How to break in a meerschaum pipe

Discover how to break in your own meerschaum pipe

First of all, you should absolutely never pre-break in a meerschaum pipe with alcohol, no more than a briar pipe. You would permanently damage it.

The meerschaum pipe is delicate. It must therefore be smoked slowly, regularly (once a day).

The bowl must be filled completely with tobacco from the start, but only smoke halfheat the bowl for several dozen pipes in order to achieve a pleasant seasoning (coloring of the bottom of the bowl and the stem).

The meerschaum pipe is a fragile and precious object; it should therefore never be touched while smoking it to avoid the indelible mark of fingerprints.

It is held only by the stem. However, if you want to hold it by the bowl, you must take the precaution of protecting your hand with a chamois leather or a square of cloth.

The "false" genuine meerschaums

One can find meerschaum pipes on the market at very low prices, sometimes half the price of a genuine meerschaum pipe.

It should be known that these are, even if their external appearance is similar to that of a genuine meerschaum pipe, reconstituted meerschaum called "massa meerschaum" (Massameerschaum), or "Vienna meerschaum."

They are actually pieces of meerschaum glued together with a binder and molded. Their density often allows them to be recognized.