Meerschaum Soaking Experiment

[The Clay King]

I think they color due to global warming and excessive flatulence! Thats how they turn that brown color!

@condorlover1 That explains why my clays get so discoloured - that and the tobacco staining!

 

[hyperstar]

1. While it absorbs tars mostly from inside, it also absorbs some from outside
2. The amount of tar absorbed is low. That is why when I weigh my pipe, it does not change
3. The tar moves by capillary action but the pace is maddeningly slow. Slowness is also possibly from the fact that the amount absorbed is lower in the first place
4. While the pipe must absorb tars to color, the surface coating is also important to show vividness by some kind of optical refraction. If the surface coating is taken off, a well colored pipe often loses much of its vividness. That is also why old dirty pipes loses color

I think you're correct.
We have no doubt that meer can absorb water. Whenever I buy a brand new meer pipe, I would lick inside the pipe bowl. If it is made of block meerschaum, it can absorbs my saliva, making my tongue feel stuck.

What if ashes and cakes block most of the porous, stopping the pipe from absorbing more tar.(While water molecules can still pass through.) That's why the area of pipe bowl and shank don't change color at the same time. Because the bowl is full of ashes and cakes. Only the bottom of pipe bowl and shank can still aborsb tar, but the process is indeed very slow.

I believe that meer change color due to both wax and tar absorption. And these two processes occur simultaneously. However, the discoloration caused by wax becomes apparent first. On the other hand, achieving the discoloration effect through tar absorption requires thousands of smoke.

Now, we only need to cut an antique oxblood meer pipe in half to prove the point.

 

[AJL67]

Not everyone can afford those new high-tech models.

My fridge came with a midget that lived just under the egg shelf, when i open the door he flips the switch and turns on the light, when i close it it goes out, thank fully midgets.. .sorry little people, have long lives and i shouldn't have to replace him any time soon, Jerry has really been outstanding.

 

[Alejo R.]

I am testing the absorbing properties of the meer. Trying to figure out the color of meer is form by absorbing tars or not.
If the internal color of meer is still white after days of soaking into tobacco water, then it may confirm that the changes of exterior color is just the wax darkening.

How can you reach a conclusion if the conditions of humidity, temperature, etc. are so different from those of a smoking?

 

[MikeDub]

I’m extremely confident this is the thread that sorts out the meerschaum coloring issue for good

 

[hyperstar]

Another burn in 11th day.
I took the meershaum piece out, torched it, and then throw it back into the glass once per day.
The section turned white when I torched it directly, it's the same result as I did a week ago.


Earlier today, one member in facebook pipe group post this picture.
He broke his pipe when reaming it.
You can see the deep carbonized area in the lower left of the bowl. It seems that burnout caused cracks, so tar can be absorbed and changed the color.


My guess: once the tar blocks the porus in the first layer, it will stop absorbing more tar. Not until the high temperature break the porus, the interior can absorb more tar. So the initial discoloration is caused by the effect of high temperature. This would also explain why the inner lining of my deep lattice pipe changes color from the rim down.

 

[MinnesotaNice]

Just wondering.
Has anyone saw an antique oxblood meerschaum pipe in half before?

Jason the meershaum king on youtube has videos on his life time of meerschaum experience. I believe he has past but had many well colored expensive antique meerschaums. Very old and very colored. I'm almost confident he said when they have chipped they are pure white underneath.
I think this experiment has value, so thank you. Also my dad colored his meerschaum black just by blowing smoke on it everytime he had an pipe or cigar. Almost 100% exterior color. 100s of years of knowledge would say to smoke it and not blow smoke on it but the result is hard to argue