Rare Smoking Pipes - Silver Mounted Peterson Meerschaum - SmokeWithMe Collection Recollections
This Peterson Meershaum pipe is unique.
I don't have a lot of rare pipes in my collection. I'm more of a smoker than a collector. But I think this Peterson Meershaum pipe is pretty unique. @re-engineer spotted it sitting on my file cabinet in a previous post, and I thought it might be worth a post of its own. It combines several features that might be of interest to the new pipe collector as well as the historian, and there's a fun story behind it.
Meerschaum! Peterson! Silver-Mounted! Excuse me, what?!?
Meershaum
For all the variety in shape and style of tobacco pipes, today most are made of just three materials: briar, corncob, or meerschaum.
Meerschaum is a unique mineral. It's actually the remains of prehistoric sea crustaceans that have been fossilized and compressed over thousands of years. Meerschaum is primarily mined in Turkey, almost exclusively beneath the city of Eskisehir. It has apparently been found floating on the Black Sea (hence the literal translation of its name: "Sea Foam") although I think most of those easy pickings were scooped up long ago.
Meerschaum has actually been for pipes longer than briar - since the early 1700s, when it reduced the demand for clay pipes. (Wooden briar pipes first caught on in the 1820s.) I would argue it's still the best choice for a cool, dry smoke. The mineral is exceptionally light and naturally absorbent, so you can smoke it several times a day, every day, without souring the pipe.
It's also easy to carve. If you soak it in water, it takes on the consistency of a hard cheese. So it wasn't long until Turkish artisans started carving pipes in all kinds of wild shapes and selling it to European traders, who spread it around the world.
The Wife found this lady at an antique store and surprised me on Christmas!
These pipes have another fascinating quality: the darken with use. They start off a pure white, but regular smoking will gradually turn them a coffee cream color, and eventually a rich, leather brown. Pipe smokers tend to be obsessive (borderline autistic) types, and there's an odd rivalry among meerschaum smokers to see who can get their pipe the darkest.
The biggest obstacle to getting a thoroughly darkened pipe is really Meerschaum's only down-side: it's fragile. You're not going to puff on one of these while you work in the garden, and you're probably not going to take it in the car with you. If you drop it on a hard surface, you can kiss it good-bye. So despite the fact that we can smoke them all day, we tend to save them for special occasions.
I've smoked hundreds of bowls in this CAO Rhodesian, and it's just now showing some color.
Peterson's Standard System Smoking Pipe
The Peterson factory in Dublin, Ireland, has been manufacturing briar tobacco pipes since the mid-19th century.
In 1894, they patented their "Peterson Standard System" design.
Now, in general a pipe is a pretty simple concept. You've got a burning chamber with a draft hole attached to a stem, and you might wonder why you'd need to improve on that. But this system turned out to be a hit for three reasons.
- Moisture Reservoir: The moisture that builds up during the course of a smoke sometimes gets sucked up as you puff, giving you a nasty bitter mouthful. By drilling a reservoir for this moisture beneath the tenon, it could be collected and dumped out later. They also tapered the drill-hole in their stem, making it more effective at condensing.
- Military Mounting: Cavalry soldiers, particularly during the Boer War, were dedicated pipe smokers. During a sudden call to action, they would tuck their lit pipes into their belts - and of course this added lots of broken stems to that war's casualties. So Peterson developed the "Military Mounting:" the tapering stem that gets pushed entire into a larger shank, reinforced with metal. These pipes can be pulled apart when hot without damaging them, so they could be disassembled and tossed in a pocket without worry. (No statistics available on how many cavalrymen set themselves on fire.) The mounting also gives the pipes a jaunty look
- The p-lip: Continuing the quest to make the smoke as cool as possible, they introduced a stem with a hole that came out at the top. The theory is that smoke directed towards the roof of the mouth is less likely to "bite the tongue" if it gets too moist or hot. And yes, it also looks remarkably like a penis - but it is awfully comfortable in the mouth.
