SMOKING PIPES
HISTORY. MATERIALS USED IN MAKING. MEERSCHAUM. BRIAR ROOT. AMBER.
SPECIAL KINDS OF PIPES. CARE OF PIPES.
PIPES
The history of tobacco smoking pipes began with the discovery of tobacco
by the Spaniards. How long before that event they were used is not known,
but that they were used by the Indians and others for a long period is
quite clear from many items of evidence. The reader who desires
information concerning pre-Columbian tobacco pipes is referred to the
_Pipes and smoking customs of the American Aborigines_, by J. D. McQuire,
based on the material in the U. S. National Museum 1889, and other similar
archaological works.
The first mention of pipes in literature appears to have been made by
Oviedo in 1535 in his work _La historia general de las Indias_ (Part 1).
In this there is a small wood cut which is the oldest known picture of a
pipe. This pipe was shaped like a Y--the two ends of which were placed in
the nose and the tobacco leaves in the stem. The smoke was inhaled. Oviedo
says that this pipe was called "Tabaca" from which the name tobacco was
probably derived. Admiral John Hawkins was the first to mention the pipe
in English literature in 1564.
Raleigh's famous smoking feat did not take place until 1586.
The Indian pipes were principally of clay and this material was used in
England for the first pipes made there and continued in sole use for about
250 years. From England it came to New England, with the first colonists.
The Spaniards of South America did not generally use pipes. Meerschaum as
a pipe making material was not known in Europe till 1723. It came about in
this way: There was then in Pesth (Austria-Hungary) an honest old
shoemaker, Karl Kowates, who, when he was not making or mending shoes,
made pipes. Count Andrassy was one of his pipe patrons. The Count while on
a mission to Turkey in 1723 was presented with a lump of meerschaum. The
lightness and porosity of the material suggested to him that it would be a
very suitable substance for a pipe bowl and on his return to Pesth he
handed the lump to Karl to make a pipe of it. It seems Karl made two, one
for the Count and one for himself. But Karl did more than that. The nature
of his shoe work made his hands waxy and he noticed that wherever the pipe
was waxed by his hands it turned into spots of clear brown color. He thus
discovered the coloring qualities of meerschaum. Karl's first pipe is
still preserved (it is said) at Pesth.
The new material became very popular and it spread from Austria all over
pipe-smoking Europe.
Wooden pipes do not appear to have come into use till the early part of
the 19th Century.
There is a good deal of interesting lore concerning early clay pipes into
which it is not proposed to enter here. It will be interesting, however,
to note that in William Penn's land transactions with the Indians, 300
clay pipes (probably English make) were one of the articles of barter.
The earliest clay pipe stems were about 9 inches long. The long stem pipes
with glazed ends were introduced about the year 1700 and were known as
"Aldermen." The pipe known as the "Churchwarden" with a very long, thin,
curved stem which was typical of a leisurable smoke did not come into use
till about 1819. In those days smokers did not commonly carry pipes around
with them. When a man arrived at an inn or tavern he ordered a pipe and
tobacco, just as he ordered his dinner. The "Cutty" or "Aberdeen" with the
short stem was, however, used by those who needed a pocket pipe.
It is very surprising how little changes the pipe has undergone. The
original pipe was a simple bowl and stem, and the best pipe today is a
plain bowl and stem; for although hundreds of devices and all kinds of
patents have been tried, the true smoker prefers the simple plain pipe
which offers no obstacle to the clear drawing of the smoke from the
burning tobacco.
The materials used for pipes differ in various countries. Pipes are made
of clay, porcelain, wood, metal, glass, ivory, horn, cane, bamboo, stone,
etc. There is no known material which in the opinion of smokers equals
genuine meerschaum as a material for pipes. This is on account of its
lightness, its coolness, its absorbing qualities and its capabilities of
high polish and assumption of a beautiful color when used from soaking the
essential oils of the tobacco. Its friability, however, renders it more
suitable for use as a home pipe than for a work-a-day pipe.
