Meerschaum pipes ruled the pipe world long before briar pipes were introduced in the late 1800s, and the material still has a loyal following to this day.

Something that fanatics love is the ability to pull the pure tobacco flavors without picking up any briar flavor along the way. These fantastic pipes are also hand-carved with impressive detail. All of this makes for an attention-grabbing piece!

Coloring these pipes has always been at the forefront of people's minds. While the material is beautiful in its natural state, the warm tones that develop over time are highly esteemed among pipe smokers.

Enthusiasts today use coloring bowls and wax to bring out this natural beauty, but wealthy men centuries ago had other ideas.

Some kept them in jars filled with tobacco smoke. Others sat them in wet tobacco. And yet the wealthiest hired people to smoke their pipes constantly to enhance the colors.

It must be stated: the hype is completely warranted. There's something special about coloring these pipes, and our online smoke shop guide is going to walk you through the process.

What is Meerschaum?

Meerschaum is defined as "a soft white claylike material consisting of hydrated magnesium silicate, found chiefly in Turkey." Its crystalline structure makes it ideal for smoking.

The highest quality meerschaum is found in Eskisehir, Turkey, in an area of a mere 4 square miles. It is mined with hand tools as a family tradition, being dug up from depths of up to 150 meters.

How Long Does the Coloring Process Take?

It is fiercely debated how long the meerschaum coloring process takes. Some people say it takes generations to fully color a pipe. If your pipe was passed down to you, you can feel good knowing that you're continuing the tradition of coloring the pipe.

Others say that with regular smoking, you can see changes within a decade or so. Some claim to have sped up the process tremendously by using coloring bowls, which we will talk about later on.

Pressed vs. Block

Pressed meerschaum pipes are developed when chips of meerschaum, otherwise known as sepiolite, are crushed up and bonded together to create a solid block.

Pressed meerschaum is typically used for accessories, but if you get a cheap wholesale meerschaum pipe there's a chance that it might be pressed.

The problem with pressed material is that it never colors because it doesn't have the natural pores of the intact clay.

Paykoc meerschaum pipes are never pressed and are always block (carved from one piece of clay). Block meerschaum can absorb color because of the material's natural pores, and it's a better smoking experience overall due to the higher quality of the pipe.

Do Tobacco Pipes Color Evenly?

It's nearly impossible to get a pipe to color evenly. Meerschaum is a rare kind of clay, and because it is a natural product, it contains inconsistencies. In addition, your carved pipe will have some thicker portions in its design, so the smokey color will take longer to seep through.

Typically the shank will color first and end up the darkest. This is because the moisture and tobacco residue collect there during combustion.

How Do You Help Your Pipe Color?

The main way to help your pipe color is by using a coloring bowl.

Coloring bowls sit on the top of the chamber of your meerschaum pipe and create a condensation chamber.

When you smoke your pipe, the smoke will cool and condense into the bottom of the coloring bowl, helping the pipe within the bowl gain color.

However, this coloring effect can be very uneven.

Another way some people enhance the color of their pipe is by waxing it. To wax your pipe:

• Heat your pipe slowly with a hairdryer.
• Evenly rub a beeswax over your pipe.
• Repeat three to four times.
• Let your pipe cool.
• Polish it with a soft cloth.

It's thought that wax coats make the meerschaum translucent, letting its color shine through. Another theory is that the organic compounds that color the pipes move through the meerschaum's pores a lot like a plant sucks up water. So when the wax is hot, it pulls the color up to the top.

This effect eventually fades as the color settles back down to the bottom of the pores.

But wax has a few other benefits too:

• A regularly waxed pipe colors more evenly.
• No matter how deeply colored your pipe is, it won't look its best unless it's waxed.

Hot pipes also appear to be more colored than cold pipes, so when you're smoking your pipe, it will look more colored.

Keep in mind that your meerschaum pipe will lose a lot of its color if you don't smoke it for a long period of time.

Final Thoughts

A beautifully colored pipe is like a badge of honor. It indicates the dedication and care you've put into your pipe and showcases the impressive qualities of meerschaum clay.

You have to remember that this is a years-long process. You can't get too eager. No matter how many tricks you use, your pipe still won't develop deep hues for years to come.

That's not to say there's no hope in coloring bowls or wax. They just can't speed up time.

But don't give up! There's nothing more rewarding than showing off that gorgeous mahogany that tobacco and smoke work together to create.