A Tough Fit for Meershaum
Those metal mountings are hard enough to fit on to a briar pipe. When it comes to fastening it to delicate Turkish block meerschaum - it's nearly impossible. Peterson decided to give it a try, anyway, and to put a silver lip around the bowl as well as on the stem-mounting.
According to the man who sold it to me, there were less than a dozen pipes to survive the attempt. As you can see in the top picture, one of the three nails in the rim was never inserted. Presumably the craftsman said enough is enough and decided not to crack up all his hard work with a final nail.
Peterson has gone on to manufacture some other meerschaum pipes over the past few decades, but they have had to opt for a harder African Meerschaum, which is heavier, less absorbent, and less inclined to color with use - so that the pipes are usually just pre-stained before sale.
About That Salesman
I bought this back in 1998. I think the guy's name was Al. He was one of the founding members of the Sherlock Holmes Pipe Club, and I'd just gone to three or four meetings by that time.
Word was he was a bit of a shyster. No one really knew what he did for a living, but when he had some money he'd come to the meetings ready to buy a pipe out of your mouth, and when times were tight he'd sell off pieces of his collection. A couple of the other members actually warned me to be careful what I bought from him.
So maybe this pipe really isn't anything special. Maybe they made thousands of them and they're all over the world now, and if I listed it on eBay I'd be lucky to make $10.
But in 20 years of this hobby I've never seen another one like it. In truth, Al only charged me $80. With the run-up in silver prices it's probably worth that for the metal content alone. And it's a damn good smoker, when I'm in the mood for a larger bowl.
Plus, it's already semi-colored. Al liked a lot of latakia in his blends and fortunately I do too, because this pipe still ghosts something fierce when I smoke it, 20 years later.
Al is gone now, as is the former club president and several of the "first generation" members and their wives. Smoking this pipe doesn't bring them back, but it sure does take me back.
I've forgotten how much fun it is to share my pipe smoking hobby on here. Thanks to @gregm for carrying the flame on the cigar side of things. Are there any other tobacco enthusiasts on here that I've missed?
I'm wondering if #smokewithme tag might make a good fit for like-minded enthusiasts here, to build on the momentum that walkwithme is seeing these days?
Previous Pipe and Smoking Posts
Happiness is a Full Tobacco Jar - Introducing Pipe Smoking to Steemit
Pipe Smoking 101: Here's What You Need
Pipe Smoking 101: Your First Bowl Of Tobacco
Pipe Tobacco Review: McClelland Classic Virginia Flake - With An Introduction To Virginia And Flake Tobaccos
How Cigarettes Liberate The Adolescent
Pipe Tobacco Review: Chonowitsch T 17
CLICK HERE for a complete catalog of my work on Steemit, so far.
I've only known 1 person who smoked a pipe and I thought the smell was wonderful. It was probably a sweet blend. I checked out your opening blogs on pipe smoking. There's so much more than I ever knew to it. I love the burl one pipe that you had a pic of.
It surprised me that there would be so many burl pipes. Typically burls aren't so easy to come by for woodworking because they are rather unpredictable. You can't just plant a 'burl making tree'. From what I know of them, you can't even decide that you have the right environment and have them just show up.
90% or more of the pipes sold today are carved from the root burl of the Mediterranean heath tree. It's perfect because it's extremely dense but porous, and resistant to fire. It's kind of funny to think that we use wood to create a little furnace, but I've read that you can throw a lump of briar into a roaring fire and it'll just sit there and char a little around the edges.
Unfortunately it takes 30 years for the burls to grow and then they need several more after harvesting to cure and dry out. But the grain of each one is unique. A perfectly carved pipe with a straight grain can sell for thousands!
During WW2 Americans got desperate and tried using rhododendron burls and cherry-wood, but the pipes were too prone to burning through. Corn cob pipes actually smoke pretty well, which is why the company that makes them is called "Missouri Meerschaum."
