the meer though if you leave it sit like that for too long?

How? Wiping it out with a wet paper towel clears it out.

 

[sablebrush52]

I wonder if the black is something impregnated into the meerschaum, then heating oxidizes that something. I read something about varnish then heat. Also toying with the idea of water containing dye, then dry out the water, then heat.

If my little 1925 Barling meer is any indicator, the sort of coloration, slight golden tone that gradates to black at the top, is a finish that tooks to have been baked into the meerschaum. There's nothing natural about it.

 

[kcghost]

It is best not to confuse what we see of a pipe in the movies with reality. They can do what they think is needed to a pipe and then throw it in the trash if they wish.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

It is best not to confuse what we see of a pipe in the movies with reality. They can do what they think is needed to a pipe and then throw it in the trash if they wish.

They threw a Martin D-18 in the trash and Andy Griffith found it. Took it to a famous luthier in New York. The rest is history.

 

[Simmerdown☕️]

It was a movie prop. Maybe temporairliy colored, handled carefully, lit only for a quick take and then set aside. Probably sitting on a shelf somewhere, listed on an inventory, awaiting it's next quick movie appearance. Znc, quite possibly, it was simply an African meer and prop company purchased. Are you gona wear the hat and grow the pencil thin mustache?

It was my understanding that the pipes he used in the movies were mostly his own stock. ?‍️

 

[warren]

Interesting. I've never seen nor heard that alleged. He admits to owning some Petersons though in an interview somewhere back in time. At least the interview gave that impression.

 

[TheWhale13]

It was my understanding that the pipes he used in the movies were mostly his own stock. ?‍️

Me too, I don't have a clue how true it is though.

 

[Simmerdown☕️]

Interesting. I've never seen nor heard that alleged. He admits to owning some Petersons though in an interview somewhere back in time. At least the interview gave that impression.

I do remember reading years ago that he smoked the Wellingtons that often were misinterpreted as Peterson’s. You can see these pipes in a few of his movies. ️

 

[Simmerdown☕️]

Pipe Smoker: Lee Van Cleef

Clarence Leroy "Lee" Van Cleef, Jr. (1925 - 1989) "Being born with a pair of beady eyes was the best thing that ever happened to m...

briarfiles.blogspot.com

 

[Simmerdown☕️]

Lee Van Cleef – Peterson Pipe Notes

petersonpipenotes.org