For the work-a-day and knock-about pipe the wooden pipe with short stem is
without a rival. The qualities which are essential for a wooden pipe are
many and it is difficult if not impossible to get any material that will
answer all of them. The wood for such a pipe must be hard and practically
incombustible, yet light. It must be sapless and inodorous so that when
heated the fragrance of the tobacco would not be mingled with that of the
wood and be lost. In addition it must be a good absorber, cool and have
beauty of grain and be susceptible of a high polish and must not be
brittle. The wood known as briar root possesses these qualities to a
greater extent than any other wood known. It will be described in more
detail later.
Myall, a native Austrian wood of a very dark color, hard and of good grain
has many excellent qualities for pipes, but is brittle.
Maple, juniper and cherry and several other woods are used to a limited
extent.
MEERSCHAUM
Meerschaum is a light, porous, clayey substance composed of magnesium,
oxygen and silicon. It is chemically described as a hydrated silicate of
magnesia and its chemical formula is MgSi{2}O{4} + 2H{2}O.
The word _meerschaum_ is composed of two German words, i. e., Meer, the
sea; and Schaum, foam, and literally means "the foam of the sea." A
popular belief being that the substance was petrified sea foam.
The circumstances under which meerschaum came to be used for smoking pipes
have already been detailed. Meerschaum occurs as a mineral more or less
scattered all over the world, but the largest quantities and probably the
best qualities occur in Asia Minor. In the United States, the mineral is
found in South Carolina. Other mines occur in Spain, Greece and Morocco.
The principal mines in Asia Minor are situated about 250 miles southwest
of Constantinople, on the plains of Eskishahr. Meerschaum has been in use
for sundry purposes in the Orient for many centuries and the mines of Asia
Minor have been worked for at least 1,000 years. The result is that they
are now approaching exhaustion. The area in which the mineral occurs
principally is small, about six square miles, and in this area many
thousands of pits are worked. The soil is alluvial and in these deposits
the meerschaum is found in soft lumps and nodules having no definite or
regular shape. It also occurs in veins among the Serpentine rocks and
marls. Although it is soft when taken out of the ground it rapidly hardens
when exposed to the air. It is roughly shaped and cleaned at the mines and
from thence sent to the dealers who further prepare it by waxing and
polishing and put it on the market in the conditions in which it reaches
the pipe makers. The principal European depots for meerschaum are
Constantinople and Vienna. It is usually packed in boxes containing about
50 lbs. each and sells for from 50c to $4.00 per lb.
The lumps on reaching the manufacturers are first cut with a band saw into
suitable sized blocks according to the size and shape of the pipes
desired. These blocks are then thoroughly soaked in water until they are
thoroughly saturated. The soaking renders the material soft and soapy and
gives it the consistency of cheese, so that it is then easily shaped into
the desired form which the pipe is to take. It is then dried and hardened
again and on completion the bowl is hollowed out and the stem drilled. If
the pipe is a plain one without carving it is finished on a lathe and
filed ready for polishing. It is also threaded for the mouthpiece. The
pipe is then sent to the drying room for such time as is necessary to
expel all moisture. The final treatment for the smoothing of the surface
is done by fine sandpaper and other special substances, then immersing in
melted white beeswax for three to five minutes and finally the giving of a
high polish with precipitated chalk, cotton and flannel being the usual
rubbing materials used.
Meerschaum by its nature is particularly adapted for carving. The hand
carving of such pipes requires artistic and dexterous craftsmen, who are
experts in this particular class of work.
There are various imitations of meerschaum. One is made from burnt gypsum
soaked with lime in a solution of gum arabic. This forms a hard, creamy
plaster and is capable of receiving a highly smooth and polished
marble-like surface.
Another form of imitation is made of a hardened plaster of Paris highly
polished and tinted in a solution of gamboge and dragon's blood, being
afterwards treated with paraffin or stearic acid. All cheaper grades of
meerschaum pipes, holders, etc., are made of this or similar compounds and
it is very hard for the average smoker to distinguish them as the ordinary
tests will not suffice. The absorption and coloring qualities are about
the same. Such imitations cost about half as much as the genuine article
or even sometimes less.
It should be added that the chips and dust resulting from the working of
the genuine meerschaum are bonded together with a solution and moulded and
this is also sold as meerschaum.
The number of genuine meerschaum pipes annually manufactured is probably
much less than one-half a million, while there are probably three or four
times as many imitations.
