According to history, the first meerschaum pipe appeared in 1723. In those days, such a device was called a “meerschaum tube”. Meerschaum - sea foam, a mineral and a "building" material from which smoking devices are made.
The foam just seems fragile. The formation of the mineral takes hundreds of years. It turns out raw materials that are resistant to heat and humidity. At the same time, the foam tube is relatively strong, characterized by porosity and ease of processing.
You can recognize an exclusive pipe not only by design. These are antique expensive accessories. This is due to the difficulty of extracting the material. Today, pipe foam is mined mainly in central Turkey and Africa, but Turkish legislation limits the export of rare raw materials, and the development of deposits on the African continent is a laborious task.
How are foam tubes made?
The experience and accuracy of the master is a key aspect. Professional workshops exclude automated processing of materials in the preparation of a meerschaum pipe.
The first stage is the preparation of raw materials. The foam is cut into square blanks, washed and sorted. The material has up to 12 varieties or so-called varieties, differing in uniformity, color, porosity.
When the variety is selected, the foam tenderloin is immersed in water for 30-60 minutes. The material becomes like hard cheese.
This is done to soften it, so that it would be more convenient for the master to cut fancy patterns and directly the shape of the smoking device. First, the contour of the bowl and the chibouk is cut out, then a hole in the smoke channel is drilled, a recess for fixing the mouthpiece.
Foam tubes are designer products. A separate stage is the creation of a pattern, reliefs, and other decorations. After that, the workpiece is dried in an oven for several hours.
The final stage is polishing and waxing. This gives the tube a shine, preserves the natural color, protects against fading, dirt, scratches and scuffs.
How is a meerschaum pipe different from a briar pipe?
The mineral base of the tubes does not give an extra aftertaste. Briar pipes can be smoked in different ways: the “own” taste of the pipe is mixed into the tobacco mixture, which makes it impossible to feel the entire palette of tobacco composition.
Another difference is the color Mineral is a non-uniform material that absorbs resins. Over time, the foam tube turns yellow and becomes covered with spots that impregnate the heterogeneous coating in different places.
Choosing a foam pipe for smoking is beneficial for the following reasons:
The disadvantage of meerschaum tubes is fragility. When dropped from a height, the product will probably crack. Repair and straightening is difficult: it is almost impossible to restore a device made by hand.
In briar and wood varieties, there is no need to monitor soot. In the foam, the layer of smoke should not be too thick. Otherwise, the antique pipe will crack at the base of the stem or bowl.
The most vulnerable part of meerschaum pipes is the mouthpiece, or rather, the part of the connection between the drip-type and the stem. Parts are detached carefully and carefully: breaking a thin chubuk is easy.
Care and additional information
Three types of products are presented on the windows of tobacco shops. In addition to natural foam, pipes made of artificial polymer and pressed are common. Artificial raw materials give off plastic and are unlikely to make smoking comfortable. Pressed is made from the remnants of natural raw materials, foam dust, so over time it begins to crumble.
Most sources indicate that the meerschaum pipe first appeared in 1723. The word meerschaum has German roots and means "sea foam". It must be said that this is a very accurate name, because the material for the manufacture of such tubes is sea foam - a rather rare mineral, the distinguishing properties of which are heat resistance, high porosity and ease of processing.
Turkish monopoly
Foam, which is suitable for the production of pipes, is mined in central Turkey, today the export of raw material is prohibited by Turkish law, which does not reflect in the best way on the popularity of this type of pipe. Minor deposits of meerschaum are located in Africa, but the African material is not so good for making pipes: it has a more heterogeneous structure.
It is clear that due to the impossibility of exporting raw meerschaum to other countries, the bulk of meerschaum pipes are produced directly in Turkey (some non-Turkish companies buy finished pipes and only change mouthpieces). More often than others, products from Altinay Meerschaum are found on the shelves - relatively cheap pipes of medium quality. It must be said that Turkish pipes often look a little pretentious, as local craftsmen tend to constantly train in carving, but you can also find smooth classically shaped pipes.
