Meerschaum Coloring

[Akoni808]

Aloha,


I just had a newbie meerschaum question. How long does it take for it to begin coloring?

I've had a new meerschaum for almost two weeks (and smoking it everyday) and I'm beginning to notice light yellow coloring through the entire stummel. I was just curious if that was from handling the pipe or if it's actually beginning to color.

 

[cshubhra]

It starts coloring immediately but to get to a reasonable state of coloring will require a lot of bowls patiently smoked (At least 400-600 bowls depending on the size and porosity of the meerschaum)

I have a thread going on to track the progress of a Virgin white meerschaum coloring over No of bows and time.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

My understanding is the wax will yellow from the heat rather quickly. However m the dark, understanding coloring take quite some time. Over 200 bowls and likely will more than that. Depends on the Meerchaum used, thickness and type of carve.

I've been smoking this Altinay almost every day for 21 months, sometimes twice per day. Over 500 bowls. It is coloring rather slowly but is a great smoking pipe. The translucent Altinay @cshubhra documented has colored significantly more with around half as many bowls. You just don't know.

 

[Akoni808]

My understanding is the wax will yellow from the heat rather quickly. However m the dark, understanding coloring take quite some time. Over 200 bowls and likely will more than that. Depends on the Meerchaum used, thickness and type of carve.

I've been smoking this Altinay almost every day for 21 months, sometimes twice per day. Over 500 bowls. It is coloring rather slowly but is a great smoking pipe. The translucent Altinay @cshubhra documented has colored significantly more with around half as many bowls. You just don't know.

View attachment 181111

That’s a great looking pipe. That makes sense about the wax coloring. Im new to the meerschaum world, but the one I have is one of my best smokers atm.

 

[jerry]

Every meerschaum colors in a unique fashion, made even more unique by tobacco choices, smoking style, frequency, etc. So, some may begin to color with the first smoke, others hardly color at all. Too many variables to generalize. Enjoy your meer!

 

[Akoni808]

Every meerschaum colors in a unique fashion, made even more unique by tobacco choices, smoking style, frequency, etc. So, some may begin to color with the first smoke, others hardly color at all. Too many variables to generalize. Enjoy your meer!

Fair enough. Thanks!

 

[Chasing Embers]

Every meerschaum colors in a unique fashion, made even more unique by tobacco choices, smoking style, frequency, etc. So, some may begin to color with the first smoke, others hardly color at all. Too many variables to generalize. Enjoy your meer!

They all tend to follow a pattern though. The wax will darken a bit from the heel of the pipe down the shank and then start to show internal coloring from the heel outward after many more smokes. Tobacco type used isn't as much a contributing factor as is the amount of times smoked.

 

[Chasing Embers]

How long does it take for it to begin coloring?

Hundreds if not thousands of smokes for the real coloring after the wax darkens.

Over 2000 smokes on this guy since 2020
and the only internal coloring is starting to show around the jaw.

 

[Akoni808]

Hundreds if not thousands of smokes for the real coloring after the wax darkens.

Over 2000 smokes on this guy since 2020
and the only internal coloring is starting to show around the jaw.

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So the rest of the coloring on the shank and near the mortise is just wax darkening?

 

[Chasing Embers]

So the rest of the coloring on the shank and near the mortise is just wax darkening?

Sure is. Were I to hit it with a heat gun, that coloring would liquefy and blow all around the pipe leaving white patches.

I cut one apart a while back and there was little to no coloration in the material, just mostly discolored wax.

 

[Akoni808]

Sure is. Were I to hit it with a heat gun, that coloring would liquefy and blow all around the pipe leaving white patches.

I cut one apart a while back and there was little to no coloration in the material, just mostly discolored wax.

View attachment 181143View attachment 181144

Wow that’s crazy… sounds like coloring is more of a lifelong venture.