Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1898-12-09
IMEERSCHAUM PIPES.
CHARACTERISTICS OF STYLES WHICH
SOME SMOKERS PREFER.

The American and Eiiglishman Prefer n
Good Solid Pipe While the Frenchman
and Italian Wants n Long, Slender Ar
ticIe-Mauy DesIgnM
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. or
the once familiar meerschaum, that
was substantially a meerschaum bowl
with a short upturnsd 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, a mounting around the
ton of the bowl. In these pipe mount
ines those produced by Americans ex-
eel all others in suitability and de-
sign. With their production in mod
ern STYLES and in ferns adapting them
70 the most convenient and ad-
yaDtageous use has come an increased
demand for pipes OF meerschaum.
Such are the pipes usually bought by
the American or Englishman, who, II
he smokes a meerschaum wants a
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 &C mmonly sold. But
while the American and the English
man prefer generaly when they buy
q meerschaum a good solid pipe, the
Fcenchman who smokes meerschaum
wants a long and slender pipe, as also
does the Italian. The plain meer-
schaum pipe made Tor the French OF
Italian smoker is IN design substan-
TALLY like a clay pipe; with bow
NJ the same genera shape. though OF
finer lines. and with the same long
slender stem. But made Of such a ma
terial as meersch1"m and beautifully
finished. and with long, slender, dell
cate mouthpiece OF 4mber. there is nc
danger OF the pipe being mistaken foI
n clay pipe. Simple. and at the same
time quaint, as gen pipes may at nrs'
appear to one unar ,ustomed TO them
they may easily be objects OF beauty
as was certainly, 10 an especial de-
gree. one seen in z shop where many
such pipes were displayed. 1t was
finished in all but the polishing; wa;
about a foot in length. including the
delicate amber mouthpiece, which
would measure perhaps four inches
and the meerschaun was OF smooth
and milky whitenrss, while the long
slender amber hpiece was OF ligh'
yellow. clouded witt white.
Such pipes are made with the bowls
placed at different angles. as Is the
case with the clay y pes. and the bowls
are made rather thin walled thar
otherwise, in keeping with the genera
character Of the pipe. These slender
meerschaum pipes ere made, some o.
them, with the steIG fashioned to pres
sent twist in appearance. but mos
OF them are made with the stem
straight and smooth. They are made
including the amber bit or mouthpiece
In various length9. the price OF thu
pipe depending on the length. and ri
with other meerschaums on the quail
ity. Such pipes have been made thir
ty-six inches in lea 9Th. Pipes OF from
eight TO twelve inches in length arr
the pipes of this X nd most commonly
sold.