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Post by trailboss on Jan 19, 2019 19:36:08 GMT -5
I received this pipe in 2015, as I stated today in the "what are you smoking" thread, it is a Charles Maas Meerschaum, silver hallmark dating it as being made in 1885. I could never get the draw cleared, not wanting to be too aggressive on an old meer, I sent it off to have it professionally cleaned...I received it back and it smoked a lot better, but after a few smokes it was getting restrictive...better than in the past but still there....consequently, I hadn't smoked it much. Today, I dug it out of the drawer and had a go with some Motzek Strang, and quickly ended up where it was too restrictive to continue. I dredged the ash, and put the unburnt tobacco off to the side. I took my Corona pipe lighter and sent fire down the hall drawing on it as I went. Crackling, and popping ensued, and I continued for several relights, careful not to superheat the shank on the old gal. I dumped the cooked resinous ash until it felt like a new airway had been drilled...wide open! It smoked wonderfully after that, better than it ever has. I did receive one hell of a nic-hit in the process, some of the old demons had nested in the shank, and decided to avenge their removal. I can understand why the professional may have not wanted to go further than he did without being aggressive, nobody wants to send a cracked pipe back to the owner with a dear John letter. I think this one will get smoked more now...after the nic-thrash, and several swigs of Iced tea, me and my taste buddies regained our composure and enjoyed the smoke immensely.   |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 19, 2019 19:42:21 GMT -5
Charlie, that Meer developed a beautiful color. Glad it’s smoking much better for you now. I have a fine jewelers rat tail file that has resolved similar issues on two of my Meers. Smoke the beauty more now👍👍
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Post by Darin on Jan 19, 2019 19:55:48 GMT -5
Sometimes you've got to smoke through the resin to clear the pipe. 
Personally, I'd let the resto person know … if even for their own benefit.
Either way, glad it's puffing for you now!
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Post by trailboss on Jan 19, 2019 20:08:27 GMT -5
Sometimes you've got to smoke through the resin to clear the pipe.
Personally, I'd let the resto person know … if even for their own benefit.
Either way, glad it's puffing for you now!
Yeah, I will drop him a line with a link to the thread. |
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Post by AJ on Jan 19, 2019 20:21:55 GMT -5
Charlie that took some guts to do what you did to clean out that airway. Good on you!
AJ
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Post by sperrytops on Jan 19, 2019 20:42:22 GMT -5
Beautiful pipe. That being late 1800's, that must be an amber stem. They can be fragile as I understand it.
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Post by pepesdad1 on Jan 19, 2019 21:56:19 GMT -5
Beautiful pipe and the coloring is superb....glad you were able to get the old demons out.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 19, 2019 22:01:20 GMT -5
Beautiful pipe. That being late 1800's, that must be an amber stem. They can be fragile as I understand it. Sure is a beauty 👍👍. Plus it can be so fragile I wouldn’t smoke this Meer outside in ice cold weather. Don’t think with Charlie living in Arizona, ice cold weather shouldn’t be an issue. |
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Mac
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Favorite Pipe: Ken Barnes Canted Billiard
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Post by Mac on Jan 19, 2019 22:17:33 GMT -5
Original stem? If so, WOW! In any event a beautiful pipe with a long history.
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Post by trailboss on Jan 19, 2019 22:41:04 GMT -5
Charlie, that Meer developed a beautiful color. Glad it’s smoking much better for you now. I have a fine jewelers rat tail file that has resolved similar issues on two of my Meers. Smoke the beauty more now👍👍 Yea, this one has a bone screw tenon...it would have to take a skinny flexible rat to get into that shank. Yeah, it is hard to find amber that isn't busted or chipped. I think the restriction had been there a long while, the case by the way is in remarkably good shape. |
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Post by peteguy on Jan 19, 2019 22:41:28 GMT -5
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Post by trailboss on Jan 19, 2019 22:44:05 GMT -5
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Post by peteguy on Jan 19, 2019 22:47:49 GMT -5
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Post by puffy on Jan 19, 2019 23:09:57 GMT -5
Glad it's working for you Charlie..It's a nice looking pipe.
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Post by daveinlax on Jan 20, 2019 0:09:31 GMT -5
It's a great looking piece, love the tall stack billiard shape! I'm happy that melting the goo worked. I've never had one plugged that bad or ever had an amber stem but I do suck fire on mine when I clean them.  |
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Post by smellthehatfirst on Jan 20, 2019 0:20:35 GMT -5
Beautiful pipe. That being late 1800's, that must be an amber stem. They can be fragile as I understand it. Amber wasn't all that fragile when it was made. It was useful in its day because you could shape it like acrylic.
The problem is that amber is thousands or millions of years old, and when you cut into a piece of amber, you're exposing resin to the air for the first time in potentially millions of years.
In other words, it grows fragile over time.
A new amber stem cut this year won't be fragile like one cut in 1885. No one who cut, sold, or purchased that stem expected it to last this long!
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Post by smellthehatfirst on Jan 20, 2019 0:21:22 GMT -5
I took my Corona pipe lighter and sent fire down the hall drawing on it as I went. Crackling, and popping ensued, and I continued for several relights, careful not to superheat the shank on the old gal. I dumped the cooked resinous ash until it felt like a new airway had been drilled...wide open! It smoked wonderfully after that, better than it ever has. I did receive one hell of a nic-hit in the process, some of the old demons had nested in the shank, and decided to avenge their removal. It took brass balls to try this, but what was the alternative? Live with a pipe for looking-at, and not for smoking? I like the cut of your jib. |
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Post by libertysmoke on Jan 20, 2019 6:28:46 GMT -5
Nice 1 !!!
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Post by kxg on Jan 20, 2019 19:42:03 GMT -5
Good on you Charlie!
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Post by trailboss on Jan 20, 2019 20:15:53 GMT -5
Probably closer to pewter.... Yeah, I have some really old stuff, I feel it sinful to not smoke them, and that it is a slap in the face of the former custodians not to keep them running. |
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