Pipe smokers a bit of help please

[Major 2]

I'm not a smoker, and have no plans to start

I do however have a photo of an ancester and
Turns out I'm blood line related and there is a resemblence, he was a Judge and interesting enough I am the current
NCOWS Judge.

So I have been working up my first person impression, and I'm all but there.... wardrobe wise
But I need a pipe, one ferrotype shows him standing holding his pipe ( at lease you can see the bowl )

I assume it's Briar     I looked a Ebay  all sorts of estates pipes some say vintage... but I believe anything before 1980 is concidered
vintage in Pipe smoking circles.

I want something correct , I have seen Missouri Meerschaum Company and they are still in business
The company was founded in 1869 when Dutch-American woodworker Henry Tibbe began producing corncob pipes and selling them in his shop. Tibbes likened the pipes to meerschaum pipes and thus named them "Missouri Meerschaum." In 1878 Tibbe patented his method of fireproofing the pipes by applying a plaster-like substance to the outside of the cob. In 1883 Tibbe and his son Anton applied for a U.S. Patent to trademark their Missouri Meerschaum pipe.

Being just prop ...I don't want to buy the farm ....and these are about $10 as estate pipes.
Not interested in the CW era Clay pipe reproductions...

any thoughts ?

[Pay Dirt Norvelle]

I am a pipe smoker and that pipe does look like a Briar pipe.  However, I cannot really tell from the picture what it is made of.  A good pipe to get for a prop would be something call a Bent Pipe (either 1/2 or 3/4 bent) as it will look great.  Of course I am somewhat prejudiced as I have about 40 pipes and like the Bent type most.  As an aside, a judge would probably not be smoking a Corncob pipe as that would be beneath him.   

[Major 2]

"As an aside, a judge would probably not be smoking a Corncob pipe as that would be beneath him."

that's kinda was my thinking also.... that why I shyed away from it.

I seem to remember, Huck Finn smoked corn silk in one 

[wyldwylliam]

I too am a pipe smoker, long time gone, and notwithstanding what you said about not wanting to smoke, I can say that CC's smoke better than most of my high end briars.

I can't quote you chapter and verse as my recollection is somewhat foggy anymore, but IIRC, briars didn't really start showing up till around the turn of the century.

Until then, poor folks smoked CC's or clays. Anybody with even a modicum of walking around money would have had a real Meerschaum. Also the habit of having multiple anything is a fairly modern state of affairs, back then one or two would have done most men.

Advice? Look for an estate Meer on ebay or thrift stores and you will have the PC thing nailed to the floor.

[WaddWatsonEllis]

I too am a pipe smoker, long time gone, and notwithstanding what you said about not wanting to smoke, I can say that CC's smoke better than most of my high end briars.

I can't quote you chapter and verse as my recollection is somewhat foggy anymore, but IIRC, briars didn't really start showing up till around the turn of the century.

Until then, poor folks smoked CC's or clays. Anybody with even a modicum of walking around money would have had a real Meerschaum. Also the habit of having multiple anything is a fairly modern state of affairs, back then one or two would have done most men.

Advice? Look for an estate Meer on ebay or thrift stores and you will have the PC thing nailed to the floor.

Major 2 ..It could be  one of these:

http://www.crazycrow.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?

http://milkcreek.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=93

[Professor Marvel]

My Good Major2

My observations of your photo show the pipe in question
is definitely a "bent" style
appears to be a wood bowl
appears to be a hard-rubber stem with metal (most likely silver) ferrull

Recreational tobacco pipes are generally made of wood, clay, soft stone (such as meerschaum), and porcelain.

Cheapest of course is clay, followed by wood. Upon occasion we have mixed medis such as meerschaum lined wood bowls.
Meerschaum ( literally Sea Stone) is said to be the utlimate material for it's porosity and purity.

The bowl had to be able to withstand the heat, "cool the smoke" and not impart foul flavors or impurities.
As such, sappy softwoods are out, and the best (and safest) hardwoods are fruit woods (apple, pear, cherry)
and dense non-oily hardwoods such as briar and walnut. Certain woods known for irritants such as rosewood
are to be avoided. 

The stem should likewise be of an inert material, that further cools the smoke and is readily cleaned
but sturdy enough to avoid being broken or bitten-through. Stem material was often wood, reed, hard rubber, gutta-percha,
and amber.

Period Correct pipes will include straight or bent stems and bowls of almost any hardwood as previously mentioned.
Clay pipes, whilst popular with Voyageurs, Rondy-types, and early 1800's taverns, grew out of popular favor after the Civil War.

here are some examples of vintage "bent" styles similar to the one in your photo -
http://i581.photobucket.com/albums/ss257/olderthandirt/Pipe/The%20Herd/mydonegal03.jpg
http://i395.photobucket.com/albums/pp36/CaptainBob2008/Hayes%20Pipe%20Collection/2010_0515002.jpg
http://duckworthsuk.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/pipe.jpg
http://louperez.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/Magritte-Pipe1.jpg
http://image0-rubylane.s3.amazonaws.com/shops/scarlettastorswonderfulthings/SA-0988.1L.jpg
http://www.jewelry-4-u.com/vintage_costume_jewelry/men_jewelry/pictures/mm10032.jpg

When I still smoked, my favorite load was a self-made blend of  3-star Royal and 3-star Blue,  from Iwan Riese in Chicago. After I left the Windy City,  Capt Black (gold or royal are outstanding) served me quite well, in one of several well-broken in briars,  or my favorite, a Sherlock Holmes style Meerschaum Calabash. There is nothing smoother than good Cavendish tobacco in a well-made meerschaum. Whilst I have given up recerational tobacco, I still retain the pipe collection.

