Meerschaum pipe, any info would be helpful.

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Honest-D

Lurker
Mar 8, 2023
4
5
Hi,

I found myself with a meerschaum pipe that I know little about. I intend to clean it up, or have it serviced and restored. The stem is missing, and there is no threading. The wind-cap and loop for lanyard are in good and working order.

I looked for any seams, and found none, also, I found no burned out areas in the bowl which has been used a bit. I used .99 silver to scratch an out of the way, non-waxed area and found no marking left behind. The bowl was grippy to a wet finger. I am no expert, and would appreciate any input on the pipe.

Having seen similar carvings on similar style pipes, featuring either a hound, horse, soldier, stag or similar structure in the relief carving of the surrounding landscape, I was wonder if it is contemporary to those pipes.

Any thoughts appreciated, photos are below.

Thanks.
III.pngV.jpgIV.jpgI.jpg
 
Jun 9, 2015
3,970
24,851
42
Mission, Ks
Late 19th c to early 20th c Austrian Meer, petty common. Having a new stem made is not a huge deal. I made normal and a wiechsel stem for a similar pipe not to long ago.

Making a Weichsel Stem for a Kalmasch. :: Pipe Repair and Maintenance - https://pipesmagazine.com/forums/threads/making-a-weichsel-stem-for-a-kalmasch.96904/



 
Apr 26, 2012
3,619
8,475
Washington State
Ok, I went and looked. It's a different pipe in another thread but similar looking. Like the other pipe; this pipe appears to be a Lap-style pipe bowl with a bas-relief-carved scene, with wind-cap. It potentially dates back to the late 1800's and is most likely from Austria.
 
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Honest-D

Lurker
Mar 8, 2023
4
5
Thank you for your time.

I was able to find some similar items, in these forums and otherwise online, but, I had not come across one where the character in relief was having a pint.

Will keep looking to see if this commemorates or celebrates a particular event or if it is just a dude, having a beer.
 
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Jun 9, 2015
3,970
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Mission, Ks
Thank you for your time.

I was able to find some similar items, in these forums and otherwise online, but, I had not come across one where the character in relief was having a pint.

Will keep looking to see if this commemorates or celebrates a particular event or if it is just a dude, having a beer.
Generally if it’s a commemorative pipe it will have year carved on it.
 

Honest-D

Lurker
Mar 8, 2023
4
5
In bright sunlight, I found a hallmark/maker's mark of some sort on the brass around the lip of the bowl. The mark is a conjoined MF inside an oval. The MF is seen easily, but it is unreadable after the F.

I have an idea that is may be Metallwarenfabrik, of Germany, but I can not find an exact mark like this:
MFOVL.jpg

I also found a jeweler from Austria, Feil Moriz who used a MF in an oval:MF Feil Moriz auf Austria.JPG

But, I am not sure.

If anyone could recommend a list of Hallmarks,, or maker's marks that is comprehensive I would appreciate it.

Thanks for you time.
 
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jonasclark

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 4, 2013
753
409
Seattle
Yes, it's a "lap pipe," probably made of chip/pressed meerschaum, and would've had a long wood stem with the bark left on and a horn mouthpiece. Probably very late 1800s to early 1900s, lacking the pre-1850 date often carved into these. They were often sold as being "antique-style."
 
Apr 26, 2012
3,619
8,475
Washington State
Yes, it's a "lap pipe," probably made of chip/pressed meerschaum, and would've had a long wood stem with the bark left on and a horn mouthpiece. Probably very late 1800s to early 1900s, lacking the pre-1850 date often carved into these. They were often sold as being "antique-style."

What makes you think it's pressed meerschaum?

Pressed meerschaum is more of a modern creation, and not something that was around in the late 1800's or early 1900's. If I'm not mistaken, pressed meerschaum pipes came about in the 1970's when exportation of meerschaum outside of Turkey became illegal.
 
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jonasclark

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 4, 2013
753
409
Seattle
What makes you think it's pressed meerschaum?

Pressed meerschaum is more of a modern creation, and not something that was around in the late 1800's or early 1900's. If I'm not mistaken, pressed meerschaum pipes came about in the 1970's when exportation of meerschaum outside of Turkey became illegal.
Late 1800s & early 1900s was the golden age of pressed meerschaum. Much less is made today than was made then. Ben Rapaport writes extensively on its history in "Collecting Antique Meerschaum Pipes," a really wonderful book, with words from people at the time talking about what was added to the mix, and how it was always imperfect because you couldn't keep dust from getting in, too. The reprints of antique Sears catalogs list a lot of pipes, and about half the meerschaums are 'block,' the other half 'chip.' Some of those list these lap pipes, and the ones with carved scenes are always listed as chip and as being "antique-style." It was around in the 1940s and 1950s, too, and you'll see it in catalogs from that era; by that time, they were being made in Austra and Turkey, and the catalogs say which are block and which are pressed. Hit Wishbook Web and look at some mid-century Christmas catalogs, which still had a small selection of pipes.

I've never heard of pressed coming about after and because export of uncarved meerschaum was illegal. Where did that rumor come from? Turkey prooduces all the pressed meerschaum available today; there's very little of it and it's mostly for the cheap mini-size pipes. I don't know of anywhere else producing meerschaum pipes, pressed or otherwise, after that law change, save the African meerschaum, which was mined there. That was block, but far less porous, hence the calcining, coloring process usually done to it.