The process of extraction of foam and the manufacture of tubes
The raw materials for pipes are cut into square cuts, the size of which is no larger than the size of an orange, at the first stage of processing they are washed and sorted into 5 categories, categories at this stage are assigned depending on the quality. Each of these categories is divided into 12 grades (the type of foam is affected by: porosity, color, uniformity). After that, the master splits the workpiece along the lines outlined earlier, the resulting pieces are immersed in water for half an hour. After that (now the foam has the consistency of cheese), the cutter makes a rough draft of a pipe, a shank with a channel and a recess for the mouthpiece, and the tobacco bowl itself. At the end, the finest refinement follows, after which the pipe is placed to dry in an oven, the dry pipe is polished and coated with wax.
Distinctive features, advantages and disadvantages
The main feature of the meerschaum pipe, in comparison with briar and wooden ones, is the absence of its own “taste”, it does not change the taste of pipe tobacco in any way. Just as some smokers love pipes made of briar and various woods for their special flavor, so others love meerschaum pipes for their absence. The meerschaum pipe does not distort the taste of the smoke, leaving it the same as it is (just like the corn one). Another “trick” is that the color of the tube changes over time due to the absorption of resins. And since the structure of the material is heterogeneous, the yellowness in some places shows through more than in others, so the tube can become spotty.
The advantages include:
- unpretentiousness - the material is resistant to high temperatures, so you can not be afraid of burning the tube;
- tube weight - foam tubes are perhaps the lightest of all;
- shorter interval between smokes - due to their porous structure, meerschaum tubes (especially with threads), these tubes dry out faster and absorb moisture better.
- The disadvantages include:
- fragility - such a tube will have to be handled with care, it may crack from a fall or impact. For this reason, it is better to buy a handset with a hard case;
- the need to monitor the amount of soot in the cup - if its layer becomes thick enough, then when heated, soot can increase so much that the tube will crack;
- difficulty in finding a high-quality pipe - most complaints about meerschaum pipes are caused by the mouthpiece, which is usually an acrylic stamping, the channel can be roughly drilled and not polished enough;
- discoloration - meerschaum pipes can fade over time, losing their snow-white color, but not all pipe smokers will consider this a minus.
How to care
There is no need to smoke a meerschaum pipe, soot can be easily cleaned off with a tee knife or a rimmer. It is easy to deal with surface contamination: just wipe it with a cloth dipped in vodka. Since the meerschaum pipes are not stained, you can use alcohol without fear. In a similar way, you can clean the surface of the tobacco chamber, nothing bad will happen to the pipe if the carbon deposits are completely removed.
There is no need for a long rest, as a rule, only a couple of hours will be sufficient, especially if you have a habit of removing condensate with a brush after the next trigger. Everything that has time to be absorbed during smoking quickly disappears. Sometimes there is a cavity inside the mouthpiece, which has to be cleaned periodically, after unscrewing the trunnion.
Varieties
A subspecies of meerschaum pipes are wooden, equipped with a meerschaum insert. Such products do not change their appearance over time, and they are produced not only in Turkey, so there is plenty to choose from: the quality and price of such pipes vary widely.
In addition, in addition to natural meerschaum, there are two more varieties of it:
- artificial, made from polymeric materials. It has a smooth, almost mirror-like surface, the material is more like plastic than natural foam, it is not fragile, it is more difficult to scratch and has practically no pores;
- pressed (from foam processing waste, crumbs) - more granular compared to natural, has a lower viscosity and greater heterogeneity, due to which it can crumble and even break when smoking.
It doesn't matter how much these pipes cost - even a penny, they are still not suitable for smoking. As for tubes made of natural foam, here the price can vary from 900 to 15,000 rubles.
On the sites of their settlements, archaeologists have found ancient pipes depicting various subjects, animals, and people. What do modern smoking pipes look like? What types and types are they? What materials are they made of and is it possible to make a pipe with your own hands? You will learn about all this from this article.
Construction of a modern smoking pipe
To begin with, let's look at the design features of the smoking room consists of several parts that have a specific purpose.
The bowl is the rounded part of the pipe filled with tobacco. The size of this part can be different and depends on what kind of tobacco the pipe is intended for.
The tobacco chamber is a recess in the bowl designed to be filled with tobacco.
The chubuk is the part of the pipe that runs from the bowl to the mouthpiece. There may be several small holes in the chibouk that allow air to pass through. This makes smoking easier.
The smoke channel carries smoke from the bowl to the mouthpiece. The quality of the manufacture of the smoke channel largely depends on the properties of the smoking pipe.
