The Great Meerschaum Cake Experiment

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condorlover1

Lifer
Dec 22, 2013
8,497
30,080
New York
I've quit using them altogether on my meerschaums. I just blow any moisture and residue back into the chamber. Why rob the pipe of more of what it needs for coloring?
Exactly! It has worked for 100+ years. I doubt anyone was buying Dills Pipe cleaners in 1880. Probably a quick blow through or a bit of wire or the odd Sea Gull feather and on to the next bowl of rough shag!!
 

TheWhale13

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 12, 2021
803
3,427
Sweden
@TheWhale13 Any updates on your cake?

Boy....the things we do for entertainment....
Can't say that I've smoked it much since I last updated, maybe a couple bowls. Been smoking a new briar instead, and I just caught a very nasty cold this week, so it has not got the action that it deserves :)

But the cake is getting pretty thick. And it's a nice hard cake too. It would be fun to get some more cake near the bottom. And top. And middle haha.
 

TheWhale13

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 12, 2021
803
3,427
Sweden
20230210_154419.jpg

Cake is starting to build up quite nicely. Finally getting the start of some cake in the bottom of the chamber. No noticable color difference, though it is a slow coloring pipe. Will smoke it a lot more in the future so expect more frequent updates.

Also, I've not been cleaning it at all, to build more cake and because it seems ok without it.
 

Jbyrd

Part of the Furniture Now
Feb 4, 2023
629
1,299
42
Springfield MO
I can't wait to see the conclusion of this. I've always been told never to build a cake in a meer that it would crack it. As I'm sure most everyone else has been told as well.
 
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TheWhale13

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 12, 2021
803
3,427
Sweden
I can't wait to see the conclusion of this. I've always been told never to build a cake in a meer that it would crack it. As I'm sure most everyone else has been told as well.
Yeah, me too. I just thought that cake cracking meerschaum sounds like bullshit. Maybe it will crack, but if cake is strong enough to crack a decently hard mineral, it should probably still have the force to crack a briar, which is very uncommon if not unheard of? But I doubt that this will benefit the meer or improve coloring, except me smoking it more.
 
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