Just bought my first Meerschaum

[mowens]

So I just got my first Meerschaum pipe! Link I'm very excited to give it a first smoke but before I did I thought I would stop by the boards and see if any of you pipers with meerschaum experience wouldn't mind giving me a few tips, especially on cleaning and maintaining the pipe. Also, I was under the impression that there is no break in period like that of briar pipes. Any validity to this?
Thanks!

 

[duncan]

Congrats! There are a few articles on here that talk about that very subject. Fred is the expert on that subject matter. I am sure he will chime in and help you out. Once again Congrats!

 

[fred]

Thanks Duncan, but I really am a student in these matters. There really is

so much more to know than what I've found so far.
Congrats on the new Meerschaum! The myth that there is no break in period for

Meerschaums has been around for years. Before you smoke the Pipe, clean it with

Everclear, a shank brush and Pipe cleaners. Take the Pipe apart to do this, as you

will be cleaning milling dust out of the Block and the bit. For the first few

smokes, the Pipe will be burning off the solvents and excess Beeswax. Routine

cleaning is the way I maintain my Meerschaums. For a good start on leaning more

about these Pipes, follow this link & scroll down to the bottom of the page for

the external link. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meerschaum If you want to

know more then these links should be of use to you.

http://pipesmagazine.com/blog/put-that-in-your-pipe/the-thrill-of-the-hunt-a-guide-to-estate-meerschaums/
http://pipesmagazine.com/blog/put-that-in-your-pipe/slave-to-the-white-goddess/

 

[duncan]

Fred might be a student but is the head of the class!

 

[mowens]

Thanks Duncan and Fred for the helpful tips.
Fred I saw that in your "slave to the white goddess" article that you mentioned not handling the bowl of the pipe. You went on to say that you used a white rag during handling and cleaning. Are there any types of cloth that I should avoid using while handling the pipe or will any white cloth do? Also, sadly I do not own a pipe rack (yet)is there a suggested method of storage for meerschaum if one doesn't own a rack? One last thing. About the Everclear, do you use it after every smoke? And how much should be applied to the brush and the pipe cleaners? Do I let the Everclear dry or do I use a white cloth and fresh pipe cleaners to clean up the excess Everclear after? Apologies for the newbie questions, I just don't want to mess this thing up the first go around lol..

 

[collin]

Very nice indeed!!!!! I'd be proud of that baby!

 

[mowens]

Thanks Tommy, I am. Hopefully this pipe is my first of many Meerschaums :P

 

[bubbadreier]

Great looking pipe! Damn, now I really need to get a Meerschaum!

 

[juni]

Before you smoke the Pipe, clean it with

Everclear, a shank brush and Pipe cleaners.

Do I ever wish I had done this with my two meers.

 

[buckeye]

maybe thats why my meer tasted so bad when i smoked it. never smoked it again after the first smoke it was nasty. and it took a month to get from turkey. going to clean it tonight and smoke it again. thanks for the tip.

 

[puffintuff]

Congrats on your new Meers. From my limited experience, I'd just like to add a few things.
Meers pipes are a bit more delicate than wood pipes. It may not survive a drop to a hard surface. Clean out the bowl with a tool rather than banging it out.
Don't let the pipe get to hot, more so on a Meer than with wood.
I clean them the same way I do a wood pipe, just a bit easier.
Freds article are vey informative and although he says he's a student, he probably knows more about meerschaum than most of the experts.
Good luck with your new pipe

 

[mowens]

Yeah I definitely followed Fred's tips about the Everclear and I was very careful with the pipe at all times. I did my best to not handle the bowl with my hands and while I smoked it I held it by the stem. If I needed to handle it by the bowl I used a white rag (clean of course) so the meerschaum wouldn't absorb anything from hands.
The smoke was different than that of a Briar for sure. I say different not because it was bad or better but it truly was a different kind of smoke. I enjoyed my first go around and look forward to the next. I'm very interested to see the changes in the meerschaum over the course of a year. I'll probably take a few picture over the next year and post them for you guys to see how it has progressed. If I can manage not to mess this thing up then there will be a few meerschaums added to my collection for sure.
Thanks for all tips fellas.

 

[fred]

Thanks Mowens. I use white cotton wash cloth that I pick up cheap at Dollar General.

They work well and are washable. Synthetics could scratch the Block's surface as

it's very soft. The Beeswax serves to protect the Block's surface as well as participating in the coloring process. As for pipe racks, I prefer to use the case that the Pipe came in. For those Pipes that didn't come with a case, I convert boxes,

such as portable Cigar humidors or cigar boxes, for that purpose. The case is a good

rest for the Pipe, when you put it down after smoking it. After cleaning the Pipe, the case also serves as a great way to protect the Pipe while not in use and the best part is that I don't have to dust them, if I keep the case closed. As for the Everclear, yes I clean the Pipe following every smoke, which includes taking the Pipe bit off, so that it can be cleaned both inside and outside, as your saliva will build up on the surface. I use enough Everclear on both the shank brush and end of the Pipe cleaner to get the grime out of the Pipe, but not enough to have it drip onto the Block's surface. This routine cleaning provides for the clarity of the smoke and allows me to smoke different blends in the Meerschaum, without taste carryover from one blend to the next, with exceptions for blends that will ghost any Pipe such as St Bruno, Condor or any blend with deer tongue in it. I also take the derlin push/pull connector tenon out of the bit, to allow cleaning of both the tenon and the bit, but leave the mortise in the Pipe's shank. These are my preferences for cleaning as I enjoy the clarity of the smoke a clean Meerschaum Pipe can provide and I appreciate looking at a Pipe that has been maintained. Others clean their Pipes infrequently and treat them like a Briar. It's really about what you want to get out of the Meerschaum experience that will lead you to make your own choices regarding the care & maintenance of these Pipes. I made my choices years ago, based on the old school traditions, and have done it so often that this part of the smoking rituals has become a pleasure as well. It's supposed to be fun, so make your own choices with that in mind. A Meerschaum can provide decades of smoking pleasures.

 

[jcsnaps]

Wow, great looking pipe. When you mentioned holding it by the stem while smoking I had a whole different picture in my mind. Seeing the pipe it looks like you have plenty of handle.

 

[python]

Nice pick up!

 

[ssjones]

Is your Meerschaum Merchant pipe still holding up well? What is the feedback after a few months of use? Any regrets?