The mouthpiece is hermetically connected to the shank. It can be straight or curved, with a flat or round flue opening. In some types of pipes, the hole can be divided into two parts, such a mouthpiece will be called a two-channel.
Mouthpiece - the end of the mouthpiece, which is placed in the mouth, between the teeth and lips. Feelings during smoking largely depend on the quality and shape of this part of the pipe. Most often, the mouthpiece has a traditional shape, but in some cases the smoke hole is located in its upper part, so that the smoke, without touching the tongue, rises to the palate.
The neck connects the mouthpiece to the stem. It is made of silver or other materials.
The filter is designed to cool the smoke. It can be made from paper, cardboard, balsa wood, foam. The smoking pipe can be used without a filter. After smoking, the filter must be removed so that the pipe does not deteriorate. Many refuse to use a filter, as they believe that it hides some of the flavor of tobacco.
Now you know what elements the tube consists of. The material from which this accessory is made is also of great importance. Consider what tubes are made of.
Briard
Briar pipes are very popular. Briard is a root thickening of heather. A bowl with a chibouk is machined from it, the mouthpiece is made of other materials. Briar pipes are durable and do not get hot. They are easy to clean.
They can be of different quality and vary greatly in price. Cheap, low quality briar pipes can be puttyed. Over time, the putty will begin to stand out in color and may fly off.
Wood
Wooden pipes are also quite popular. The tube may be made from a single piece of wood or may be stacked. Only a bowl can be made of wood. For the manufacture of pipes, apple, pear, cherry, beech and precious woods are used. A tree with a pungent odor, resinous, coniferous is not suitable.
Wooden tubes burn out over time and have to be replaced. After use, such a tube requires a long drying time. Products are relatively cheap, with the exception of those made of precious wood.
Corn
Corn tubes are cut from the stalk, which is the core of the corn cob. The tube turns out to be very light, cheap, but short-lived. It is fragile and burns out quickly, so you will have to change it often, perhaps several times a year.
The corn pipe is easy to care for, filters smoke well and absorbs moisture.
Clay
They were once widespread, but today they are most often used as an original gift or souvenir. The pipe can be made entirely of clay or have only a clay bowl.
It is not very convenient to use a clay pipe for its intended purpose, because it is fragile, cracks from temperature changes (it cannot be smoked in the cold), and it gets very hot. But clay pipes decorated with carvings and various ornaments look great as an element of the collection.
Penka
Foam is a rare natural material consisting of the smallest compressed shells. The foam is strong and durable. It absorbs moisture well, does not heat up and does not fade, and is easy to clean. The foam pipe is rightfully considered one of the best.
But all these advantages apply only to tubes cut from a single block of foam! If pressed chips are used to make an accessory, then the quality of the product drops significantly, it loses all its advantages and becomes extremely fragile. In order not to purchase such a fake, you need to remember that the meerschaum pipe is expensive and you can not buy it in every store.
Pumpkin
A very rare and valuable material for making a pipe is gourd. The tobacco chamber of such pipes is made of foam or porcelain. But it is not easy to get a natural pumpkin, most often the gourd is imitated using other materials.
Tube shapes
How do smoking pipes differ in shape? The photos show that there is a great variety in the shapes and types of tubes. The shape and height of the bowl, the bend differ. There are several classifications of smoking pipes, we will consider several main types.
Types of smoking pipes by shape:
- Billiards - the most widespread group of forms. Nearly cylindrical shank and bowl. The shank and mouthpiece assembly are a bit like a cue stick, hence the name of the shape.
- Chimney - reminiscent of billiards with a deep tobacco chamber and a high bowl. Such a pipe is intended for an experienced smoker, as it is smoked for several hours and the tobacco may die out.
- Liverpool - billiards with a long shank and a short mouthpiece.
- Lovat - reminiscent of Liverpool with a saddle mouthpiece.
- Canadian - has a long flattened shank with an oval section and a short mouthpiece.
- Bulldog - has a bowl consisting of two cones with a diamond-shaped shank in proportion.
- Dublin is a conical bowl, wide at the top and narrow at the bottom.
- Poker - has a flat bottom, so that the tube can be placed on the table.
- Sweat - the bowl resembles a pot, the tube is massive, with thick walls.
