Q: Brian, what's all this I hear about Meerschaum?

The coolest smoking material used in pipe making is meerschaum. When smoked for a period of years meerschaum pipes gradually change color, starting with a light pink that turns orange, amber, and brown. To insure a homogenously colored pipe it is recommended that the meerschaum not be touched while the pipe is hot or warm, or else fingerprints or black smudges are likely to appear. Most smokers hold the pipe by the mouthpiece only.

Meerschaum is extremely delicate and can shatter when dropped. Reaming should be done very slowly with a blunt ended blade to keep from scraping away any meerschaum. Only ream the pipe when it is totally cold. Avoid dramatic temperature changes (if smoking in snow country never go outside during a smoke) since that could cause the pipe to instantly crack.

We hope that these basic suggestions will assist you in the enjoyment of smoking your meerschaum pipe. If you have any other questions feel free to
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