Actually, I went ahead and looked. Examples:
This 1902 Sears catalog page is unfortunately only the 2nd of two pages, the other not shown. I have one of the reprints of this entire catalog (or most of it, anyway; if the original had ten pages of something, say, pianos, the reprint only copied two or three of them). Note the first pipe at top right is 'chip.' On the other page, there were three more amidst lots of briar. I can't seem to locate mine at the moment, but the 1908 reprint shows about 40 meerschaum pipes, and over half are 'chip.' A few say 'Vienna meerschaum' instead, which was slang for pressed at that time; pipes that were block meerschaum said either 'genuine block meerschaum' or just 'genuine meerschaum.'
In 1948, both of Sears' meerschaums were Turkish, one pressed, one block. Long before export was banned, Turkey was producing pipes, mostly in traditional Briar shapes like Austria was making then.
Sears Christmas 1950 with Austrian block & Turkish pressed. 1950 Sears Christmas Book, Page 50 - Catalogs & Wishbooks - https://christmas.musetechnical.com/ShowCatalogPage/1950-Sears-Christmas-Book/0050

In 1959, export of raw block was still legal. Yet Montgomery Ward's block is Turkish. "Vienna meerschaum" was slang for pressed, and those could be European or Turkish; by the style of the two-pipe set's case, these were European-made. Turkey never produced those push clasps, only the folding type (an easy way to ID a Turkish pipe by its case).

Sears in 1964 was offering "molded Vienna" meerschaums and one block; again, the block meerschaum's case is definitely European, so this must have been just before that law change, which was in the mid- to late-1960s.
 
Last edited:

Sobrbiker

Lifer
Jan 7, 2023
4,181
54,762
Casa Grande, AZ
@jonasclark-thanks for sharing that. I’ve no dog in the “when pressed was big” conversation, but I was pretty sure my war era Kaywoodie FlameGrain Meerschaum was a block liner. The coolest thing I learned today from the ‘48 catalog is that my particular pipe, a saddle stem 40, which I’ve been referring to (technically correct) as a Lovat, actually had the Sportster moniker!
To a guy that’s been riding Harleys for a minute and has had a few XL’s that’s pretty cool!
 

jonasclark

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 4, 2013
753
409
Seattle
I wouldn't be surprised if Kaywoodie used block liners. As far as I know, all meer-lined pipes today use pressed.
 
Apr 26, 2012
3,619
8,475
Washington State
Late 1800s & early 1900s was the golden age of pressed meerschaum. Much less is made today than was made then. Ben Rapaport writes extensively on its history in "Collecting Antique Meerschaum Pipes," a really wonderful book, with words from people at the time talking about what was added to the mix, and how it was always imperfect because you couldn't keep dust from getting in, too. The reprints of antique Sears catalogs list a lot of pipes, and about half the meerschaums are 'block,' the other half 'chip.' Some of those list these lap pipes, and the ones with carved scenes are always listed as chip and as being "antique-style." It was around in the 1940s and 1950s, too, and you'll see it in catalogs from that era; by that time, they were being made in Austra and Turkey, and the catalogs say which are block and which are pressed. Hit Wishbook Web and look at some mid-century Christmas catalogs, which still had a small selection of pipes.

I've never heard of pressed coming about after and because export of uncarved meerschaum was illegal. Where did that rumor come from? Turkey prooduces all the pressed meerschaum available today; there's very little of it and it's mostly for the cheap mini-size pipes. I don't know of anywhere else producing meerschaum pipes, pressed or otherwise, after that law change, save the African meerschaum, which was mined there. That was block, but far less porous, hence the calcining, coloring process usually done to it.

Actually, I went ahead and looked. Examples:
This 1902 Sears catalog page is unfortunately only the 2nd of two pages, the other not shown. I have one of the reprints of this entire catalog (or most of it, anyway; if the original had ten pages of something, say, pianos, the reprint only copied two or three of them). Note the first pipe at top right is 'chip.' On the other page, there were three more amidst lots of briar. I can't seem to locate mine at the moment, but the 1908 reprint shows about 40 meerschaum pipes, and over half are 'chip.' A few say 'Vienna meerschaum' instead, which was slang for pressed at that time; pipes that were block meerschaum said either 'genuine block meerschaum' or just 'genuine meerschaum.'
In 1948, both of Sears' meerschaums were Turkish, one pressed, one block. Long before export was banned, Turkey was producing pipes, mostly in traditional Briar shapes like Austria was making then.
Sears Christmas 1950 with Austrian block & Turkish pressed. 1950 Sears Christmas Book, Page 50 - Catalogs & Wishbooks - https://christmas.musetechnical.com/ShowCatalogPage/1950-Sears-Christmas-Book/0050

In 1959, export of raw block was still legal. Yet Montgomery Ward's block is Turkish. "Vienna meerschaum" was slang for pressed, and those could be European or Turkish; by the style of the two-pipe set's case, these were European-made. Turkey never produced those push clasps, only the folding type (an easy way to ID a Turkish pipe by its case).

Sears in 1964 was offering "molded Vienna" meerschaums and one block; again, the block meerschaum's case is definitely European, so this must have been just before that law change, which was in the mid- to late-1960s.

Thanks for the information. I wasn't aware of that. Good to know. Thanks.
 
Jun 9, 2015
3,970
24,851
42
Mission, Ks
Yep, chip/pressed was far more prevalent at the turn of the century than any other time. I have several turn of the century Sears Catalog reprints and all of em list far more "Finest Quality Chip Meerschaum" pipes than block meerschaum pipes. I'll try to take some pictures of the catalogs tonight.
 

Honest-D

Lurker
Mar 8, 2023
4
5
anotherbob, I would be appriciate a lead, or link, directed to these, pipes that are showing up. I feel like it might help me come to a better understanding of this particular pipes origin.

Thanks, I appreciate any information.
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
16,825
31,566
46
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
anotherbob, I would be appriciate a lead, or link, directed to these, pipes that are showing up. I feel like it might help me come to a better understanding of this particular pipes origin.

Thanks, I appreciate any information.
look around here. Seemed like there was a wave of people getting ahold of these style pipes and asking about it here.
 
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