- Prince - low bowl, curved mouthpiece.
- An apple is a very popular shape with a spherical bowl.
- Tomato - has an oval bowl.
- Brandy - the bowl repeats the shape of the glass for the drink of the same name.
- Egg - accordingly, the bowl is shaped like an egg.
- Freehands are non-canonical smoking pipes.
How to choose a handset
In a store with a wide assortment, a beginner can simply get confused - such an abundance of sizes, shapes, materials. Is it possible to just buy a tube you like or is it necessary to pay attention to its characteristics? The choice of the first such thing is important, since it depends on it whether you will enjoy smoking and whether you will become a person who loves smoking pipes. How to choose a pipe for a beginner? There are several points to which you need to pay attention.
The first thing to decide is the shape of the tube. It is better to choose a simple classic cylindrical shape. The fact is that some pipes require more attention when smoking, they can go out, etc. The product should be pleasant and comfortable to lie in the hand.
The next choice is a curved or straight tube. Very often, beginners are attracted to models with a strong bend. But handling such a tube requires some experience. For the first time, straight lines or with a slight bend are best.
One of the most controversial questions is "do I need a filter in the tube." It somewhat softens and hides the taste of tobacco. Each smoker decides for himself which pipe to choose.
The pipe filter does not affect the quality of smoking, so here you can be guided by your own preferences.
How to make a pipe with your own hands
The smoking pipe is a skillful and elegant item. Only a master can make a good pipe. For the initial processing, tools, a machine tool and a drill are used, and the final refinement is done only by hand. If you want to make a smoking pipe yourself, then you need not only to have the necessary knowledge and be able to work with your hands, but also to have tools. If you want to make a quality thing, then be prepared for the fact that a do-it-yourself smoking pipe will cost more than buying a new one.
The fact is that it consists of rather thin details. The quality of the smoke channel is of great importance. It is quite difficult to cut and process the smoke channel and the tobacco chamber well. But if you still want to make a smoking pipe yourself, you can purchase a special blank, the so-called hobby block. made from a hobby block, requires a minimum of tools.
A hobby block is a piece of wood with a rectangular or cubic shape, in which a tobacco chamber and a smoke channel have already been made. A plastic mouthpiece is already attached to the workpiece. It turns out that all the delicate work that requires special knowledge has already been done, and the owner of the hobby block is left with the most interesting thing - to come up with the shape of a bowl and give these outlines to the workpiece. After cutting out the shape, the bowl needs to be sanded and polished.
The process of working with a hobby block is good because it is interesting, gives room for imagination and, what is very important, the result is a really high-quality smoking pipe. The choice of hobby blocks is quite wide, they differ in the shape of the mouthpiece, the diameter and height of the tobacco bowl. With the help of these blanks, you can make good and different smoking pipes at home.
Meerschaum pipes, according to some sources, appeared in 1723. The word Meerschaum is of German origin and translates as "sea foam". And this perfectly conveys such characteristics of the mineral as its lightness and whiteness.
Foam, one of the most porous minerals in nature (Hydrous Magnesium Silicate or "Aphrodite", "sepiolite"), and heat resistance and ease of processing make it extremely suitable for making pipes with cool and dry smoke. Due to the high absorbent properties, the foam acts as a filter that absorbs moisture and tar, which, of course, adds to the pleasure of smoking. Because of these same qualities, over time meerschaum tubes turn into rich honey-brown tones, making the surface more beautiful and at the same time improving the palatability. Foam pipes, "aristocrats" among all smoking pipes. Smokers know and appreciate the incomparable pleasure they get from smoking.
Mining
There is a belief that the foam is the petrified white crests of the waves. In fact, these are just fossilized shells of the smallest sea creatures that fell to the bottom many millions of years ago. Today, top-quality foam deposits cannot be found near the sea. They were found only in one place in the world, on an open plain in central Turkey, in the vicinity of the town of Eskisehir, in deposits of red clay in an area of only 4 square meters. miles. (However, according to other sources, foam seems to be also mined in East Africa.)
Raw foam is mined from a depth of 200 to 300 feet. Only a few families have been engaged in this trade for several generations. The average size of a extracted block is approximately the size of a grapefruit. The extracted raw materials are washed and sorted into five quality categories. Each of the 5 categories is further divided into 12 grades based on color, porosity and uniformity.
