Meerschaum Smoking Pipes

According to Wikipedia, Calabash Gourds (usually with meerschaum or porcelain bowls set inside them) have long made prized pipes, but they are labor-intensive and nowadays quite expensive.

Gourds specifically intended for pipe making are usually "hand trained" while they are still green & growing. Every few days, after the fruit has begun to develop, the grower will bend the "neck" of the gourd, until it has formed into a near semi-circle. These are mainly grown in South Africa.

Because of this expense, pipes with bodies made of wood (usually mahogany) instead of gourd, but the same classic shape are sold as calabashes.

Both wood and gourd pipes are functionally the same. They both have an air chamber beneath the bowl which serves to cool, dry, and mellow the smoke. There are also briar pipes being sold as calabashes. These typically do not have an air chamber and are named only because of their external shape.

The construction of a calabash pipe generally consists of a downward curve that ends with an up curve where the bowl sits. This low center of gravity allows for the user to easily hold the pipe by the mouth alone, leaving his hands free.

This advantage was often used by actors who wanted to depict their character smoking while permitting them to do other business simultaneously. That is why the character Sherlock Holmes, who never used this kind of pipe in the stories, is stereotypically depicted as favoring it because early dramatic productions, especially those starring William Gillette and Basil Rathbone, made this artistic decision. In fact, Holmes, who preferred very harsh tobacco, would probably have disliked the calabash because of the above-mentioned mellowing effect.

Advantages of Smoking a Meerschaum pipe:

You can smoke different types of tobacco without having to worry about residual flavors in your pipe that change the "flavor" of the tobacco of choice.

Since it is a mineral, the meerschaum will not impart other flavors like a wooden pipe can.

Meerschaum pipes will usually be lighter in weight that a comparable sized wood or briar pipe.

The meerschaum pipe you choose will, over time, change color as the smoking byproducts are absorbed into the meerschaum.

Meerschaum is a porous mineral that will provide a cleaner smoke than other pipes.

Meerschaum pipes will last a lifetime if properly cared for, and will not "burn out" as a briar pipe will over time.

Meerschaum is actually a mineral known as hydrated magnesium silicate, also known as sepiolite.

Most high quality meerschaum blocks today are found in Turkey, and are about the size of a softball. Meerschaum is mined with hand tools. Meerschaum is a soft mineral, and meerschaum pipes are hand carved as they have been for over 300 years or more. It is said that there are no two genuine meerschaum pipes exactly the same.

Remember that your choice of tobacco will determine how the meerschaum will color, and that each pipe will color to a different shade, even using the same tobacco blend. Quality meerschaum will begin to color almost immediately, though it may take up to a year to color completely.

Note that no break in period is required for a meerschaum pipe. Keep any cake from building as it is not needed to protect the bowl.

Exercise care to not overly tighten the bit of the pipe, as excess tightening could cause the shank to crack.

Meerschaum pipes are fragile. Avoid tapping your meerschaum pipe on hard surfaces. Hold it carefully and tap it into your palm or other soft material when emptying or removing cake.

Warm meerschaum is soft and can be damaged when cleaning, so let your pipe cool down before cleaning it after a smoke. Use your pipe tool carefully to avoid damaging the meerschaum, or use a paper towel or wipe to clean out any bowl residue.

When removing "cake" from your meerschaum pipe use extreme caution to avoid damaging the pipe. The cake can be harder that the meerschaum and reaming too vigorously can damage the meerschaum.

Remember that the meerschaum will be soft and somewhat wet just after being smoked.

The porous meerschaum will soak up pipe sweetener, so you should avoid using it in your meerschaum pipe as it will affect the flavor of the tobacco you choose.