It's really odd that the burls wouldn't burn well but I think you're right. I may have seen similar effects while woodworking (wood can easily get burned by the friction that some tools make). Burl is considered a very hard wood and difficult to work with but they are very sought after. It's just amazing (I think) that they are porous but fire resistant. You would think that a more porous wood would be more apt to feed a fire. Maybe the pores are filled with something that the tobacco burns off? - just thinking out loud.
I often feel as though your blog here on steemit is like a trip through a really old museum full of oddities and antiques. So appreciate the time you take to put your posts together, and the passion you pour into them @winstonalden !
I am going to keep your comment in a jar marked "top ten nicest things ever said to me" and cherish it for years!
Daww well, it's on the blockchain FOR-EV-VER now ;)
I would puff that! I love the scent of pipe tobacco.
Why not pick up a corncob pipe and give it a try?
Fascinating! My uncle smoked a pipe and as a child I used to crawl onto his lap because I loved the smell of his tobacco. The workmanship in the Meerschaum is wonderful!
You aren't the first I have heard say that. Even though I am a cigar fan, the aroma of pipes is usually much more pleasant than a cigar.
Pipes hold such great memories for so many people. And there's no reason we can't make new ones!
Really great, interesting post. I'm voting that your pipe is a classic from all you've said. Very interesting indeed.
My dad was a pipe smoker. Still remember very vividly the smell and taste of the tobacco's he used. Such a rich, nice aroma around the house. Especially when compared to a cigarette. I still have a couple of his pipes. No Meerschaum's, but a really cool carved bull, that he said was 'hotter'n hell to smoke', so it just sat on the shelf. Thanks for sharing your hobby with us on here.
I've had beautiful pipes that smoked terribly and ugly hunks of wood that were divine.
So glad you have warm memories of your dad with his pipe. Have you ever felt compelled to give them a try yourself?
Great post! I am an occasional pipe smoker, it's good to have an expert to turn too. I recently picked up 3 estate pipes at a hobby shop for $6 each, one was a meerschaum. I will take pics of them later and see what you think!
Thanks @gregm - that means a lot. I can't wait to see the picture of your pipes - whatever they are, $6 is a great deal. And I'd be happy to answer any pipe questions.
Hey @winstonalden.., here is a couple pics of the two I kept, I gave one to my oldest son, that one is a Brumfit De-luxe.
Comoys are a great mid-range pipe. Not "collectible" per-se but great smokers.
The other one looks like a Kaywoodie meerschaum - that is uncommon. Kaywoodie used to be considered a cheap "drug-store pipe." But all of a sudden everyone's collecting them. The club even put together an expedition to go to a Kaywoodie show two states over.
At first I assumed that was a briar that had just been painted white - but the chip on the bowl and the gradual coloring indicated otherwise. A google search tells me they do indeed make meerschaum.
Could be a great everyday smoker, right there.
Thanks for the info @winstonalden. Yes it is indeed meerschaum, I can put a mark in it with my fingernail pretty easily. I am going to load that one next and try it out, they all needed a good cleaning.
I do like my comoy, it smokes nice and has a great cake buildup, may keep me from always picking my corncob.
Any info on the Brumfit De-luxe?
Cheers!
I'm not familiar with them, but it looks like they're a Scottish made pipe probably in the same range of Comoys for quality. Interesting thing there is all the pipes on that website and most of the ones on eBay are all shipping out of the UK, so they must not have a US importer.
I found this article fascinating!! I sell a few pipes online and have had some fairly expensive ones over the years. I usually just use the details, eg name an model, to get an approximate value. But these additionalhistory details make selling them more intetesting and have given me a few more clues what to look out for. Thank you very much!
Oh - this could be fun! If you have time send me a picture next time one rolls through your inventory. If I know anything about it, I'll share!
I would LOVE that!