Meer Pipes & Colouring

[RompinDonkey]

I have posted a topic like this before, but I do it again. We never seem to get an answer.

The traditional view is that with a meer pipe - the oils and tars soak into the meer - and hence it gets it's brown colouring. So meer lovers religiously swab their bowls after every smoke - a piece of tissue usually does the job .

I have a suspicion that the meer pipe get it's colour from the wax that is coating it - and the wax itself colours from the smoke that the pipe produces.

Why won't a meer colour without wax? I did once attempt to cut a meer in half ... that failed .... someone wanted the pipe.

I have re-waxed my "big" meer - and guess what? It is colouring really fast!

I say that the wax colours, not the meer. I once read about a guy that was a heavy smoker, and had an unsmoked meer on his shelf - that meer turned a beautiful brown colour.

What do you all think?

[BillConnelly]

I generally agree. That is, the idea that the tar soaks from the bowl out to the surface is silly. But exactly what the process it, whether it is from the smoke in the room, or oil from your hands, or just plain, old fashioned oxidation, I can't offer any more details.

[RompinDonkey]

Just to contradict myself - I have a Jambo meer which I believe is african meer. This pipe is over 25 years old and I bought it from new. Although varnished, it has turned a beautiful amber colour. Could varnish act like wax, and change colour?

[bearded1]

I will certainly not claim to know any answers, but I am very curious as well.

I broke my only meer the other day, so am looking to replace it at some point and am intrigued by the coloring process.

[brim325]

I believe that both wax and varnish will darken with age / "heat" from smoking the pipe . I believe age alone would do it, but I believe that heat speeds the process.

[pwr4]

Bearded1's broken meer might give some good information- did it break in a way that you can see whether it is white on the inside? That would tell me that it colors from the outside inward- if brown inside, it must color from inside out

[RompinDonkey]

I believe that both wax and varnish will darken with age / "heat" from smoking the pipe . I believe age alone would do it, but I believe that heat speeds the process.

I agree.

[bearded1]

Bearded1's broken meer might give some good information- did it break in a way that you can see whether it is white on the inside? That would tell me that it colors from the outside inward- if brown inside, it must color from inside out

It is pure white inside. Of course, it was a cheap meer (not even certain it was block meerschaum) and it never did color much on the outside either. I was beginning to think it simply wouldn't. I never waxed it either although it did have a bit of a patina on the outside.

[dlgillen]

I found this....
Meerschaum pipes take on color as a result of the porous nature of the stone. When tobacco is smoked, the stone absorbs liquids, tars and other materials generated by the smoking process. These materials are drawn out towards the surface of the pipe by the wax coating on the pipe. In earlier days, pipes were sealed with any number of which, not the least of which was Sperm Whale Oil. Given that it is hard to find Sperm Whale Oil in quantity any longer, today's meerschaum pipes are colored using varying amounts of bees wax and parafin.

http://www.meerschaumpipes.com/ColorYourMeerschaum.aspx

It was the whole sperm whale thing that got me....