Pipe Collection

[Professor Moriarty]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Cobbs, clays, or meerschaum, all having places among your briars.

For no more than $10 a humble cobb is a necessity for the glove and tackle boxes, or pocket, and there are some VAs that must be sampled in a cobb. Smoke them in the pool, lake, river, ocean, or tub without a care, and they do well back-to-back while traveling. They last, but you'll lose them in the water or maybe fish slime, and who cares?

A clay (with experience) is nice for a short experiment doing your own mixing or for occasional fun (woo-hoo lol).

Non-vintage meerschaum depending on the porosity gives you the opportunity to caramelize it yourself and is a great travel pipe since it does well with immediate back-to-back bowls. Vintage bowls can be gorgeous.

Also a proper calabash gourd pipe, with pressed meerschaum cap/bowl. Though these are difficult to find nowadays. I gots me one long ago.
Also a hukkah (I made mine from lab equipment and a Falcon bowl).
Also a traditional cherry wood with bark still on--with cherry tree stem stem,
Also a peace pipe (calumet) with pipestone bowl (pipestone can only be quarried by verified native Americans).
Also a traditional porcelain (pretty to look at but awful to smoke imo).

 

[warren]

with pressed meerschaum cap/bowl

Why? Carved naturally occurring meer is better in my opinion. But, only for the authenticity. A purer taste of the blend, in my opinion and that is what it is, an opinion.

 

[Professor Moriarty]

Why? Carved naturally occurring meer is better in my opinion. But, only for the authenticity. A purer taste of the blend, in my opinion and that is what it is, an opinion.

Pressed meerschaum is naturally occurring. It is made from pressed scraps of regular meerschaum--all those bits left over from carving.
Pressed meerschaum is used in calabash pipes for reasons both economical and practical.

To add more confusion, a proper calabash is made from African gourd with pressed Turkish meerschaum bowl.
There also exist pipes made from African meerschaum which is generally considered inferior to Turkish meerschaum in terms of smoking quality, although African meerschaum is more durable (harder).

 

[warren]

To add more confusion, a proper calabash is made from African gourd with pressed Turkish meerschaum bowl.

Absolutely correct! That to me is a true calabash. The non-gourds and pressed meers are simply facsimiles or imitation calabash pipes. They may resemble a true, original calabash but, they are not a "true" calabash. That's my opinion is. as such, is inarguable. Simply how I see things.

 

[mpjetset]

I just acquired this (haven't even got it in the mail yet). From what I can find the "Frank" logo is a S.M. Frank logo. I know Frank invested in KBB. I'm guess it's before that era. Is it meerschaum? I can find little to nothing about this pipe. Can y'all help me out with a little history and possibly a value. ThanksView attachment 317669

That's nice, and the filled chip (assumed) that's partially caramelized just looks lovingly commissioned.

 

[mpjetset]

To add more confusion, a proper calabash is made from African gourd with pressed Turkish meerschaum bowl.

Those caps just seem to want to find a hard floor. I found it is not easy replacing one.

 

[denholrl]

Recommendation: Don't buy a lot of inexpensive pipes. Save up and go for quality!

 

[popeofpiping]

I have a collection of categories. For example I fell in love with dating and chasing old Dunhill pipes. That’s what I chase and research on various sites. I also collect American artisans in a certain shape and size. For example Zulu shapes in and around group 2s or 3s from various artisans. Just what I do. You have to find your own madness.