Meerschaum Pipe.

 Amber Mouthpiece.

 No box. Smoked in. Lightly and seldom smoked. No teeth marks.

Click here to view all my items 

What is Meerschaum?
The literal translation of "meerschaum" is "sea foam". Because it is found in rounded lumps which float, meerschaum was originally thought to be fossilised sea foam.
Actually it is a rare mineral - magnesium silicate.
The best, pure block meerschaum is found in Turkey, in the area surrounding the village of Eskisehir. Some mines are open cast, and others may be as deep as 120 metres. Lesser quality meerschaum is found in other parts of the world including Tanzania (Tanganyikan meerschaum).

How does it colour?
The inside of the bowl is not waxed, so it absorbs the moisture from the burning tobacco, and the beeswax picks up the colour from the residue. The colour varies according to the tobacco smoked, but the final colour will nearly always be a rich, deep reddish-brown.
For perfect colouring, take care not to handle the warm pipe excessively (you could leave the impression of fingerprints) or to smoke it too fast (the hot beeswax could run). Maybe for the first 10 smokes hold it only by the mouthpiece; some purists even advocate using a soft glove.
No matter what you do, it will colour.

Much has been written about Meerschaum and its contribution to the artistic aspect of Pipe Smoking. But it is for its practical properties that most Meerschaum Smokers remember it. Lightness, power of absorption, length of life, and the purity of tobacco flavours achieved by this rare mineral are a real joy to the user.