The midland journal., 1898-11-25
MEERSCHAUM PIPES.
Characteristics of the Styles Which
Some of the Worlds Smokers
Prefer.

Most of the plain meerschaum pipes
| sold nowadays are of practically the
same styles as briar pipes, and finished
and mounted in the same manner. OF
| the once familiar meerschaum, that
| was substantially a meerschaum bowl
| with a short upturned stem part, into
which a weichsel stempiece was in
serted, comparatively few are now
| sold. Many of the meerschaum pipes
of to-day are of the bulldog pattern,
and many are made likewise straight
stemmed, but with bowls in various
| rounded forms; and there are briar
shaped pipes with droop stems. The
mountings are silver or gold bands, or
ferrules, around the stem part, where
the pit or mouthpiece is attached, and,
on some pipes, mounting around the
top of the bowl. In these pipe mount
ings those produced by Americans eX-
eel all others in suitability and design.
With their production in modern
styles and in forms adapting them 10
the most convenient and advantageous
use has come an increased demand for
pipes of meerschaum.
Such are the pipes usually bought by
the American or Englishman, who, if
he smokes a meerschaum wants
stout, stocky, serviceable pipe. There
are sold, however, some meerschaums
that are modelled more on clay pipe
lines, with the stem part and mouth
piece little if any longer but very much
slenderer and lighter than those parts
of the pipes more commonly sold. But
while the American and the English
man prefer generally when they buy
meerschaum a good solid pipe, the
Frenchman who smokes meer-
schaum wants long and slender pipe,
as also does the Italian. The plain
meerschaum pipe made for the French
or Italian smoker is in design sub
stantially like clay pipe; with bowl
of the same general shape, though of
finer lines, and with the same long,
slender stem. But made of such
material as meerschaum and beauti-
fully finished, and with a long, slen-
der, delicate mouthpiece of amber,
there is no danger of the pipe being
mistaken for clay pipe. Simple, and
at the same time quaint, as such pipes
may at first appear to one unaccus-
toned to them, they may easily be OBJ
jects of beauty, as was certainly, in an
especial degree, one seen in shop
where many such. pipes were displayed.
1t was finished in all but the polish
ing; was about a foot in length, in
cluding the delicate amber mouth
piece, which would measure perhaps
four inches, and the meerschaum was
of smooth and milky whiteness, while
the long, slender amber mouthpiece
was of light yellow, clouded with
white.
Such pipes are made with the bowls
placed at different angles, as is the
case with clay pipes, and the bowls
are made rather thin walled than
otherwise, in keeping with the general
character of the pipe. These slender
meerschaum pipes are made, some of
them, with the stem fashioned to pre-
sent twist in appearance, but most
of them are made with the stem
straight and smooth. They are made,
including the amber bit or mouth
piece, in various lengths, the price of
the pipe depending on the length, and
as with other meerschaums on the
quality Such pipes have been made
SO inches in length. Pipes of from
eight to twelve inches in length are
the pipes of this kind most commonly
sold.-N. Y. Sun.