White gloves? Why?

[tschiraldi]

I am considering buying my first Meerschaum pipe. I have read and heard that you should wear thin white gloves every time you handle one of these. Can someone please explain the reason for this? I would think one would WANT finger oils on the pipe so it can form a patina, like with natural briar pipes. Also, is this just something to do until it starts to color, or should I do this for the life of the pipe? Any other Meer tips would be appreciated! Thank you all in advance.
Tim

 

[mackeson]

To some people, this is a way to keep only tobacco coloring the meer without influence of skin oils. Those folks have their opinion and I respect their point of view. Personally for me, it's silly and I would feel ridiculous wearing white gloves. My pipes are all to smoke in my "everyday" conditions. If you enjoy the process/ritual of dressing up to smoke, give it a try. Otherwise, just smoke your meer and enjoy.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

Why not grey gloves? Or green? What if I have some Spongebob Squarepants gloves I'd like to wear while smoking my meer?

 

[ashdigger]

No white gloves here, but I'm a knuckle-dragger not a purist.

 

[tschiraldi]

Anthony- :rofl:

I'm glad to hear it. I'm afraid I'd have to pass if I had to go through the hassle of putting on gloves. I just wanted to make sure handling it wouldn't somehow "ruin" the pipe. Anything I SHOULD do differently with it than with a briar?

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

Anything I SHOULD do differently with it than with a briar?

Yes. Do NOT use alcohol to clean it, as that will ruin it. Just wipe out the bowl real well with a dry paper towel and use a pipe cleaner.

 

[tschiraldi]

Moderators, I apologize. I just realized there is already a running post in another section that deals with this. Feel free to scrap this post.

 

[lasttango]

No gloves... I use my hands...

 

[mortonbriar]

My one meer has a yellow spot where my greasy index finger curls around it, I kind of like that.

 

[Snow Hill]

Wearing white gloves might also lead to handling problems...like dropping the pipe because of lack of a good grip/slippery cotton.

 

[benpipesmoking]

wearing white gloves at your local shop smoking will get you some interesting looks

 

[bassbug]

Wearing white gloves while smoking a pipe at my place will get you an invitation to the door :nana:

 

[jjjarhead]

I might be the minority here, but I do care about the "contamination" as I usually have dirty fingers after I cleaned the previous pipe, some tar and gunk. however, i find wearing gloves silly and impractical, so instead i wrap some paper towels around the bowl and secure it with a rubber band.

 

[daveinlax]

Just avoid touching the bowl when it's warm and you'll be fine. 8O

 

[toobfreak]

Be a cold day in hell before I go out and buy dainty white gloves to sit there and hold my pipe. What difference would the color of the gloves make anyway? Probably end up fumbling and dropping the thing or getting the things dirty and doing more harm than good anyway. How many meers have you seen on this site, and I bet not one of them was smoked its entire life wearing gloves.

 

[ocpsdan]

I never met a single person that does this, and I sure don't.. I think it's an antiquated practice.

 

[tbradsim1]

Only wore white gloves once, at the Rotunda guarding President Kennedy, very sad day for me.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I wear white gloves when I smoke a meer, and a nice floral hat... and petticoats, lots of frilly petticoats.

 

[sablebrush52]

Talked with a meer collector at the WCPS last year and he said that he used a napkin for the first half dozen bowls, until the wax had melted in and that after that it wasn't necessary. Beautiful coloring on the bowl he was smoking. Pipe smoking is a dirty business. Not as dirty as necrophilia mind you, but a dirty business nonetheless.

 

[lifesizehobbit]

I do not own a Meer, so I don't have a dog in a fight. My understanding is that the thin white cotton glove protected the Meer from body oils, and that white was used so there were no dyes to run onto the pipe from hand-sweat or bowl temp.
Smoker's choice if you ask me; it's not like the Meer-Glove Police are showing up at your door. :D