Should have used the 70% alcohol ...
Using Alcohol and Cotton Balls on Meerschaum
- Thread starter Chasing Embers
- Start date
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H
HRPufnstuf
Guest
Damn! It even ate the swab and pipe cleaner. Didn't expect that!
I use cotton buds dipped in 176° proof Vodka to clean all my meerschaum bowls and have never had a problem. It's not the same as soaking them but I do sometimes squirt some of the Vodka directly in the bowl then wipe around with cotton buds. The alcohol dries off in a couple of minutes and it doesn't seem to adversely affect the meerschaum.
Best way that i've found to stop the cake building up.
Best way that i've found to stop the cake building up.
Block Meerschaum will not have any adverse effect with alcohol. I have cleaned my Meerschaum pipes with both alcohol and water without any issue.
I have heard that the binder in pressed meerschaum gets dissolved in alcohol compromising its structural integrity.
Also, while I could not find anything on Meerschaum/Alcohol reaction, common Magnesium Silicates do not react / dissolve in alcohol
I have heard that the binder in pressed meerschaum gets dissolved in alcohol compromising its structural integrity.
Also, while I could not find anything on Meerschaum/Alcohol reaction, common Magnesium Silicates do not react / dissolve in alcohol
I use alcohol on my meers all the time.
I’m talking meers up to 135 years old.
I’m talking meers up to 135 years old.
Just past the 24 hour mark.
No color change.
Beginning
Now
Leftovers
The chamber isn't soft and had only slight moisture that wiped away with a paper towel.
Reassembled and ready to smoke.
As far as I'm concerned,
No color change.
Beginning
Now
Leftovers
The chamber isn't soft and had only slight moisture that wiped away with a paper towel.
Reassembled and ready to smoke.
As far as I'm concerned,
I do too, even on amber stems. There's just been some online fear mongering on a few forums lately that just made me feel like illustrating the effects versus trying to convince them otherwise.
So you're saying the naysayers shouldn't cry over spilt milk?
@Chasing Embers-
Thanks for posting this little dose of reality. I’ve been considering giving my fleabay meer such a treatment, but was a tad leery.
Thanks for posting this little dose of reality. I’ve been considering giving my fleabay meer such a treatment, but was a tad leery.
Thank you for this little piece of research and well done!!!
master test subject confirmed, over. ready for next meer assignment.
master test subject confirmed, over. ready for next meer assignment.
Thanks so much the post and frequent updates and pictures. This is really helpful.
H
HRPufnstuf
Guest
Thank-you for the demonstration. I have learned more about the care and preservation of my pipe collection in this forum than I did in 35 years piping. Great thread!
FWIW, activated charcoal granules are much more effective at pulling and trapping contaminants than cotton fibers. One gram of charcoal has 32,000 square feet of "internal" surface area. (Think sponge)
It's the same amount of work as cotton, in other words, at the same cost, and gives a far better result. (You can repeat the cotton ball thing every day for a week and not remove as much ghost & etc. as a single charcoal treatment)
It's the same amount of work as cotton, in other words, at the same cost, and gives a far better result. (You can repeat the cotton ball thing every day for a week and not remove as much ghost & etc. as a single charcoal treatment)
Based on one of your posts about this awhile back, I used activated charcoal to clean one of my gourd Calabash pipes and it worked very well.
Not even an issue. I never use cotton balls and alcohol on my regular use pipes and only on estate acquisitions prior to their dirt smoke. The charcoal runs a risk of scoring a bare meerschaum chamber as well. The point of the thread was the undue fear propagated by meerschaum carvers and collectors that alcohol will destroy a block meerschaum pipe, and it most certainly doesn't.
Yes, it's helpful to dispel fears that alcohol will ruin a Meer, but an experiment with one pipe, and over a very short time period doesn't mean it's a good practice.Nothing beats a real experiment. Yours is appreciated
The chamber and draft were exposed to liquid alcohol for 24 hours and it's how I've always cleaned estate meerschaum pipes.
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