BRIAR ROOT
As we have seen briar root is found to be the most suitable wood for pipe
smoking. The word briar is not named from wild briar. The word is a
corruption of the French name La Bruyere, meaning the heather shrub of
that name which grows along the Mediterranean coast of France, Spain and
neighboring countries. It is the root of this shrub which is the substance
used. The shrub is especially cultured for the purpose of pipe making;
but the area in which the best briar root grows is very limited. It takes
considerable time and the result is that the supply of the most suitable
wood is far below the demand. The cultivation of the briar root is a
simple matter. It consists merely in pruning the growth as much as
possible so as to encourage and strengthen the roots.
The very best qualities of briar root come from Corsica and the
neighborhood of Leghorn. It is very finely grained, hard and tough, does
not char and heats slowly.
When full grown and ready for the market the wood is rough sawn into
blocks, varying in size from 3 inches square up, according to the market
sizes required, and allowed to season. When fully seasoned the blocks are
packed in boxes each containing from 200 to 300 of these blocks. They are
then sent to the dealers or direct to the pipe factories as the case may
be.
In the factory the blocks are sorted and then undergo a sweating process
in steam vats for ten to twelve hours. This steaming gives the wood the
familiar brown-yellow tint of the natural briar root uncolored. After
sweating the blocks are sent to the drying room as all traces of moisture
must be removed. This usually takes several months. For pipe making the
workman selects his block and roughly trims it to size. It is then placed
in the frazing machine. This usually has three cutters revolving at very
high speed, making several thousand revolutions per minute. The center
cutter shapes out the block and the outer knives cut away the wood on the
outside so as to form the block roughly into the shape of a pipe bowl and
stem. This is then placed in a special lathe for cutting irregular forms.
It is usual to fit in it a metal pattern of the particular shape chosen
for the pipe. A circular cutting tool is set in motion and the briar
block, which turns with the metal pattern, is mechanically cut to the
exact shape of the pattern. After cutting, the pipe passes to the
sandpapering machines where both inside and outside are thoroughly
treated, and it gets a first polishing or smoothing on a pumice stone
wheel. The next process is the boring of the stem which is done in a
drilling machine by a steel wire having a cutting top rapidly turned by a
lathe. The thread on the end of the stem for the mouthpiece is formed by a
special machine. The pipe is then ready for polishers and finishers. It is
first sandpapered four times, twice with rough and twice with fine on
revolving wheels. Unless the wood is to be left its natural color, it is
dropped into a vat of stain until it acquires the color desired. After
drying it is ready for "buffing." A "buff" is a wheel made of many layers
of cloth, leather, etc., which revolves very rapidly. For pipe buffing
these buffs are usually Tripoli buff, sheepskin buff, muslin and cotton
flannel buff. The Tripoli takes off any sediment held by the edges of the
grain. The sheepskin buff burns the color fast into the wood. The muslin
and cotton bring out the grain and gives the wood its final delicate
lustre and finish, which are done when the stem and mountings have been
put on. The pipes are then ready for final stamping with name and packing.
The process is much the same with all other hard woods. Pipe factories are
found in most countries. French briar pipes are justly celebrated, but the
American pipes are better made.
Within recent years calabash has come into vogue to a large extent as a
pipe making material. The calabash is a South African squash and has a
special softness of flavor. The curved stem end of the calabash is used,
being lined with plaster of Paris, and quite a large trade has sprung up
in South Africa in growing calabash for the pipe trade, the principal
point being Cape Town.
THE PIPE STEM
It is very important that suitable material be selected for the mouthpiece
of the pipe. In fact from many points of view the mouthpiece is the most
important part of the pipe for the smoker, because damage to the lips must
be particularly avoided, and a defective, rough, or badly made mouthpiece
is apt to cause damage. There are three very important qualities which the
material must have: (1) It must be hard enough to resist indentation from
the teeth and yet not feel gritty. (2) It must be capable of receiving a
perfectly smooth surface and of retaining it under the action of saliva.
(3) It must not be a rapid heater so that it will not burn the lips, or
crack or splinter under action of heat. Other very desirable qualities are
toughness, beauty of appearance and freedom from taste or odor under all
circumstances of use.
Amber has a unique place in fulfilling these conditions. Amber is a fossil
gum or resin, the juice of pine trees, which in course of time has become
petrified like coal.
