How to color a meerschaum pipe?

New, the meerschaum pipe is all white. But it does not stay that way. It takes on a color ranging from amber to brown over time with use. How can you color your meerschaum pipe? We explain everything to you.

The meerschaum pipe: a precious object

With a milky whiteness and sometimes very intricate curves, the meerschaum pipe often serves as a work of art or a collectible. To understand how to take care of this type of pipe, it is essential to understand what meerschaum is.

This porous material is mainly extracted from Turkey and more precisely from the Eskisehir plain. It is quite a rare substance, made from the fossils of marine creature shells. It is from this sea foam that the best pipes are carved. However, it can also be found floating on the surface of the Black Sea. This material is also used, but for carving lower-quality pipes.

Seafoam pipes are handmade by Turkish pipe craftsmen. Over time and with use, the milky white changes color. Each pipe is unique, and each coloration is also unique. It particularly depends on the use and careful maintenance by its owner.

Good tips for properly coloring your seafoam pipe

In the smokers' world, there are two schools of thought: the purists who will tell you that a meerschaum pipe should never be handled by the bowl, and the others stating that it is perfectly possible to do so with clean hands. Indeed, the bowl of the meerschaum pipe is coated with wax. This allows the extraction of tars and other harmful substances to the outside of the pipe. This is therefore what allows its slow coloring.

Beeswax, besides being natural, allows the sea foam to be less porous. By touching the wax with dirty fingers, it risks getting stained and thus preventing the uniformity of its color. Furthermore, over time, the wax deteriorates. It is therefore recommended to regularly apply layers of wax to allow for good coloring.

The more it heats up, the more it will color. It is therefore important to wax your pipe at least once a week at first, especially if you use it regularly. Gradually, measure, space out the applications: only wax it when you notice that your pipe becomes rough or dull. Be careful not to overdo it, otherwise your pipe will become sticky.

How to wax a meerschaum pipe?

To coat your pipe with beeswax, you need to have a wax stick or wax pellets, a hairdryer, a cotton swab (or pipe cleaner), a small cotton cloth, and a piece of newspaper to protect your table.

Pour the wax chips onto a cotton cloth and heat them with the hairdryer. If you have a stick, heat it directly with the hairdryer. As soon as the wax is melted, take the cloth, then rub it on the bowl of your pipe to coat it, without touching it with your fingers.

With a stick, it is more complicated since you will need to rub the stick directly on the bowl. It is recommended to light your pipe and start smoking to soften the wax.

Be careful to cover every groove and every corner of the bowl, without letting the wax run inside.Then make sure to heat the bowl well so that the wax is perfectly absorbed, then place the pipe on a cotton cloth to let it cool.

When it is cold, run a small soft cloth over the stem to polish it.