March Meerschaum Madness - Let the Madness Begin!

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Lifer
Nov 14, 2020
5,218
30,816
Hawaii
Continuing on for March Meerschaum Madness, tonight for the first time, Mr. Christian's Raven Eye Flake in my 1901 Sam McLardy & Co. Meerschaum with a vulcanite stem.

For those that are into Spun Cut Bullseye VaPers, this stuff is amazing! 👍

The March Meerschaum Madness, really made me think, and connect more to my Meer, given their low maintenance. I’m really going to make sure to always use this now as my new blends testing pipe, besides Meerschaum being great pipes. :)

I really love the new work Ken has been doing on a lot of the blends. The Raven artwork for this blend is so cool.

Be well everyone! ❤️

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pappymac

Lifer
Feb 26, 2015
3,565
5,056
Slidell, LA
Guess it's time to join in. Haven't been smoking much this month because of a sinus infection that I'm finally getting over with. I have 12 meerschaums.
My two CAO meerschaums neither are signed or dated. This one was picked out by my wife as a Christmas present in 1984.
CAO_Cavalier.jpg


This was a gift from a member of a different pipe forum before he disappeared from the universe. It was unsmoked when I received it.

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runscott

Lifer
Jun 3, 2020
1,292
2,838
Washington State
Oh man. Every meer I've ever owned has ghosted. Luckily I smoke the same 5 burley blends so it's not terrible. But ghosts all around. Lol
Do you clean them out after each smoke (after they cool down)? I'll get an argument going possibly, but my understanding (and it has worked for me) is that you should scrub them clean after they cool down (don't build cake). Do this from the beginning and there shouldn't be any ghosting. Same with clays. It's one of the benefits of smoking meers and clays, over briar.

As far as those who have said they receive ghosted estate pipes that they can't get the ghosting out of - I don't see any issue with just sanding the inside of the chamber until it's free of any old remains. I wouldn't do that with a briar, though.

Okay, I have tough skin - fire away :)
 

didimauw

Moderator
Staff member
Jul 28, 2013
10,727
37,708
SE WI
Do you clean them out after each smoke (after they cool down)? I'll get an argument going possibly, but my understanding (and it has worked for me) is that you should scrub them clean after they cool down (don't build cake). Do this from the beginning and there shouldn't be any ghosting. Same with clays. It's one of the benefits of smoking meers and clays, over briar.

As far as those who have said they receive ghosted estate pipes that they can't get the ghosting out of - I don't see any issue with just sanding the inside of the chamber until it's free of any old remains. I wouldn't do that with a briar, though.

Okay, I have tough skin - fire away :)
I've kept the cake down, built cake, cleaned the pipe, not cleaned the pipe. It doesn't really matter. As absorbent as meerschaum is (hence the coloring) it soaks in all sorts of flavors, tars, oils, and dirt.

I'm in the camp where I believe meers ghost worse than any other style of pipe.

But again for me, doesn't matter, I only smoke 5 blends or so, and they are all bur/va blends.
 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
45,238
119,148
after they cool down
A lot less work cleaning them while the chamber residue is still hot.


Do this from the beginning and there shouldn't be any ghosting.
Even keeping them clean, I've noticed nothing but ghosting as the material is a natural sponge.


I don't see any issue with just sanding the inside of the chamber until it's free of any old remains. I wouldn't do that with a briar, though.
A briar is less easy to damage sanding than meerschaum. I use sandpaper for all pipe reaming.
 

runscott

Lifer
Jun 3, 2020
1,292
2,838
Washington State
I've kept the cake down, built cake, cleaned the pipe, not cleaned the pipe. It doesn't really matter. As absorbent as meerschaum is (hence the coloring) it soaks in all sorts of flavors, tars, oils, and dirt.

I'm in the camp where I believe meers ghost worse than any other style of pipe.

But again for me, doesn't matter, I only smoke 5 blends or so, and they are all bur/va blends.
That's really interesting. I'm going to find one with a lot of 'odor' and give it a good cleaning, just to see what happens.