ylekot
On the lookout for a purse
I might have to look up those bowls....
Meerschaum
- Thread starter gpjoe
- Start date
Meerschaum Market is another good vendor.
I've just bought a vintage briar with a meerschaum insert. Not having had a meer for a very long time, I ask, how do you clean the bowl? It's a good idea to clean the pipe in general before I smoke it. And then, after smoking, would I still swab it with alcohol?
I can't speak for the others. But I just use a soft facial tissue wrapped around my finger tip, and swap it out gently. No spoons, and not even a pipe cleaner.
I would never take water or alcohol to a meer, especially early on in its life. But others may treat theirs differently.
If you want to protect the top rim a little from flame and smolder burns, I find that a very light swab of pure beeswax sometimes helps. But anything you put on, especially on fresh meer, will alter its color, if only a little.
As the mineral begins to absorb the oils from the tobacco, it will patina and darken up nicely, and become slightly less porous going forward.
Yours being an estate, a lot of this early treatment has likely already happened.
Part of the allure of a full meer is watching the color change on them as they become seasoned.
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