The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-28
HOW TO CARE FOR A MEERsoHAUM
Some Of the Troubles that Smokers Have in
Colorins. Their Pet Pipes.

Coloring Their Pet Pipes.
New York Mail and Express.
Smokers are continually writing to me to ask
how to take of their meerschaum pipes "
said dealer yesterday. From that infer that
not half of the owners of meerschaum pipes know
complaint is that their meerschaums will
not turn from the natural yellowish- white
color TO a rich brown, even after the
smokers have smoked shemselves into the
color OF dried mummy in the effort If the
pipe is OF good meerschaum there is no reason
why it should not take color. If it does not do
So then the fault lies with the smoker In what
wayf Why the purchaser of new meerschaum
worth perhaps $50, thinks night and day about
the toy and is so anxious to color it that he
overdoes it. He finds that he has burned his
pipe. as he expresses it To explain why you can
spoil pipe in this way, you must understand
how the meeIschaum is prepared. After the artist
has finished cutting the design and has shaped
the bowl, the finished bowl is boiled in wax.
Why i'll wax? Because the wax penetrates
the pores for short distance beneath the sur
face and serves to keep the coloring matter
In the pipe The coloring matter is the oil
OF tobacco, not nicotine, as many erro-
neously supposs, and it sinks into the meer
schaum, which is simplya very fine porous
clay and is stopped by the wax before
1T Is driven out at the outer surface by the
heat inside If it were not for the wax the
coorlng matter would pass out and get rubbed
off and the pipe would never be colored. A
glazing of glass would do as we'll wax, but
wax is the cheapest material that has been
found for thespurpose- Now, when overanxious
smokers try to hurry the process of coloring the
pipe by smoking pipeful after pipeful of tobacco,
the wax is driven out, leaving the pipe raw and
dry. The nearer to the top of the bowl the wax
is kept the finer it will look when colored If
this were more generally known you would
dirty light-yelow ring around the
top where the oil has been forced
out from over-smoking The smoker should
take long slow pulls at his pipe and after one
pipeful is exhausted the pipe should be laid down
to cool off before it is filled again"
1t seems to be an art with very little fun in
1t, this coloring meerschaum pipeE
Smoke temporarily, my boy, as you should
appointment following Next to coloring "a
pipe, | have most complaints about finding the
pipe broken when no one has been using it. 1t
smokers would take care not to take
their pipes. while they are smoking. from a
warm room into a cold room, or out of doors in
winter, they would not find their pipes broken
so often as they do. Another thing, the articles
should not be laid on marble mantel or other
cold substance Immediately after smoking.
Fine meerschaums with delicate carvings are
sure to crack. The reason is that when heated
the pipe expands, and, in too suddenly contract
ing, it snaps
ut seems that meerschaum pipe needs as
much attention as babvp
That's mistake. You can take too much
care of it, Many smokers begin by making a
close cover of channels leather to fit the pipe.
After they have smoked for awhile, and are
curious to see how the coloring is going ON,
they take off the chamois skin covering and
behold, the pipe is covered with blotches, and it
is ruined. The chamois skin has absorbed the
wax while the pipe was hot. 1t is dangerous to
put any covering on the bowl"
Must the bowl never be touchedl'
"Not while the pot is hot Then the wax on
the outside is disturbed, and if there is perspir-
alton on the fingers gray spot appears where
ever the bowl is touched. AS to the effect of
perspiration on the bowl, I have two customers
who cannot keep pipe colored. 1t turns an
ashy gray. have even had bowls colored for
them, but it was just the same. In few months
they turned the same color In all my expert
ence have heard Of only these two whose pipes
served them such o Trick