Manufacture of meerschaum pipes
The first meerschaum pipes were carved about 300 years ago. And today these unique pipes are cut exclusively by hand. The first step of the master, the carver, is the selection of the best block of mineral. It is selected based on block size, density, color and saturation. Then the carver, having carefully studied each piece of the mineral, must calculate and feel all the necessary, optimal split lines. The blanks split in this way are immersed in water for 15-30 minutes to achieve the consistency of the cheese. Working with soft material, the cutter selects the approximate, draft shape of the tube itself and the opening of the cup and shank. Further, after fine refinement, the tube goes into a furnace with a high temperature in order to remove all moisture from the mineral. After thorough polishing with the finest abrasive, the foam is ready for waxing. Although there are many different types of artificial wax, only natural beeswax is associated with the color of the most beautiful collectible pipes. For polishing, melted discolored wax is used. The very subtle nuances of color and tone of the new pipe are achieved by applying and polishing varying numbers of layers of wax, the way they are applied, etc.
Coloring
Due to the natural porosity of the mineral, when smoked, meerschaum pipes quickly change their color from white to golden, cherry red or brown. And since each piece of the mineral is unique in itself, each tube is painted at different times and in different, unpredictable shades. It is impossible to predict the coloring time in advance. It can be 2 months or 12 months. Staining is also influenced by factors such as the frequency and intensity of smoking, the type of tobacco. But to a greater extent, it is the frequency of smoking than tobacco.
It should be noted that there are two, or rather, even three types of foam:
- natural, blocky foam;
- pressed, molded, made by pressing foam crumbs
- and artificial foam, made of polymeric materials.
One should not expect the same qualities from tubes made of artificial or pressed foam as from natural block foam. This applies both to the color and to the absorbent properties of the material and, accordingly, to the taste of the pipe when smoking. Actually, the last two types, that is, pressed and artificial foams, are essentially fakes.
Artificial, polymer foam has a smoother, almost mirror-like surface. This is a very homogeneous mass, not as porous and brittle as natural block foam. Most likely, you can distinguish them if you just scrape the surface slightly with your fingernail, try to remove thin chips. Natural foam scratches more easily and its chips are fragile, crumble under the nail. Artificial, on the other hand, is more like plastic - elastic, denser, it is more difficult to scratch and the chips practically do not crumble. The pressed foam is much more granular than natural and due to the heterogeneity and lower viscosity of the structure when smoking, that is, rather sharp heating, it often crumbles and breaks in the hands.
In short, try not to take a pipe made of artificial, pressed foam, regardless of the sometimes significant difference in prices.
Natural foam tubes are now cut ONLY in Turkey. Some firms buy ready-made pipes there, and change the mouthpieces to their own. Usually, these pipes are stamped Block meerschaum. But also not always.
Foam tube care
There are many misconceptions about meerschaum pipes. Remember that no two pipes are the same, no two smokers are the same. Do not be afraid to once again pick up a pipe, smoke it. This does not harm her at all. A meerschaum pipe, in addition to the usual pleasure of smoking, also gives additional pleasure with its color, shape, carving, and pattern.
Unlike briar pipes, which must be dried after each use, meerschaum pipes can be smoked many times a day due to the material's high absorption rate.
If the tube becomes dirty, take a cotton or any other soft cloth, drop a liquid containing a small amount of alcohol on it and gently wipe the tube until the dirt is removed. Just remember that this must be done without fail after the tube has completely cooled down. And it is desirable that the liquid does not have a pronounced odor. Therefore, lotions, toilet water and other perfumes are not suitable categorically. However, if you like Mac Baren with the refreshing Eau Sauvage fragrance from Dior, then the bottle is in your hands and full speed ahead.
Never wash the tube in hot water or scrub the outside of the tube. It should be noted that on one memo for smokers of meerschaum pipes I read the following: "You should not boil your pipe, especially with the use of cleaners and bleaches."
Never bang the pipe against a hard surface to dislodge the ash. In the case of a meerschaum pipe, you will simply break it; in the case of a heather pipe, you will be considered a barbarian and a savage. Except when special tube ashtrays with a cork “knocker” are used.
Meerschaum pipes do not require soot inside the cup, like, say, briar pipes. Therefore, as necessary, clean the cup of carbon deposits that have appeared. This should be done with a non-sharp, rounded tool.
