Pipe Lost Color After Heating It?

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F4RM3R

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 28, 2019
567
2,512
38
Canada
What happens if the wax goes too deep into the pores? Wouldn’t it eventually smoke out after several smokes? I’m not too familiar with Meerschaum but I’m definitely a convert after I was gifted that Kaywoodie Meer. I think my next new pipe purchase will be a Meer. The coloring aspect is a huge plus but I love how they smoke, given the pipe has an open draw. That was my biggest turn off with the Meers that I had before the Kaywoodie, the draw was so tight on all 3 of them, I never wanted to smoke them. I open up my briars all the time but I’m not comfortable modifying a Meer.
It probably would eventually move outwards after some smokes. I've just noticed when waxing mine that if I lay on the heat too much it gets a dull sort of look and sinks in, but if gently applied it retains a sort of glossy look. Meers can take a lot of wax. I probably did 5 or 6 layers(warm the pipe, spread wax and then apply heat to sink it in) so I wouldn't worry about too much wax. Technically if it had way too much wax it would eventually seep into the inside of the bowl and you would taste it, but I highly doubt you would get to that point.

I drilled out my Altinay lattice billiard and just used a drill bit and some pliers. It's so soft it was quite easy and safer than a drill. Went from 1/8 to 9/64 and it smokes like a champ now.
 

warren

Lifer
Sep 13, 2013
11,699
16,205
Foothills of the Chugach Range, AK
I read on Meerschaum waxing I never heard of color disappearing from heat.
The color was the wax you melted off. Waxing the exterior simply provides the light brown color of the wax. You are not coloring the meerschaum. You are simply coloring the the exterior. But, if you are having a good time, carry on. Just keep in miond that the waxy coating is tempory and the true color will eventually arrive at the surface in spite of your best efforts to retard, sorry, speed the coloring.

I've only been smoking meers for a short period of time, 50+ years. I do know what I'm talking about. If you want a light brown meer, wax the exterior. If you want an almost black, a deep, very deep, under the right light, dark mahogany, you are going to have to invest the time, effort and tobacco to get there.
 

condorlover1

Lifer
Dec 22, 2013
7,991
26,606
New York
@warren You are 100% correct. All of my pipes are dark brown mahogany color. I have posted pictures on here of the coloring progress of some of my meerschaum pipes. Waxing a pipe will produce a light brown turd colored pipe. Smoking the pipe will produce the dark brown, almost deep purple color as the meerschaum absorbs the oils, tar and general sh*t in the tobacco that you see in 100+ year old meerschaum pipes. If you want to speed up the coloring process and save yourself the cost of buying a Coloring Bowl just buy a pack of Philt Pads or use the silver button/coin trick and you will be astounded as the results. As an after thought remember this works best with Turkish meerschaum and not so well with the harder African meerschaum pipes. In closing just go and buy yourself an old meerschaum that is pre 1910 since for some reason they seem to color really well. I think its something to do with the quality of the meerschaum used as well as the thinner walls on the pipes combined with the fact that the meerschaum has had time to cure. Anyway thats my two cents worth so I am off to smoke my pipe!
 
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