Everything that you have to know about meerschaum pipes

What is meerschaum?

Magnesium hydogensilicate, also known as "meerschaum" (from the German words "meer" for the sea and "schaum" for the "foam") was aptly named since this mineral is so lightweight that sailors saw it floating at the surface of the Black Sea, just like foam would do.

The History and the origin of meerschaum pipes:

Made before briar pipes, the story tells that the first meerschaum pipe was created in the 1720s by Karl Kovacs, a shoemaker from Budapest to whom Count Andrassy (a Hungarian noble) gave a piece of meerschaum he brought back from a trip in Turkey. The invention was therefore Hungarian, but Vienna will become the international capital of meerschaum pipes in the late XVIIIth century (with the famous "Strambach Vienna"). At the beginning, meerschaum pipes were models made for the upper classes, whereas clay pipes, cheaper, were more popular. In the 1850s, briar pipes replaced clay pipes and impacted the meerschaum pipe trade.

The video above, "L'écumeur pipier", was released on the 1st of April 1994 on the TV show Thalassa as a beautiful prank. At this time (and even nowadays), a lot of people thought and still think that this video is a real story!

Bastien, La Pipe Rit

In the 70s, Turkey, worried to see its meerschaum deposits rapidly decrease, and to promote local crafts, has prohibited the exportation of the raw materials. This event spelt the end of the European production of meerschaum pipes. Nowadays, genuine meerschaum pipes are exclusively made in Turkey with meerschaum extracted from specialized mines in Eskişehir (West of Ankara and South-East of Istanbul).

It is from these deposits that meerschaum is extracted, still raw. You may also find meerschaum pipes made with reconstituted meerschaum: meerschaum residues and dust that are collected somewhere else than in Turkey (most of the time in Africa) are compressed with a binding agent to make a "rock" that is then carved. Pipes made of the latter are however of poorer quality compared to genuine meerschaum pipes since they are less porous and will not change color well. Moreover, depending on the binding agent used, the latter may give an aftertaste to the smoke.

Choose a genuine meerschaum pipe

Historically, meerschaum pipes were equipped with a stem made with genuine amber. Nowadays, stems of meerschaum pipes are made with synthetic resin (acrylic), since big pieces of amber are rarer, and it is a material that tends to easily break when it is being shaped.

Jean, La Pipe Rit

How to differentiate a genuine meerschaum pipe from a pipe made with meerschaum dust? You just have to humidify a finger and touch the pipe (inside the tobacco chamber of the pipe for example). If it slightly sticks to the pipe, you have a genuine meerschaum pipe. However, if it does not stick to the pipe, the latter is therefore made with reconstituted meerschaum. Generally speaking, a pipe made with reconstituted meerschaum will also be heavier than a genuine meerschaum pipe.

Claire, La Pipe Rit

Why choosing meerschaum?

Meerschaum is a heatproof natural mineral that naturally filters tobacco's harmful substances because of its porousness, allowing a drier and cooler smoke in the mouth. Moreover, it prevents the "cross-over" phenomenon from happening: different tobaccos can be smoked in the same pipe, without the taste of one of them being changed by another. A meerschaum pipe is therefore ideal to try several tobaccos. Some smokers will however prefer smoking briar pipes because of how they make tobaccos taste even better.

Meerschaum pipes' pros:

• An incredible natural porousness that filters most of tobacco's harmful substances (tar and nicotine)
• A ductile material (after being extracted) allowing craftspeople to create very precise sculptures
• A very heatproof material
• The possibility to smoke different tobaccos in the same pipe without the aromas of one changing those of another

Find a meerschaum pipe

If there was a downside to meerschaum pipes? Maybe their fragility. Indeed, if, unfortunately, your pipe falls on the floor, it may break into pieces. When you buy a meerschaum pipe, it is stored in a tailored box so that it is protected the best way possible between two uses.

Bastien, La Pipe Rit

The colouring of meerschaum:

Unlike what one might think, collectors are not looking for meerschaum pipes of a white color, but prefer those that have the color of an egg shell, because it is the sign of a great quality meerschaum. Over the uses, meerschaum, white at first, will get a yellow, orange and red shade to finally turn golden brown.

You will also find different kinds of meerschaum pipes: the "classic" ones (most of those available), and those that already have a color. In the latter case, craftspeople apply a wax on the meerschaum to give them a "vintage" style. There are even meerschaum pipes that were voluntarily partially waxed. Thanks to this technique, some parts will change color faster than others, allowing an absolutely remarkable contrast!

How to break in a meerschaum pipe? 

Even if pipe smokers do not unanimously agree, most of them agree that it is better not to create a layer of carbon in the tobacco chamber (like you would do with a briar pipe). Unlike briar, it is therefore possible to smoke a meerschaum pipe without proceeding to the break in process. At La Pipe Rit, we however recommend to start smoking slowly to get used to meerschaum. Like every pipe, try not to let it overheat, which would damage your pipe and give an unpleasant taste to your tobacco.

Smoking and maintaining a meerschaum pipe:

A few precautions are to be taken when buying a meerschaum pipe. The latter being more fragile than briar pipes, these delicate gems can indeed easily get scratched, and a slight shock could damage them. You must therefore try not to use any pipe reamer when emptying and cleaning the tobacco chamber. 

Ideally, you should never hold a meerschaum pipe with your bare hands when smoking, because it could remove the layer of wax, which would alter the colouring and leave finger prints on the pipe. Some smokers will therefore hold it by the stem or with white gloves for the first 40 tobacco tastings.

Alcohol, soap, or any other cleaning liquid designed for the bowl of the pipe should never be used, because it could damage the color of the pipe, or even the pipe itself.

Meerschaum pipes have to be cleaned after each use. So that a too thick carbon layer does not settle in the tobacco chamber, it is advised to regularly clean the inside of the bowl (without scraping too much), and then to softly wipe it. You can also use a soft piece of cloth to clean the bowl and remove the few ashes that may have fallen on it when cleaning the pipe.

Finally, for meerschaum pipe lovers, you should know that there is an international festival of meerschaum each year in September in Eskişehir!