Be extremely careful when cleaning the bottom of the cup at the point where the smoke channel exits, as immediately after smoking, the foam in these places is moist and soft.
Be careful when removing the mouthpiece from the tube. Be sure to hold the pipe with your fingers by the chubuk, and the mouthpiece itself is easy, without tension, pull towards you, while turning clockwise. Do the same when you insert it.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that over hundreds of years, meerschaum pipes have gained a reputation as the most pleasant, comfortable to smoke. Also because each pipe is not only an ordinary smoking device, but also a unique handmade work of art, made according to traditions passed down by craftsmen from generation to generation. Of course, this cannot but give the owner of such a pipe some additional pride and satisfaction from the mere consciousness of owning such a thing.
MESH PIPES
GENUINE BLOCK MEERSCHAUM
(about tea and elephant pipes)
A bit of mineralogy… “Sea foam” or “Merschaum” are more everyday terms. Let's talk about sepiolite. Look at the ubiquitous Wikipedia.
Sepiolite (from sepia and stone), sea foam, mershaum - a mineral that belongs to the group of talc and serpentine in its properties, complex magnesium silicate in chemical composition, a typical formula for which Mg4 (Si6O15) (OH) 2. 6H2O. Named because of the similarity with the porous calcareous skeleton of cuttlefish - sepia.
This mineral became sepiolite in 1847, when the German mineralogy professor Ernst Friedrich Glocker described it as a complex magnesium silicate, giving it the name sepiolite (Greek: "sepia" - (cuttlefish) and "lithos" - (stone ).
Sepiolite is mined not in the sea, but in mines, since the deposits of the mineral are located deep underground in layers that were once the bottom of the ocean.
According to unverified data, the appearance of meerschaum pipes dates back to 1723. The meerschaum pipes are light and white, which gave them their popular name. Sepiolite (and this name is already scientific) is one of the most porous minerals in nature, perfectly workable and highly heat resistant, extremely suitable for the manufacture of smoking pipes. Properties that allow it to absorb moisture well, and sepiolite can absorb up to 130% of its own weight, and resins add value to the material, and the ability to smoke dry and perceive the taste of tobacco in its pure form is highly valued by pipe smokers.
If we move away from the formula given above and return to the everyday language, then the foam is nothing but the fossilized shells of all kinds of sea creatures that lived in the oceans. It is logical to assume that it can be found in various and sometimes exotic places, but it is believed that the main "deposits" are located in Turkey, and not somewhere on the coast, but in the central part of the country, near the city of Eskisehir. The word “deposit” is not in quotation marks by chance: the entire territory is several square kilometers. Several families are engaged in mining, passing the “business” from generation to generation.
Foam is mined both in the Mediterranean countries and in Africa, to which we will return a little later. In Greece, sepiolite was mined 1500 years ago. Then they didn’t hear about pipes, of course. It was needed for other purposes: for the manufacture, as it is now fashionable to say, art objects.
Pieces of the mineral "blocks" are washed and sorted into five categories. Subsequently, each of the categories is divided into another 12 varieties, taking into account color, uniformity, porosity, etc.
Pipe business was swallowed up by mechanization. Is this good or bad? – We’ll talk about this some other time, although it’s worth noting that there are no completely hand-made pipes, just as there are no completely machine-made ones.
Foam pipes are made only by hand. And although some work is done on machines, these machines are also “manual / foot operated”. Such is the material with which you have to work.
At the first stage, everything is approximately the same as with briar: selection of the best block, taking into account its size, color, density; finding the optimal block split line. Then the material is soaked for 15-30 minutes, and in this form, rough processing is carried out, determining the general shape, the shape of the smoking chamber and drilling a hole in the shank.
Then masterful work begins, the fruit of which may turn out to be an ordinary ordinary meerschaum pipe, or maybe a work of art, smoking which “you won’t raise your hand.”
The already finished pipe is not ready yet. It is fired in a furnace at high temperature to completely remove moisture, polished using various abrasives, up to the finest, and treated with wax. Wax, as you know, is not only beeswax, but it is believed that it is he who is needed for meerschaum pipes. And not in a “native” (a word from beekeeping jargon) form, but discolored, which is achieved by holding the planed wax in sunlight with occasional stirring.
