Meerschaum Coloring End Game
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hard to say. I mean I guess there is a full saturation point. But the more full it is the less noticable small changes are going to be and the longer time it will take to notice a dark shade or small patch of colorization. I've seen some antique meers that look to be a uniform dark black, I assume they can't get any more colorization. But if you want to ask about colorization ask Ted Turner.
I know @warren has a few that are puking black gunk, to the point of you can't get and darker black in color.
I have a couple 40 plus year old smokers which I believe are no longer turning. If they are, the change is far too subtle for me to notice. Of course, once the available veins are full ... well, that's it I'd think.
I have few that are as black as ebony as opposed to my usual 'turd' brown color scheme - think Guinness and Nacho's next morning color. You want me to post pictures of the pipes as opposed to the next morning thing?
Any chance that the really black ones may have been pre-coloured (ie oxblood) ?
@OzPiper: Nope. Not a chance. I am currently asleep in a round about manner of speaking but I'll post a few examples in the AM.
Coal black is achievable in certain pipes but it takes years, I’ve also got a few 100+ year old pipes that are black and came by it the hard way. I’ve got a few that were oxblood dyed as well.
Morning guys! Here is an example of extreme color caused by years and years of smoking. The color is not any form of Oxblood and when the pipe came into my hands the bowl had 1/8" inch of smooth crap build up that had to be carefully chipped out. I believe this one is from the late 1890s or maybe early 1900s but the silver work has no hallmark to help in dating.
Here are a further couple of examples of coloring. The no-name meerschaum 'cutty' pipe has had a high degree of color from smoking. It has also had a Britannia metal band fitted to the shank as opposed to silver and at some point in its life has been 'topped' due to the rim being damaged. The small Weingott & Son pipe is a lovely example of early stage coloring caused by heavy smoking. Some of the color on this pipe has faded since it is not a pipe I smoke very often and I have never found anything interesting to trade it for with anyone on here!
There has to be a limit of just how much the Meers can absorb right?
Condor, maybe I'm a weirdo but I think those pipes look great.
Condor, maybe I'm a weirdo but I think those pipes look great.
You know Mike I have no idea what those pipes can or cannot absorb. I do know that if you smoke a lot of common 19th century style tobacco such as black or brown twist they seem to rapidly 'accentuate the positive' in a manner of speaking! As to the looks, thank you. They are not my usual taste in pipes but I have kept them for years as they are unusual to say the least.
Hey, that second pipe isn't a cutty at all! It’s defiling your collection. Get rid of that right now (by sending it to me).
Gorgeous pipes @condorlover1.
For me i smoke them because i like how meer smokes, the coloring can be cool, but at the end of the day I don't care how much they color as long as they still smoke well. I think, even though there isn't a real scientific way to gauge it is do they smoke that much differently when they are "fully colored", do they still smoke as dry i suppose would be the overall question.
For me i smoke them because i like how meer smokes, the coloring can be cool, but at the end of the day I don't care how much they color as long as they still smoke well. I think, even though there isn't a real scientific way to gauge it is do they smoke that much differently when they are "fully colored", do they still smoke as dry i suppose would be the overall question.
All i know is I don't smoke my meers even close to getting that type of colorization. At best one of them has achieved a mottled cream color.
Thank you all for your kind comments. Those three were pretty much colored through smoking when they came into my hands. I have plenty of examples of my handy work if anyone is that interested.
Indeed I am. I just hate seeing one pipe spoil a whole collection
