Why do some Meerschaums come waxed and others don't ? My little lattice work one is unwaxed. Is it a matter of protection for the more elaborately carved pipes or is it a cost issue ? Or something else ?
Waxed Vs unwaxed Meerschaums
- Thread starter Bob the bear
- Start date
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I don't think I've ever seen a finished unwaxed one. Who made it?
Made by Ural (eBay estate purchase ) maybe it is waxed but the entire bowl feels sticky to the touch on the outside
I doubt Deniz would send one out unwaxed. Looking back at photos, the shine on it says waxed to me. Sometimes they feel that way until they've been smoked a few times.
The blocks are waxed even before the carver gets to them. I've not seen an unwaxed modern name brand one.
Ah ok maybe it just seems unwaxed . I was just curious that it did not have the deep golden colour of others I've seen . Thanks everyone
IF THE CARVER USES A COLORED WAX IT WILL HAVE THE COLOR INFUSED IN THE WAX OTHERWISE ITS UP TO YOU TO SMOKE IT OVER THE COURSE OF TIME IT TAKES TO ACHIEVE THE TAN/YELLOW/RED HUES THAT MEERS ARE KNOWN FOR
CAPS BUTTON STUCK???
Ural is a distributor.
All Meerschaum pipes are waxed. It can be regular beeswax (tan yellowish tint) or white beeswax. Beeswax isn’t going to be gobbed onto the pipe. It absorbs.
All Meerschaum pipes are waxed. It can be regular beeswax (tan yellowish tint) or white beeswax. Beeswax isn’t going to be gobbed onto the pipe. It absorbs.
If it was not special request meerschaum pipes are never sold unwaxed. (I've never met anyone who made such a request.)
I don't think that pipe is unwaxed but the wax fades over the years and the shine of the pipe may be lost. We're talking about a very old pipe anyway.(ural).
I actually read that somewhere. but it is not correct information, at least for the last century
I wondered about that myself.I actually read that somewhere. but it is not correct information, at least for the last century
I wonder if that might have been done in the past to keep blocks moist. My understanding is that carving meerschaum is like carving cheese or soap, as far as the consistency of the material. Is there a way to re-hydrate the material once it has dried out?
As it was explained to me by a man in Springfield Missouri who looked like Charlie Rich, and who at the time claimed to be the largest CAO meerschaum pipe seller in the world thirty some years ago, meerschaum is waxed because only the thin layer below the wax colors.
Without wax the pipe would be almost forever coloring, as the oils would pass clear through to the exterior surfaces of the pipe and be wiped away.
He had cut out CAO pipes he’d show the fashionable ladies who patronized his shop next to a popular beauty salon. They sort of looked like Oreo cookies, dark on the outside and inside, and white in the middle.
If it wasn’t true, he sure sold a lot of high dollar pipes explaining it, you know?
The ladies lapped it all up and took out their purses and bought those pipes.
Without wax the pipe would be almost forever coloring, as the oils would pass clear through to the exterior surfaces of the pipe and be wiped away.
He had cut out CAO pipes he’d show the fashionable ladies who patronized his shop next to a popular beauty salon. They sort of looked like Oreo cookies, dark on the outside and inside, and white in the middle.
If it wasn’t true, he sure sold a lot of high dollar pipes explaining it, you know?
The ladies lapped it all up and took out their purses and bought those pipes.
Yes, maybe meerschaum blocks were covered with beeswax before nylon bag was invented.
And yes just soak into water to re-hydrate the meerschaum block
