Kiko 79A meer lined anomaly.

[mawnansmiff]

Hello pipe experts, I wonder if anyone can offer anything to my latest pipe puzzle. In amongst my latest estate pipe bundle were two Kiko 79A meer lined princes that are also leatherclad. One was nigh on unsmoked whereas the other (this pipe) was clearly well smoked. Before I started a refurb proper I started by doing some basic cleansing of the pipe. It was whilst cleaning out the meer lined bowl that an extraordinary thing happened....a ring of meer popped out!
I was always of the assumption that meer lined pipes consisted of a complete meer 'plug' being inserted into the briar bowl but this is not the case here. I haven't cleaned/studied the pipe enough yet to determine if there are more rings in there but am very surprised to find that my bowl is in at least two pieces!
Is anyone out there familiar enough with the brand to know whether this was normal practice for Kiko pipes or indeed normal practice for all meer lined pipe makers?
Would love to know. Below are three pictures that show what I describe above.
Regards,
Jay.

 

[jacks6]

Hmm. I've never seen this before. I'm interested in hearing others take on it.

 

[mikestanley]

I would be very surprised to hear that meerschaum lined bowls, from any maker, are made from block. I can imagine all sorts of ways pressed meerschaum could come apart, including that way.
Mike S.

 

[lifeon2]

Seeing it pop in a clean ring like that makes me think that perhaps they made a generic one size fits all lower piece and a taller ring that was cut down sort of per pipe. I havent ever seen anything like that but I build a lot of oddball stuff at work so thats my W.A.G.

 

[mawnansmiff]

Mike, it's a perfect circular ring, it isn't broken if that's what you're suggesting. I presume this piece was cemented to what remains in the bowl.
Regards,
Jay.

 

[mawnansmiff]

Lifeon, what you suppose makes a lot of sense now you mention it, thanks for your input.
Regards,
Jay.

 

[mikestanley]

A perfect circle. Like a seam let loose between two pieces making up a bowl insert? I would imagine you can press meerschaum into about any shape you want.
Mike S.

 

[pipedreamin]

I have a Kiko and Kilimanjaro. Neither appear to be segmented. The box front of the Kiko states: "Guaranteed Amboseli Block Meerschaum Insert"
A speculative stretch: With meerschaum being such a fine, uniform grain, a near perfect circular split isn't all that unlikely especially if say, the evenly exerted force of the drying/shrinking leather cinched the top of the bowl a hair.

 

[mawnansmiff]

Interesting thought Pipedreamin, however meerschaum (sepiolite Mg4(Si6O15)(OH)2·6H2O) has no natural cleavage planes therefore no 'grain' as such. It's just a mass of microscopc needles compacted together. My other interest is mineralogy BTW.
I think Lifeon hit it on the head with his theory.
Regards,
Jay.

 

[snagstangl]

You say you got 2 of these correct? What does the other one look like in the bowl? I assume it is not the same thing. I have one Kiko Meerlined I got in a lot but I don't remember it being in two pieces. I may have to have a look at mine.

 

[mawnansmiff]

Snag, I just had the other pipe under the microscope and can plainly see there is a ring sitting atop the rest of the meer bowl. It never occurred to me to look at the second pipe until you mentioned it so cheers for that.
Regards,
Jay.