Are Meerschaum Pipes Still Made?

 Marine foam pipes are popular with collectors for their rarity, beautiful colors, carvings, and the fact that, unlike heather pipes, they don't burn and can be smoked several times a day. The use of meerschaum to make pipes dates back to the early 18th century, and many examples of meerschaum pipes still exist, some even non-smoking, as they are often seen as works of art rather than smoking implements and are kept behind glass. .These pipes are made of light, porous, clay-like, dry brittle rock mined by trained miners using hand tools from underground mines mainly found in Turkey. Poor quality sea foam tubes are made from dust and shavings left over from the mining and carving process. 

The pipes are made of high quality Eskisehir foam wool, well known to specialists. Blocked seafoam (tubes made from a solid block of seafoam) is lighter than compressed seafoam; You should also pay attention to the quality of the thread. The sea foam tube was made in the traditional way from a single block of sea foam recovered from the mines around Eskisehir, Turkey. Thousands of curly tubes and cigar holders are carved from blocks of high-quality white sea foam. 

At some point, the stone became so expensive that pipe makers salvaged pieces of sea foam and glued them together to create pressed sea foam, although these ancient pipes are not as valuable as carved sea foam blocks. Block foam is considered to be preferred for both smoking and collecting. This type of seafoam is heavier than block, doesn't smoke as cold, doesn't stain, and any carving is usually clumsy and uninteresting. Unlike a briar or cherry pipe, seafoam does not impart any flavor when smoked (although it should be added that many smokers appreciate the subtle flavors that come from smoking tobacco in a wooden pipe). 

Unlike a cherry or briar pipe, sea foam does not interfere with the flavor of the tobacco and does not conduct heat, so the bowl stays cool to the touch. It is lightweight, easy to work with and dissipates heat well, making it a favorite of pipe makers for over 300 years. The first recorded use of seafoam to make pipes dates back to around 1723, and it quickly became recognized as the ideal material for producing fresh, dry, and flavorful smoke. 

A unique combination of sea foam bowl and briar pipe has been created, allowing the smoker to have a unique experience that combines the best qualities of these two materials. The best sea foam comes from the depths of the earth; the deeper the source, the higher the quality, with the best pipes coming from a single block. With such conflicting information, Fisher's signature should at least alert buyers. Some seafoam pipe makers have been known to sign their creations with their marks or signatures carved into the pipe itself, but not all of them did so.