How to Restore a Meerschaum Pipe
Anyone who has ever watched a classic Sherlock Holmes film has seen a meerschaum pipe -- a large pipe with a white bowl. Meerschaum is an easily carved white mineral similar to soapstone that has been used to make pipes since the 1700s. With time and use, the white can turn tan or even brown. If you have an antique meerschaum pipe, you may need to do a little restorative cleaning and maintenance before you can use it.
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Things You'll Need
- Soft cloth
- Aftershave
- Beeswax
- Stove
- Small pot
- Paintbrush
- Crazy glue or super glue
- Pipe cleaners
Instructions
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Clean the meerschaum. If you need to clean the outside of the bowl, lightly dampen a soft cloth with alcohol-based clear aftershave -- it contains the right amount of alcohol to clean the stone. Make sure the pipe is cool, and wipe it clean with your damp cloth.
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Re-wax the bowl. All meerschaum pipes are covered with a light coating or two of wax, usually beeswax, before they are sold. The wax helps protect the stone and also aids in the gradual transition from white to tan or brown that so many meerschaum smokers love. Contact a local beekeeper for some beeswax, melt the beeswax, and paint a light coat onto your pipe bowl with a clean, soft paintbrush.
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Clean out the pipe. If there is some residue inside the bowl or stem, gently scrub out with a pipe cleaner.
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Check for cracks or loose pieces. If the stem is loose from the bowl, you will need to consult with your local tobacconist for help reattaching it. If the bowl is cracked, there is not much you can do to repair it well enough to smoke with. You can, of course, glue a broken bowl together and still have a lovely antique piece to look at.
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Tips & Warnings
Do not try to apply melted beeswax to your pipe with your fingers. Beeswax has a much higher melting temperature than paraffin (candle wax) and you will be badly burnt.
References
- Photo Credit ratelier et pipe image by dead_account from Fotolia.com