Smoking mixtures of the era might be a cavendish, burly, turkish or Virginia tobacco, or any blend. Aromatics like cherry and vanilla ought to be avoided, but whiskey and rum had been used in curing amongst the non-indians for quite a while.

"A pipe gives a wise man time to think, and a fool something to stick in his mouth".

your humble servant
Prof Marvel

[Major 2]

I miss a Sherlock Holmes style bent Estate hardwood last night by a meer second
The guy was fast on the trigger and scooped in a won it literally 2 seconds from the close 

[Delmonico]

I can't quote you chapter and verse as my recollection is somewhat foggy anymore, but IIRC, briars didn't really start showing up till around the turn of the century.

Among the things Civil War soldiers did in camp was to dig briar roots and carve pipes.  To me that would indicate that the things were around enough to give them the idea.

[Delmonico]

Major, I'm going to do some more looking, but as I often do in these cases I look over the Butcher Collection for things because of the quality of the pictures.  I knew I had some filed away the first was taken in 1886 and the second in 1887, (they are crops from the full pictures).

The first lady seems to prefer a clay:



The second seems to prefer a corn cob:



I will survey the men and see what I come up with.

[Major 2]

Thanks Del

[Major 2]

 Briar pipes gained widespread recognition in the late 19th century. The root, or burl, was boiled, cured and carved into pipes prized for their beauty. Briar pipes from the 1800s are highly valued as collectors items.

Because of the cost and the sorta later 19th century dating,  I may have to shy away from briar.


Cherry & walnut were used earlier

[Pancho Peacemaker]

I've got a good friend who's a pipe collector.  Spoke with him last night.  Summary of his recommendation:

1800's pipe stems were indicative of social status.  The longer stem (nowdays called a "Churchwarden", then called an "Alderman" or "Yard of Clay") were pipes of the gentry.  If your persona is a judge, his pipe stem should be a longer one with a curve.

The short, straight simple stems were for the commoners.  These pipes would be shared in the corner tavern and a small piece of tip bit off from each successive user, thus the short pipe stem.

Regarding bowls:  he said clay or briar would be appropriate for a gentleman's pipe of our era.

[Major 2]

Very well ..I like the Churchwardon

I see them offered.... back to ebay  mean while I have pice of Cherry that I have started a bowl from
I just may make the style I want

[Delmonico]

OK, I'm done, easy search, just type tobacco pipes into the search:

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/award98/nbhihtml/pshome.html

All out in Central Nebraska, I cropped and enhanced to show the pipes best, I'll just add the date for each one.



1892



You owe me a good cup of coffee sometime.

1886



1886



1886



1886



1908



1887



1886



1903



1886



1889



1905

[Major 2]

I'll say...

Thanks  Del. !

looks like Curved stems predominates .... carved wood for sure

[Delmonico]

It only really took about 15 minutes, then things got bad, you'll understand.

I found a source for strike any where kitchen matches again today, local jobber the grocery store use don't carry them any more, but ACE Hardware's do.  OK, no problem, except Diamond brand now has a dang green tip instead of red to let you know they are made from trees that were not cut from virgin forest.  Well duh, that's a no brainer. 

Oh and don't look for Ohio Blue tip, they no longer have them and boxes of them are selling for $20 on E-Bay.   So as NCOWS judge I'd say you are going to have to allow green tip matches 'cause that's all there seems to be any more.  If i have to I'll photoshop any of them that end up in my picture to red. 

I think I need to dig out my copy of Monty Wash and when that little twerp tells Monty it's a new Century I'll boo him and throw popcorn at the TV, yes mine has a cathode ray picture tube still.

Leave a better planet for the kids, I think we should be trying to leave better kids for the planet or we'll all be driving Prius Hybrids .

[Drydock]

http://www.corncobpipe.com/product.php?productid=16150&cat=271&page=1

I've got these, along with several cobs.  Good smoking pipes back when I was on patrol boats in the Middle East.  MMs "Freehand" is a great carry around piece, as well as a good smoker.

[Four-Eyed Buck]

For a fall back. Look in dedicated Pipe/Tobacco shops for Petersen brand pipes. Made in Ireland, the bowl and stem shapes are very similar to the antique ones in the pictures posted. I have several, most of mine are bents, but in a style that could be referred to as a vest pocket type, or just a little larger. Walnut burl with the ferrule( TradeMark for them) and some nice bent stems...........Buck

[Major 2]

Thanks All ..I've been learning some about them..and enjoyed the trek...

[GunClick Rick]

I miss a Sherlock Holmes style bent Estate hardwood last night by a meer second
The guy was fast on the trigger and scooped in a won it literally 2 seconds from the close  


Heck Major,i got one i'll give ya...I don't smoke em,but i do have a little collection,i have had it for years,i collect the other type of Meerchams...


But ya cain't have the real pretty long stem,i gotta keep my status ya know~~



Don't never stick a gun in your mouth though