Meerschaum Problem/Question

[python]

I really do not know a whole lot about meerschaum pipes. I do know some of the basics, but that is about it. I have a problem/question for Fred and anyone else who knows about meers.
I have a meer that I bought new around 3 years ago or so. It is a very inexpensive pipe that I got off of ebay for around $20.00US. I assume that it was made by an apprentice or beginner because there are quite a few aesthetic flaws. It says that it is genuine block meerschaum. I have never really enjoyed smoking it and I think I may have smoked it 30 times, at the most, since I have owned it.
It is also one of the meers that I mentioned in another thread awhile back that smells strange. The best that I can describe the smell is like an antiseptic type smell. Maybe like a brand new band-aid when you first open it or the way that a hospital smells.
It has been on my pipe rack ever since I bought it and earlier this year I finally took it off of my pipe rack and put it back in its case and had given up on it. After reading quite a few threads and reading Fred's article, The Meerschaum Pipe Experience, I decided to give it another shot. I thought that maybe it was not broken in all of the way and I needed to smoke out the smell or something.
About a week or two ago, I got the case out and opened it to get the pipe back out and was shocked at what I saw. When I put the pipe in its case, it was an off white color with most of the brown coloring around the rim and the mortise. When I opened the case the whole bowl is now brown and there is also some blueish-green coloring in a lot of spots. The first thing that jumped into my mind was mold, but there is no mold in the case and the cloth lining in the case looks brand new with no discoloring or moisture in it. The blue-green color also is embedded into the meer and not on the surface. It also still has that smell.
Here are some photos that I took.
This is the pipe I am talking about:

These are the photos of what it looks like now after I opened the case:

Here is the case:

None of that brown coloring was there when I put it away except for around the rim and the shank around the mortise. Does anyone know what the heck happened to it and what the strange smell and coloring might be?
Also just to be clear, the smell was there BEFORE I put the pipe away. That is one of the main reasons that I didn't smoke it much.

 

[duncan]

The coloring I believe is due to the tar being pulled outward. From what I have read that is normal. The greenish blue I have no clue.

 

[surfmac211]

I didn't think a pipe could color that fast by just sitting in a case though. Thats kinda scary looking lol.

 

[python]

Thats kinda scary looking lol.

Yeah, I haven't smoked it since I opened it back up. I am too scared to, lol.

 

[ernest]

Holy crap.We have got to figure this out as a team.This is serious stuff man.Not to make light of the seriousness of this situation,but with Halloween coming,I've got a feeling that your pipe will be walking by then.

 

[mlaug]

I am wondering if the wax somehow picked up the dye in the case lining or something?
Its weird that the green color is only at the bottom of the bowl and end of the shank.
I've never seen anything like that before.

 

[excav8tor]

Maybe, some kind of antiseptic was used in the pipe before you got it and that is what has seeped through the bowl.

 

[ernest]

We would have to bail you out if you tried taking that on a plane.

 

[python]

Mlaug Said: Its weird that the green color is only at the bottom of the bowl and end of the shank.

You can't see it good enough in the photos, but actually the green-blue spots are also around the top and middle as well. It is kind of hard to see the blotches through the dark brown coloring. If you look at pics 3, 5, & 6, you can kind of see the green blotches through the brown coloring.

 

[duncan]

FRED!!!!! WE NEED YOU HELPPPPPPPP!!!!! Might get a scooby snack

 

[fred]

I haven't a clue Bob. One thing that I'm curious about is the case. In

the top photo, the interior is dark and in the last photos, the interior

is light. Is this the same case? Is that a crack in the heel of the bowl?

My advise is to get a good Meerschaum. Whatever's going on with this one

doesn't look good or sound healthy to me. Weird green color and funky smell

are not something that you want to have in a Pipe you're going to smoke.

