Absolutely true. Briar needs to retain a little bit of moisture to avoid becoming brittle. If a vintage pipe has never been smoked, or not smoked in many decades, the dryness of the briar may cause it to crack as it heats up. There are workarounds, such a moistening the interior walls of the chamber with water prior to smoking or providing an insulating layer like a silicate coating to the chamber walls. Any way you do it, the first bowls should be very much slow smoked, such that the pipe barely warms, to give it time to adjust.I've heard the briar of some of the old ones will crack on being smoked. True?
Nice pieces! I was going to bid on the Ben Wade with the dental bit, but got the Barling Magnum instead.Hallmarked 1900 Cased Meer
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This is a Hallmarked 1910 Ben Wade Meerschaum
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Which is exactly why I walked away from the Magnum. My sites were on the Ben Wade. Lol. Funny how it works.Nice pieces! I was going to bid on the Ben Wade with the dental bit, but got the Barling Magnum instead.
Very nice!!!I see this thread is Loeweded with lots of really nice pipes. Here are a few I have added in the past couple months. It all started with a simple pre-68 Wimpole. Some highlights (all Loewe, of course)...
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A 1913:
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Cased 1916's:
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A 1924 (Made for Abercrombie and Fitch):
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Pre-1930's Special:
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@Simplicity Was waiting for you to post bro. Gorgeous stuff!
Always happy to be an enabler and accompliceThanks man - you are part to blame for this, you know.
Wow!!! This is the shit I love!!! Absolutely beautiful pipesI see this thread is Loeweded with lots of really nice pipes. Here are a few I have added in the past couple months. It all started with a simple pre-68 Wimpole. Some highlights (all Loewe, of course)...
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A 1913:
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Cased 1916's:
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A 1924 (Made for Abercrombie and Fitch):
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Pre-1930's Special:
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Wow!!! This is the shit I love!!! Absolutely beautiful pipes
Oh yeah - the BelevdersPicked up this Charatan. I can date this one 61-65. It’s a big pot. I can easily stick my thumb in the chamber. Has this big old chin as I would call it on the bottom of the bowl. I Love the shape of these Charatan Pots. I really like the grain as well. It smokes very tight. This one I didn’t buy for my collection, I bought it to smoke.View attachment 64326View attachment 64327View attachment 64328View attachment 64329
Oh yeah - the Belevders had such great cross grain and tight Birdseye.