Meerschaum lined pipes _ How do you break them in

[Jack Fox]

Dave,

I have a couple meerchaum lined pipes. The only advantage to them is you
don't want to build up a cake like a briar. You want to keep the bowl
relitivly cake free so you don't take the chance of cracking the lining
and the briar. You can fill the bowl and smoke it down from the start.
I think the meerchaum helps insulate the heat better resulting in a
cooler smoke. Just be careful and dont damage the lining with a sharp
instrument.

Jack Fox
>
> Since I have never smoked a meerschaum lined or for that matter a
> meerschaum pipe of any sort, I decided to try one. I bought a no-name
> from my local tobacconist. How do you break these damn things in?
> It is like smoking black pepper with a little cayenne thrown in for
> bite. My normal tobacco is Dunhill Standard Medium.
>
> Cheers
>
> Dave

[Dave Brunette]

[Jim Beard]

Basically, meerschaums are supposed to need no break in. Some do tend to
have a bit of the flavor of the stone for the first few smokes, but that
soon passes.

Likewise, cleaning requirements are minimal. After a smoke, dump out the
ashes and wipe the interior of the bowl with a piece of paper towel. You
do not need, and do not want, a carbon cake to form as it will interfere
with transport of color to the exterior surface of the pipe. Clean stem
and shank with a pipe cleaner, but do not use alcohol or pipe spirits.

The only real problem with meerschaums is fragility. They seem sturdy,
until a shock wave of some sort hits an internal flaw line at just the
right angle....

On 05 May 1997, dbru...@concentrics.net (Dave Brunette) wrote ...

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[Nflatter]

>On 05 May 1997, dbru...@concentrics.net (Dave Brunette) wrote ...
>>
>> Since I have never smoked a meerschaum lined or for that matter a
>> meerschaum pipe of any sort, I decided to try one. I bought a no-name
>> from my local tobacconist. How do you break these damn things in?
>> It is like smoking black pepper with a little cayenne thrown in for
>> bite. My normal tobacco is Dunhill Standard Medium.

"Jim Beard" <j...@blckhrse.clark.net> writes:
>Basically, meerschaums are supposed to need no break in. Some do tend to
>have a bit of the flavor of the stone for the first few smokes, but that
>soon passes.
>
>Likewise, cleaning requirements are minimal. After a smoke, dump out the
>ashes and wipe the interior of the bowl with a piece of paper towel. You
>do not need, and do not want, a carbon cake to form as it will interfere
>with transport of color to the exterior surface of the pipe. Clean stem
>and shank with a pipe cleaner, but do not use alcohol or pipe spirits.
>
>The only real problem with meerschaums is fragility. They seem sturdy,
>until a shock wave of some sort hits an internal flaw line at just the
>right angle....

If you truly bought a meershaum lined pipe, you probably aren't worried
about coloring it since any color will never show. Until it breaks, that
is. Several years ago I looked at buying a meershaum lined pipe, but the
shop owner recommended I avoid them. [So why did he sell them?] For the
same price he sold me a poor grade meershaum pipe that was solid
meershaum. The guys that know more about them can explain the
differences. Anyway, his reasoning was the the liner eventually separates
from the wood in the pipe. When it does, it leaves behind a dust that is
so irritating that I'd have to throw out the pipe after the liner cracked.
Even after reaming out the bowl, the pipe would still be ruined. Since
the basket of meershaums was the same price, I bought one of them instead.

A few years later I was given several dozen pipes, some of which had
meershaum liners. They have to be 20+ years old and smoke just fine.
I've always been extra careful not to drop them or let them bang against
something. One other suggestion the same shop owner made. At the time I
bought the meershaum, I also bought some coffee flavored tobacco to go
with it. [Comments on flavored tobacco should be sen to me directly.] He
suggested that I smoke it in the meershaum for 6-8 bowls before I tried
any other blend in the pipe to develop a full taste. I don't know if the
meershaum needed a consistent type tobacco to be a good smoke, or if the
tobacco needed to deposit oils in the same pipe to smoke well. You might
find that your pipe is smoking with a pepper flavor because two blends are
interacting, or you may be tasting the full strength of your favorite
tobacco.

----------
Neil Flatter Marriage is 90% giving. The trick to a good marriage
913 7th Avenue knowing when to take your 10%. -Gpa Inman
Terre Haute, IN 47807-1109 Home: 812-235-2682 Neil.F...@Juno.com