Amber is found is various parts of the world, but is more plentifully
found along the sandy shores of East Prussia bordering on the Baltic Sea.
This area was in time long past the site of pine forests. The amber is
found very often to occur with lignite or brown coal. It is dug out of the
cliffs or mined like coal out of the ground. Sometimes it is washed in
from the sea. In size it varies from the size of a pea to lumps as large
as an orange. When first dug up it is usually of a pale yellow color, but
this becomes darker on exposure. The manufacture of commercial amber is a
government monopoly in Prussia. The pieces are all melted down at a
temperature of about 550 deg. F., and then after purification it is cast into
slabs about 7/8 inch to 1-5/8 inches thick and four inches to eight inches
long, in which form it is sold to dealers. There are two qualities, opaque
and transparent, the opaque being the tougher. The cost varies
considerably, the inferior kinds being sold for $2.00 per pound, and the
finest specimens cost up to $60.00 per pound.
By far the largest quantity of amber used for ordinary pipes is imitation
amber. The manufacture of this is a trade secret. It is so good and
fulfills its purpose so well that only experts can distinguish it from
genuine amber. There are many substitutes for amber.
Good vulcanite, except for the matter of appearance is little inferior to
amber as mouthpiece material. Cut vulcanite is cool and smooth, but
moulded vulcanite is liable to be rough to the lips and should be avoided.
Vulcanite mouthpieces are usually sold already finished direct to the pipe
makers.
Except for the matter of brittleness unglazed clay is a most excellent
pipe stem. Clay is usually cool and very absorbent of the acrid oils
occurring in the distillation of tobacco. When the end of a clay stem is
protected by a rubber band, it forms a very good mouthpiece. Bone and
other materials are also used as mouthpieces. Ebonite is used, but is
objectionable because it spoils the flavor of the tobacco. Celluloid is a
dangerous substance and should not be used as a pipe stem.
The smoker should avoid biting the mouthpiece as it roughens it. It is far
better to discard a mouthpiece when it becomes indented, rough or worn in
any way. A damaged mouthpiece should on no account be used when the lips
are chapped or lacerated because the irritation may, if continued, lead to
ulceration and tobacco juice is not beneficial to skin lesions.
SPECIAL PIPES
German pipes are, as might be expected, the most correct in scientific
principle. The pipe has two bowls the upper of which is for the tobacco.
This fits into a socket which allows the oils and aqueous solutions due to
the distillation to pass into the lower bowl, very little getting into the
stem. The bowls are usually of porcelain and the long curved stem is of
wood mostly cherry.
The Dutch pipe is similar to the German except that the stem is long and
straight which allows the bowl to rest on the ground. The German pipe is
usually held in the hand by the lower bowl. In Turkey and Oriental
countries the water pipe is used. This form of pipe originated in Persia.
The pipe consists of a receptacle for the tobacco, which has a perforated
bottom. This holder fits into a cup from which a hollow tube leads into a
jar containing water. The tube passes through the stopper of the jar and
descends almost to the bottom of the water. Another tube, the inhaling
tube, also passes through the stopper of the jar, but does not reach to
the surface of the water. On drawing through the inhaler a vacuum is
created in the air space above the surface of the water in the jar which
induces suction through the other tube below the water level. The smoke
therefore bubbles through the water and is cooled before it reaches the
mouth of the smoker. It, however, requires a considerable amount of effort
to draw the smoke through.
Water pipes are used extensively among the better classes of the East.
Some of them are very gorgeous affairs, the bowls being of the richest
crystal and the fittings gold or silver set with gems. Sometimes they have
several smoking tubes so as to accommodate more than one smoker. The
water pipe used by the Shah of Persia is said to be worth $400,000.00.
In Turkey the water pipe is known by the name of Hookak. In Egypt it is
called Nargeeleh (or Narghile) because the water vessel is usually a cocoa
nut for which the Arabic name is Na'rghee'leh. The Hookak usually stands
on the floor and is ponderous, with many smoking tubes. The Nargeeleh is a
hand pipe.