The nuances of color and tone are achieved by various methods of applying wax, the number of layers and in other ways. If anyone has come across light chocolate meerschaum tubes, you should know that henna was used in its final processing.
Over time, when smoking, the meerschaum pipe changes color due to the porosity of the material. It can be slightly yellowish or golden, reddish-cherry or brown. Each mineral block has its own unique properties, and each tube changes color randomly and unpredictably. Whether the color changes faster or slower depends on the frequency of smoking and, to a much lesser extent, on the type or type of tobacco.
Excluding five categories and twelve varieties, there are three types of foam: natural or block; pressed from foam crumbs and artificial, made of polymeric materials. It is naive to expect high qualities from the second and third types: they are what, again in the language of beekeepers, is called a fake. Artificial foam has a very smooth, almost mirror-like surface, since it is essentially a homogeneous mass. It is elastic, dense and hardly scratched, without giving crumbs. Pressed foam is more granular than natural, often crumbles and breaks, especially when heated strongly.
Pipes made of natural sepiolite are not branded by craftsmen as “Block meerschaum”. Sometimes they don't. Sometimes with a stigma... Well, you understand...
The fastidious reader has probably already noticed that we are talking about anything, but not about elephants. So it's time for them...
Older people remember “tea with an elephant” well. Sometimes this image appears on modern tea packs, but they are rare, and the tea in them ... so ... pah, not tea.
Very few people know about elephant pipes. This is understandable: there are few pipe smokers in Russia, and even fewer meerschaum pipe smokers. Considering that the majority of meerschaum pipes "came" to us from Turkey, then there are almost "nothing" of smokers of such pipes from Tanzania. It is on Tanzanian pipes that you can see the image of an elephant. Well, not only an elephant, of course, but an elephant is somehow more noticeable ...
I remember there was this song: In Africa, big and many-sided... there is a country called Tanganyika, in that country there is a sacred mountain. This mountain is Kilimanjaro, the highest in Africa. And Tanganyika (then a colony of England, and before that of Germany) is a country that, having united after obtaining sovereignty with Zanzibar (also a former colony), became known as Tanzania.
Even under the Germans, that is, before 1918, sepiolite was supplied to Europe, although these supplies were probably small. The British put more pressure on agriculture. One way or another, but unlike Turkey, Tanzania did not have and still does not have a ban on the export of meerschaum.
In the early 50s of the last century, large deposits of meerschaum were discovered in the Amboseli National Park, located on the border of Kenya and Tanganyika, as well as at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro. Amboseli Pipes and its subsidiary Tanganyika Meerschaum Corporation began using it to make meerschaum pipes. Not by yourself, of course. For this, the Tanganyika the Kilimanjaro Pipe Company Ltd. was established.
The names are long and sonorous, but behind these names were firms with a staff of several people, which, however, did not prevent pipe smokers from all over the world from learning about their business.
They were made both from a solid block "GENUINE BLOCK MEERSCHAUM" and from foam powder pressed in a special way. Sometimes these pipes were sheathed with leather, but more often they did this with pipes made of wood with foam inserts.
The company produced seventeen brands and sub-brands: Twiga, Kiko, Kilimajaro, Arcon, Tembo, Kudu, Makonde, Merlin and others.
The hallmark of these pipes is the logo on the mouthpiece in the form of an elephant, a rhinoceros, a giraffe, an antelope, a flying bird…
In addition to its own production, the company mines sepiolite for export to Austria, Belgium, and England. Well-known companies such as Peterson and Barling's make (or at least did) pipes from Tanzanian mershaum. In the old days, or rather: at the end of the 19th century, the English company Laxey Pipes Ltd. cooperated with "Tanganyika Meerschaum Corporation" and supplied the pipes themselves (without mouthpieces) to these well-known brands.
If in Turkey and Greece meerschaum has been known for a very long time, then in Tanzania it is relatively “young”. The foam is denser and darker than Turkish, inferior to the latter in the purity of the material. Of course, there are no comrades for taste and color (we are talking about it), but many pipe smokers like that the Tanzanian foam is not so easily soiled, it does not require gloves. As for the density of the material, the Tanzanian one allows you to behave much more freely and not think that you can deprive yourself of the “device” with a careless movement.
