Long thought of as the “aristocrat” or diplomat of pipes, the venerable meerschaum is a classy, history-rich smoking pipe that evokes a sense of calmness and serenity to anyone who comes in contact with one. Meerschaum pipes get their name from the word of the same name, which also translates to sepiolite. It’s a compound German word made of “meer” and “schaum,” meaning “sea foam” and was so named because it’s bright in color and light enough to float – like sea foam, in other words. The term Abraham Gottlob Werner, an 18th-century German geologist, is hailed as coining the word. The mineral itself can be sourced from Austria, Bosnia Herzegovina, France, Greece, Spain, the United States, and Tanzania, but the best quality meerschaum comes from mines in Turkey but can’t be exported due to Turkish government law.

One of the most famous names in America related to these pipes is, of course, Charlie Paykoc, who was fortunate enough to import a batch of the pipes from his native Turkey 30 years ago – hence the name, Paykoc meerschaum pipes. Times have changed, of course, with true meerschaum pipes only available on the estate market. As we alluded to earlier, the raw export of meerschaum from Turkey is now illegal, so all new meerschaum pipes are those made with raw minerals from other countries, or are cheap knockoffs that mimic the style and feel of legitimate meerschaums.

BUYING TIPS FOR SMOKERS OF ALL EXPERIENCE LEVELS

Smoking a meerschaum is a different experience than smoking other kinds of tobacco pipes, cigars, cigarettes, bongs, or any other smoking implement under the sun. One of the reasons is because this kind of pipe is extremely fragile due to the fact its source mineral is primarily hydrated magnesium silicate. Here are some tips to keep in mind when buying your first meerschaum pipe:

• Don’t get fooled. If you’ve been told you can go to any smoke shop which sells tobacco pipes and expect to buy a new meerschaum imported from Turkey, forget it. A real meerschaum from Turkey is likely decades old and has been refurbished by the seller – it’s not new. If someone offers to sell you a new meerschaum, politely decline and shop elsewhere.
• Be open to the idea of buying a pipe whose meerschaum was sourced from another country, but if you do, ask the seller to provide documentation stating the pipe is actually made from meerschaum and its country of origin.
• Appreciate how they look and buy a pipe which appeals to your sense of style. Meerschaum pipes are identifiable by their unique, flowing design. A long, intricately carved stem, and large bowl equally decorative in appearance. Think Sherlock Holmes. The dude likely smoked a hand-carved facsimile when in public and may have enjoyed the real thing while at home. Of course, Holmes is purely fictional, so this is all speculation.
• Before you purchase a meerschaum pipe spend time examining the mouthpiece. Any that is solid yellow in color is probably a cheap plastic mouthpiece the maker utilized to keep his expenses low. The best pipe mouthpieces resemble something that required thought and craftsmanship to make and are sourced from Lucite, vulcanite or, in the case of older estate meerschaum pipes, amber or maybe clay.
• Be prepared to spend decent money. True quality has a price and the amazing craftsmen and women carving and shaping chunks of meerschaum by hand don’t work for free. So if your local smoke shop is selling a meerschaum pipe with something that resembles an intricately carved bowl for under $30, be cautious. Such a pipe is probably made from pressed meerschaum with a low-cost bit and is worth far less than the seller is asking.
• Stay away from a meerschaum pipe made from pressed block. High-quality and naturally sourced meerschaum come from raw blocks of the mineral mined at greater than 200 feet. Anything brought up from a mine closer to the surface is probably of lesser quality. Why? Because such pressed blocks mentioned earlier, which you should avoid buying, are made from lower quality dust, meerschaum chips, and a binding agent, and just aren't as permeable as the mineral mined from greater depths.
• Know the dimensions of a meerschaum pipe before you buy it. Some Paykoc meerschaum pipes can be comically huge but, even worse, hard to manage. And remember, they're very fragile. The last thing you need is your clumsy is a pipe bowl the size of a grapefruit.
• Don't pass on a meerschaum pipe because of the price. Quality counts. Cheap pipes can seriously ruin your smoking experience, but you may not want to spend hundreds of dollars, either, on a meerschaum bought from an estate marketplace.
• Don’t buy a meerschaum just because you like the way it looks. If you enjoy smoking and smoke quite often, it may be better to buy a different kind or style of pipe rather than a meerschaum if you’re just transitioning, say, from cigarettes to pipes. Of course, the look and style of this kind of pipe is alluring and you may not be able to help yourself.

Finally, only buy a meerschaum from a quality, reputable dealer. Making a purchase from someone selling a cheap facsimile isn’t worth your time or money. Meerschaum pipes convey a sense of heritage, beauty, and power, so buy and enjoy the real thing if possible.