My First Girly Pipe

[andrew]

I'd go with the experienced meershaum smokers here telling you not to touch it. Unless you plan on using a cloth to hold the meer when you smoke it it's going to get marks on it. If there already are marks on it, they're probably there for good. It looks like a nice pipe, and if you soak the stem then be prepared to sand it and re polish it, as it will be dull and you'll be horrified at what it looks like until your restore it. The whole point of a meerschaum is for it to change color, it's what makes them awesome pipes. Mine is just finally starting to get a nice golden brown color to it.

 

[misu]

Thank you, Andrew I look forward to the day when my meerschaum turns a nice caramel brown. I'm not going to use a cloth to smoke it. That seems silly when I try to picture it. I'm hoping that the smudges will just blend and add character to it. Like an artist who shades when sketching, they may serve to enhance the overall look of the pipe.

 

[misu]

Let's hear how she smokes for you

I will

 

[kcghost]

Here is a link to an article over at smokingpipes.com about how to care for you meerschaum pipe.
Smoking Pipes Article
You can probably email them with further questions.

 

[misu]

Thanks kcghost!! I was just searching it. I was searching the application of bee's wax in particular.

 

[misu]

It was a good article. Now I'm left with questions.

This article says to remove the stem when cleaning. I've seen, more than once, not to. I understand why the stem is removed. What is the rationale for not removing the stem? Does removing the stem make the opening in the shank bigger? Will it leak?