 

[dudleydipstick]

Really strange.
About the smell, I've heard of cheaper meers being dipped in strange petroleum based waxes or waxes with any number of odd additives rather than pure beeswax. Maybe that has something to do with it and maybe even the strange colors.

 

[fred]

After thinking about this for awhile, I have a guess that seems to fit this

situation Bob. The coloration of the Pipe is odd, apart from the green display.

Generally, Block Meerschaum will start to color initially in the Pipe's shank,

where the site of condensation from the smoke occurs. The tobacco burns around

200 deg Fahrenheit and slow smoking along with Sepiolite's properties of heat

dissipation and absorption bring this closer to 100 deg Fahrenheit by the time

it gets to the bit's button. Typically, this coloration will progress to the

bowl's heel and then up the chamber. This Pipe shows more coloration in the top

part of the bowl than the rest of the Pipe. The use of paraffin instead of Beeswax

might explain part of this. I think that this is likely pressed Meerschaum and

the green display signals breakdown of the epoxy binder used, possibly a copper

compound. Since the coloration doesn't follow the general pattern seen in Block

Meerschaum Pipes, and this Pipe has had an odd smell to it since day one, my

best guess is that the coloration is a result of the binder degradation from the

heat of smoking the Pipe. I suggest that you 'retire' this one Bob, as I think

it may have some toxic byproducts being produced by the heat on the binder.

 

[python]

Thanks for the responses everyone.
Fred, to address your questions in your first post and to keep this thread with as much information as possible, here is the following;

In the top photo, the interior is dark and in the last photos, the interior

is light. Is this the same case?

The color difference in the photos of the case is because I took the photos outside and the clouds going over the sun created different light plus two of the photos were taken with regular setting and two were taken with macro setting. The two lighter colored photos are the macro setting.

Is that a crack in the heel of the bowl?

No, there are no cracks in the pipe at all.
Now that the bowl is full of "different" colors, lol, I notice that there are a lot of "scratches" from the bowl not being entirely smooth from whomever made the pipe.

Generally, Block Meerschaum will start to color initially in the Pipe's shank, where the site of condensation from the smoke occurs.

That is how it started to color and how it looked before I put in back in its case and put it away.

I suggest that you 'retire' this one Bob

Yeah, I am just going to leave this one put away. I am going to bring it to Richmond though just to show it around to some people to see what they think might have happened and so that they can smell it.

 

[fred]

Let me know what the guys in Richmond say about it... My speculation is

just that, a guess. I can say that I've not run into this before, or even

heard of it for that matter.

 

[admin]

Notice in the last picture that the sticker says "Genuine Block Meerschaum". Seems like somebody may have been embellishing there.
Watch for Fred's 2nd article which has some good advice for not getting ripped off when buying estate meerschaums.
Bob, it will be interesting to see what kind of info you get showing this pipe around in Richmond.

 

[fred]

Kevin's observation is correct, and sadly not uncommon. The Meerschaum

marketplace requires knowledge to locate and acquire quality Pipes.

Counterfeit would have no market were it not for the existence of true coin.

It is to the Buyer's benefit to have sound product knowledge and experience

before dealing with Sellers outside of the group of reputable sources.

It's like anything else that is worthwhile.

 

[python]

I just answered a pm from Fred about this and it reminded me that I forgot to post what I learned about this in Richmond.
I asked a few people and they had no idea why it looks the way that it does. Their guess is that it might be impurities that are leaking their way out of the material. It is a very low grade meerschaum and this was their only guess as to what it might be. It is still pretty much a mystery and the only thing that everyone agreed on was that it shouldn't be smoked anymore.

 

[cortezattic]

Let us know if your pee-pee falls off.

 

[fred]

Thanks Bob. You could display it as a real Curio...

It is odd that the Carver didn't notice the odor since

smelling the Block is one of the things done prior to purchase

of Block. They also hold it up to the light and give close

visual inspection. The idea that something has leached into

the Meerschaum from the clay it was dug out of is a new one on

me.