Many Turkish-made meerschaum pipes are works of art. The white soft meerschaum gives space for a flight of fancy. Foam from Tanzania is much easier in this regard. But if the first ones (with the exception of unpretentious privates) are good for connoisseurs of the elegant and collectors, then the second ones, judging by the reviews of connoisseurs, are tastier, and this is the main thing for a smoker.
Now about brands in more detail.
caveman. In fact - a piece of foam with a mouthpiece, but each pipe is unique.
countryman. Block foam with a rusticated surface. Elephant on the mouthpiece.
Huntsman. Rusticated block foam, dyed yellow or black. Hillibilly. Block foam "in the style" of corn tubes.
Kiko Rough. Rusticated briar pipe with meerschaum inlay and elephant motif on the mouthpiece.
Kiko Plain. A smooth briar pipe with a meerschaum inlay and an elephant motif on the mouthpiece.
Kikob. Also "in the style" of corn with an elephant, but from briar with a meerschaum insert.
Kilimanjaro. Black smooth or rusticated briar with meerschaum inlay and rhinoceros motif on the mouthpiece.
Kilimanjaro Giant. The same as the previous one. It was produced in three shapes: sweat with an oval bowl, billiards and curved billiards.
Kudu. The image of a giraffe on the mouthpieces.
Makonde. Rhinoceros on the mouthpiece.
Merlin. A series of pipes produced in collaboration with Oppenheimer's company. A flying bird or antelope on the mouthpiece.
sportsman. Block foam lined with leather with an image of an elephant on the mouthpiece.
Tembo.
Townsman. Yellow colored block foam with a glossy finish.
Twiga. The pipe is sheathed in leather with the image of a giraffe on the mouthpiece.
white elephant.
There have always been misconceptions about meerschaum. Even in ancient times, it was considered frozen sea foam, and for good reason. Later, meerschaum pipes appeared - there were also misconceptions associated with them. I will not list them. I will write only what I know myself or know from people I trust.
Just as no two briar pipes are the same, so there are no two meerschaum pipes. And besides, no two smokers are the same. Don't take the word of others. Each pipe is individual and it has a potential owner. The pipe is waiting, so don't be afraid to pick it up and taste it. The pipe will not get any worse from this, and you, I believe, too. If the meerschaum pipe also gives aesthetic pleasure with its color, shape, carving, then it is better both for the pipe and for its owner.
Remember above I wrote about the amazing absorption of foam? Do not be afraid to smoke foam several times a day. You will not be able to get so much moisture from smoking in a day that the pipe cannot cope with it. Just let her rest a little longer.
Don't think that washing your pipe in hot water or scrubbing it is a good idea.
If the tube becomes dirty, gently wipe it with a soft cotton or flannel cloth moistened with a little alcohol until the dirt is removed. The only condition: the tube must be completely cooled down. However, there is a second condition: do not consider any toilet water and other rubbish with a pronounced perfume smell as alcohol.
Everyone knows that even a briar pipe should not be knocked out on a hard surface, so as not to be branded as a savage. Penkovuyu is categorically contraindicated. In special pipe ashtrays there is a cork "knocker", but it is not even desirable to knock it out, although it is possible. It is much more unreliable to carefully scrape a tee with a spatula, for example.
The meerschaum pipes do not need soot: they are smoked in the usual way from the very beginning. Moreover, carbon deposits in the meerschaum pipe must be removed, and preferably, if not after each smoking, then as this carbon deposits appear. The tool should not be sharp and rounded. Be especially careful when cleaning the outlet of the smoke channel into the bowl.
IMPORTANT. Never clean your meerschaum immediately after smoking. The foam at this time is wet and very soft, damage is nowhere easier.
Be careful when taking out the mouthpiece. Let the tube cool down. Hold the stem by the chubuk, and turn the mouthpiece clockwise easily and without tension and at the same time pull it towards you. This applies to meerschaum pipes with tenon. But threaded tubes should never be unscrewed “hot”. Sooner or later the soft material will stop holding hard.
Once upon a time, only wealthy people could afford a meerschaum pipe. Times have changed and now such tubes (albeit not all) are available to many. But at all times, both before and now, the meerschaum pipe has been and remains not only a smoking device, but also a handmade product, a unique thing that gives the owner both satisfaction from smoking and pride from possession.
