Can you soak the clear stems from a meerschaum in alcohol?

The Meerschaum pipe stems may be acrylic based on your description, or amber if they are really old.

Amber can be fragile, and you can destroy a stem if you do not follow proper procedure.

Pipemaker Ryan Alden says:



Always start with a least aggressive approach...you can heat the water to 120-130 degrees in the microwave, set the stem in the soapy water and proceed.

If you think that it is a collectible pipe, it is worthwhile to send it to a pro.

It doesn't matter.  The reaction is immediate.  The only difference is that the damage is less apparent.  The next time the acrylic is exposed to alcohol, the damage becomes a little bit deeper and more extensive, and so on, and so on, until cracks start to form from twisting the tenon in after cleaning.  If people want to ruin their pipes that's theirs to do.  But they can choose to do so with the knowledge that that's what they have chosen to do.  And unless you live in an alternative universe where the molecular make up of acrylic and alcohol are different, this is the reaction that happens on contact.

Boy, am I glad I asked! Thanks!

How 'bout these?

Straw Brush, Alink Nylon Skinny Pipe Tube Cleaner 190mm x 7mm Set of 4 www.amazon.com/dp/B0116Y7WRW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_BhiTCbXX7D5E3

Mean green or some other type of cleaner that is similar, will dissolve the tar and any other organic matter in the stem,

I use it to clean my plug knife when the "grease" from tobacco builds up on the blade.

actually scratch that. Those that I linked are a lot bigger than the ones I have. Let me find them and I'll link.

Thanks!  Simple Green, a few dozen pipe cleaners, and some patience worked real well!