Meerschaum, pressed or block?

[jchaplick]

how can you tell?
I have two pipes, the claw and calabash mentioned in the other thread about beeswax, that I know are block, but I also have a very large rusticated pot. I have no info on it, if you want some pics I can oblige. I really want to know how to tell if it is block or pressed

 

[tokerpipes]

Pics always help jchaplick you know this already...do you know the maker of the meer?

 

[jchaplick]

do you know the maker of the meer?

Nope

 

[tokerpipes]

See if you can sent a pic showing the shank tenon connection with it taken apart.

 

[jchaplick]

taking pics now

 

[dhintonca]

Lick your finger, touch the inside of the (unsmoked) bowl. If it feels sticky, it's block. If it doesn't, it's pressed. The difference is really obvious. Once it's been smoked, however, that's a challenge. Sometimes you can do this trick in the mortise (where the stem fits in) but it's not infallible on a used pipe.

 

[jchaplick]

@dhintonca, I just did the to the mortise, it didnt stick per se but it did feel tacky and was definitely stickier than say doing the same to glass or plastic if that helps

 

[tokerpipes]

That looks like block to me. the wet finger trick works too but I figured yours was smoked. See the of the shank it kinda has a look like grain, similar to when you cut a geod. Sometimes its hard to tell, but yours is pretty clear.

 

[jchaplick]

Very cool, thankyou toker

 

[topd]

That's African Meerschaum....

 

[spartan]

How can you tell topd?

 

[lonestar]

That's African Meerschaum....

Without a doubt.

For one thing the stem would never thread directly into Turkish Meerschaum. Its not a strong enough material to hold the threads.

 

[jchaplick]

So what is the significance of African meerschaum?

 

[topd]

African is really hard.. almost like a stone. Lonestar is right, they would never use a tenon threaded

directly into the block if it was Turkish. It's defiantly not pressed, but mined in Africa. I am not

a geologist or expert... but I'd bet my bottom dollar!

Meerschaum is most likely all over the world, just like gold is. But it's only been found in two places.

Turkey and Africa. What you have is African

 

[lonestar]

So what is the significance of African meerschaum?

Its a different beast.

I suppose its the same mineral, but its much harder than Turkish. Cant say how it smokes compared to the other, dont know that its any more or less valuable than a turkish meer pipe, its just different. Much tougher stuff if that matters to you. No need to baby the pipe as much.

 

[tokerpipes]

Because its so hard will it take longer to color? I have a screw in block and was wonsering if it was african also.

 

[topd]

African will color in about 500 years... so be sure to pass it along! HaHaaa

 

[lonestar]

They stain the pipes at the factory. The stone itself is kind of a dull grey otherwise.

 

[tokerpipes]

Well I got mine as an estate from dimm once I started applying bees wax the shank has turned black and the rest is a light tan/ khaki color. I have noticed the black is spreading slowly since I smoke 4-5 bowls out of it a day. Also I guess the african meer can take a bit more heat as it has gotten very hot a couple times, so hot I could only hold the stem and no part of the stone itself. Would you say that would deff prove its african?

 

[lonestar]

Would you say that would deff prove its african?

A picture should.