Meerschaum Pipes, a good investment

Classic Lattice-Gift from Turkish Officers

As mentioned in my previous post I am relatively new to pipe smoking having just started in 2008.  After I was given my first pipe and started to do some research I discovered I was doing a number of things wrong after reading an article online, pipe smoking 101.  The two primary offenses I had committed was smoking my lone briar more than once a day (not resting it) and smoking multiple blends in my lone pipe (flavor ghosting).

First Pipe Hand made by a friend

With time on my hands and money in my pocket I went on a search to expand my pipe collection as pipe smoking 101 told me that I should:
1. Not smoke a pipe more than once a day and then rest it for a full 24-48 hours to allow it it dry out.  Over smoking a briar pipe can cause it to absorb excess moisture and crack if it gets hot while wet.

2. Ideally have a different pipe for each blend of tobacco as some tobacco (especially aromatics which I enjoy) to avoid ghosting.  Ghosting is when the tobacco flavor from one blend is absorbed in to the wood and then leaves a trace of flavor in future smokes no allowing you to truly taste the new blend.

Initial collection

As a result I was able to add a hand full of lovely briars to my collection thanks to online retailers and e-bay at the fraction of the retail cost.  I discovered estate pipe market (previously owned) was an excellent way to expand my collection with name brand pipes without paying name brand prices.  Some of these pipes were in like new or never been smoked condition.  If they had been smoked it did not matter as a little more research taught me how to properly restore an estate pipe with a alcohol treatment and other methods.



Soon I was set with pipes dedicated to 3-4 of my favorite blends and still able to enjoy more than one bowl a day using a different pipe all while following the rules.  After all I am a rules guy with over 20 years in the military.

Like all rules I soon discovered discovered there were exceptions to the rules.   One day while browsing I stumbled across this gorgeous hand carved  white pipe that looked like a claw holding a egg.  It did not look like any other pipes I had seen and had a really funny name, "Meerschaum".  As a result I launched into another fact finding mission to learn all I could about these meerschaum pipes.

I soon learned that meerschaum was indeed a different kind of pipe that was very popular with many pipe smokers.  I also learned that meerschaum is a fairly soft mineral that is mined only in Turkey and has been used to make pipes for a long time dating back centuries.  This mineral has many qualities that make it desirable for use with pipe smoking.  Some of these include:

1. Smokes cooler than wood pipes
2. Can be easily carved into decorative artwork
3. Over time with use meerschaum gradually turns color taking on it own charatcer
4. Generally Meerschaum does not ghost, so multiple blends of tobacco can be smoked in the same pipe
5. Unlike wood pipes meerschaum pipes can be smoked more than once a day and do not need to be rested

Wait a minute a pipe that I can smoke multiple blends in and does not have to be rested lengthy periods of time.  As a new pipe smoker who wants to try multiple blends I say sign me up!  I most definitely needed a meerschaum to add to my growing collection.

Servi-Meerschaum Eagle Claw New

I started scouring the web for meerschaum pipes and discovered they could range in price from as little as $20 up to hundreds as apparently there are master carvers out there that only produce a limited number and their work is highly sought after.  Just like briar pipes there were many standard shapes and sizes, but unlike briar pipes there were also some very intricate works of art.  I soon learned that the classic eagle/dragon claw that first caught my eye was the style I wanted so I went on the hunt.  Late one night on e-bay I took the plunge and $42 later with shipping I was going to be the owner of a Servi-Meerschaum XL Eagle Claw pipe.  At the time I did not realize how good of a buy I had scored as apparently Servi is one of the more well known carvers and I later learned the exact same pipe sold in retail stores for as much as $275.  Probably a good thing I did not know as I would have never enjoyed and abused it as much as I did in the harsh environment of Afghanistan.

Servi-Meerschaum Eagle Claw after a few months

When the pipe arrived I was in awe as to the detail of the carving and the shear size compared to some of my more traditional briar pipes.  Best of all it was a great smoker and soon became my go to pipe on almost a daily basis as I was new to pipe smoking and eager to try new blends I had purchased or other generous smokers had sent me as samplers.  After only a few smokes I noticed the color change phenomena taking place around the rim and upper part of the bowl that started as pinkish red and turned to golden shades of brown over time.  While I still enjoyed my briar pipes it was clear to me that at least one well crafted meerschaum should be in every pipe aficionado's collection. 

Since that time I have acquired five more meerschaum pipes through purchase or gifts and absolutely love them.  At this time I only have three in my collection.  This is due to the fact that I broke one (valuable lesson learned) and two were stolen including my prized Servi-Meerschaum Eagle claw.  As a result of personal experience and research I have learned some basic guidelines when it comes to meerschaum pipes that I always share with fellow smokers who are considering acquiring one.

1. Meerschaum is a bit more fragile than the standard briar pipe.  They should not be avoided for this reason, but just treated with a bit more care, they come with a custom fitted hard case for a reason.  They are  probably not the best pipe to take hiking or other outdoor adventure.  I am not saying you have to treat them with kid gloves, just be aware that you cannot beat them up and probably not the ideal pipe to smoke while you are working or doing something where you might drop it.  I have two meers with me on my current deployment.  One stays in my office and the other in my room.  I just do not take them out on missions with me as I might do with some of my other pipes.

2. Always handle meerschaum pipes with relatively clean hands.  They are coated with a thin layer of bees wax which seals them and helps them color over time.  As a result when the wax becomes warm it will tend to pull dirt and oils form your fingers which will result in slight discolorations.

3. Despite the fact that meerschaums generally smoke cooler than briar they can still get hot usually from chain smoking.  You want to avoid this not so much because of cracking issues, but you can burn protective wax coating off again resulting in poor coloration.  If you are smoking a meer ideally you are taking your time and enjoying the experience.

4. When purchasing a meerschaum go with a quality vendor/manufacture and look for "block" meerschaum as apparently there is a movement to manufacture cheap pipes that are not carved from a single block.  There are some deals out there, but the quality is not always the same.   Because meerschaum is a mineral no one can be sure of how it will react to heat if there is an imperfection.  I recently had a pipe given to me as a gift that was made by a reputable vendor.  After the third smoke a hair line crack started to form due to a defect in the mineral.  The vendor offered to replace it for me o charge.  Not all will due this, so be sure of who you are dealing with.  Sometimes spending a bit more is worth it.

5.  Finally, if buying in person ask to run a pipe cleaner through the pipe as the alignment of the tenon and drilled hole in the shank can be off making it difficult to clean.  It is OK if you have to remove the stem and can get a cleaner through, but you want to make sure you can get pipe cleaner down to the bowl.   I did have an issue with one pipe that resulted in clogging and I accidentally broke the pipe when I tried to clear it and make the hole bigger.

Current Eagle Claw and Servi-meerschaum Military

Pipe smoking is a very relaxing hobby for in general.  Add the nuances of a quality meer that changes color over time that takes on its own character and it is that much more enjoyable for me.  As stated above, I think every pipe smoker should have at least one meer in their collection if for nothing else it will allow you to try new blends without the concern of ghosting in a standard briar pipe.  Just educate yourself ahead of time so you can avoid some of the costly mistakes I made.

Enjoy!