Meerschaum Cleaning Conundrum!

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edger

Lifer
Dec 9, 2016
2,988
22,299
74
Mayer AZ
I have a meerschaum billiard that was gifted to me 25 years ago by a dear friend. I rarely smoke it as it has always smoked hot and harshly. When I have revisited it I was smoking va's and va/pers and this pipe always irritated my tongue. I read somewhere that the draw on these pipes can be too restricted and cause a hot smoke. I tried drilling out the delrin insert. Not much improvement. Subsequently, I've been smoking burleys in the pipe lately and it smokes much cooler, but still quite warm. Burleys leave more buildup in pipes than va's so this leads me to the confusing contradictions that I find in researching meerschaum cleaning online.
I found much on cleaning the bowl (no cake buildup)
I found much on cleaning the stem.
However, rarely do the pundits agree on cleaning the airway in the shank! Everclear is either OK or the worst thing you can use. Water is either OK or will soften the meer.
There is no consensus at all.
It would seem to me that a small amount of everclear would quickly dissolve any schmutz and tars and that a quick use of a dry pipecleaner would remove the "offending" alcohol before any harm was done.
HELP! Thanks in advance.
 
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shanez

Lifer
Jul 10, 2018
5,188
24,084
49
Las Vegas
I have never experienced an issue with water on any of my meers. I have one in particular that has been dropped/dunked many times in both my hot tub and my swimming pool with no ill effect. Meer carvers don't "dunk" the meer in water to carve, they "soak" it. If a carving takes time they simply repeat as necessary.

Even if you left your meer in water for a period of time you could still let it dry without issue.

I don't know about the effect of alcohol since I don't use it on my meers and instead use a little water and elbow grease.
 
1. Water will not harm a Meerschaum. There are some members who have done experiments. A fresh new Meerschaum does become soft when dunked in water, but cleaning the airway should not be an issue

2. Block Meerschaum can be cleaned with alcohol. There are members who have dunked block Meerschaum in alcohol with no ill effect. However, the binder in a pressed meerschaum dissolves in alcohol so it’s a good way to find out if you have block or pressed

I have personally cleaned my Meerschaum pipes with both alcohol and water.
 
May 2, 2020
4,664
23,771
Louisiana
I have actually re-soaked the meerschaum hobby block that I carved in order to scrape and sand out a nasty gouge I put in it one day when I dropped my Zippo and the edge of the chimney scraped down my pipe. Water won’t hurt it. I clean mine out with warm water on occasion, just like my briar pipes. No Ill effects so far.
 

bullet08

Lifer
Nov 26, 2018
8,932
37,916
RTP, NC. USA
"Conundrum" is a beautiful tune. Was one of my competition tune way back when. Story goes, it was written for a friend who had limp. If you listen, you can imagine limping in the tune.

As to meer, I have no clue.

 
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