In Eastern countries, however, besides the water pipe the ordinary clay
bowl pipe is used to a very large extent, being fitted with a wooden stem
from 3 to 5 feet in length. All these pipes are essentially home pipes, as
it is not habitual with the Eastern people to smoke except when seated.
In China both sexes commonly smoke pipes--a water pipe made of brass is
usually smoked by the richer classes. The poorer classes use a clay pipe
with a bamboo stem.
The principal importation into the United States of foreign made pipes and
smokers' articles is from Austria, England and Germany. The latest
government statistics show that from England $278,000, from Austria about
$280,000, and from Germany about $139,000 worth of such goods are annually
imported. These are principally pipes. Cigarette paper, briar root, etc.,
are not included in these figures. The total importation value in 1912
(exclusive of duty) from Europe was $1,478,000.
THE CARE OF PIPES
An experienced smoker lays down the following rules for the care of pipes.
The rules apply whether a man uses one or half a dozen pipes:
(1) When a pipe is used for the first time wipe out the bowl with a cloth.
Then thoroughly wet or dampen it. Before the moisture evaporates fill the
pipe. Light evenly and be careful not to burn the rim with the lighted
match. The tobacco being damp next the wood will not redden there, hence
the wood will not char but a sooty film will form.
(2) Ashes should be allowed to remain in the pipe till thoroughly cooled.
Then emptied. The object of this is to allow the liquid residue to soak
into the pores of the new wood.
(3) Do not scrape the inner surface of the bowl. The thin coating of
carbon (the "cake") which is formed on it is a nonconductor of heat and
prevents the wood from overheating or cracking. It keeps the pipe cool and
is a good absorber.
(4) After half a dozen smokes the rule of removing the ashes should be
reversed. They should be removed promptly after smoking. Blow through the
mouthpiece after smoking. By this time the inner surface of bowl is
sufficiently soaked and coated and continuation makes it acrid and sodden.
(5) Always allow your pipe to cool and dry before resmoking. Use pipe
cleaners and pipe spoon for cleaning. When the "cake" becomes too thick
part of it may be removed but always leave a layer next the wood. Be
careful not to scrape the surface of the bowl.
(6) A pipe should not be used continuously for more than a few weeks or a
month. It should then be cleaned and allowed rest unused for a while. It
is well to allow it to hang where the sunlight can play on it. Acrid
matters will dry out and the pipe will be sweet when smoked again. It is a
good plan to pack the bottom of the bowl with powdered chalk when it is
resting.
When a pipe tastes acrid it requires more than ordinary cleaning. If one
has the opportunity a most excellent way is to blow steam through it,
first removing the mouthpiece. Another way recommended by a smoker who
says it is most efficacious is to fit a cork into the bowl of the pipe.
Make a hole in the cork, into which the nozzle of a soda siphon will fit
snugly. Direct the mouthpiece into some emptying vessel and force about a
wine glass of the soda water from the siphon through the pipe. It will
clean it out effectively.
If you are smoking a meerschaum and desire it to color well and evenly it
is a good plan to use a false upper bowl to fit inside the bowl of your
pipe. The rim of fire where the tobacco is burning makes the pipe bowl too
hot and does not allow that part to color. The false bowl will prevent
this. Some smokers think that covering a meerschaum bowl with chamois will
cause it to color well. The chamois will not aid the coloring but it will
protect the bowl from being touched by the hand during the process and
thus avoiding a spotty effect, particularly if the hand should be moist or
greasy. During the progress of the coloring the pipe should never be
allowed to get too hot. The time required to color a pipe depends on the
tobacco used. If it is a rich oily tobacco, the time necessary is shorter
than with a dry tobacco.
Imitation meerschaum of the cheaper kind are sometimes artificially
colored by the makers. This is done by boiling the pipe in an oily
solution of nicotine, the formula for which as given in the _American
Druggist_, V. 58, is:
Crude nicotine (oil of tobacco)==[ounce] i.
Olive oil==[ounce] ii.
Yellow wax==[ounce] viii.
The pipe is kept in the boiling solution from 10 to 15 minutes and rapidly
absorbs it. The surface is capable of a high polish.
REFERENCES
PENN, W. A. _The Soverane Herbe: a History of Tobacco._ London and New
York, 1901.
FAIRHOLT, F. W. _Tobacco; its History and Associations._ London, 1876.