Meerschaum is a soft, light weight and absorbent mineral, naturally present in Turkey and other parts of the world. A meerschaum pipe has spent a lot of hours being delicately carved. Sculptors with years of expertise take deliberate care in sculpting your meerschaum pipe.

Your brand new meerschaum pipe is a work of art and a investment in magnificence and joy. Because you invested a lot of your money and feelings in your meerschaum pipe, you really have to maintain it properly and make sure it's a source of pleasure that is going to last you for years.

If not cared for correctly, you meerschaum pipe will not last you as long as you want. Even worse, if not taken care of correctly or treated forcefully, it could break and have to be replaced.

All the time deal with your meerschaum pipe with clean hands. Meerschaum is a porous mineral and can retain any liquids passed along to it from your hands.

A meerschaum pipe when brand new, arrives covered with bees wax. Handling your pipe while it is warm helps to take away the wax and permits the pipe to color faster.

If you must take off the stem out of your meerschaum pipe, cautiously pull and twist the stem in a clockwise manner. When replacing the stem, additionally twist it in with a clockwise twist. Never twist the stem counter-clockwise, it might crack or break your meerschaum pipe.

Do support the stem with your fingers when taking it off.

By no means take off the stem from your pipe when it is hot. Meerschaum is softer when it's hotter and will split easier.

In contrast to briar pipes, meerschaum doesn't require a cake build up to stop it from burning. Any cake build up needs to be cleaned away because it heats up sooner than the bowl and may trigger it to crack.

Do not bang your pipe upon a solid surface. Whenever it's good to clear the bowl of your pipe, gently tap it within the palm of your hand while grasping the shank with your other hand.

If there's a deposit inside the bowl that may not be removed by tapping then utilize a pointy but blunt instrument to loosen and take it away. In moderation, you should utilize a pipe cleaner solvent, but do not permit it too far into the bowl. By no means score the bowl of your meerschaum pipe nor utilize alcohol to cleanse it.

Don't use pipe sweeteners with your meerschaum pipe. The sweetener will probably be absorbed by the mineral and plug up the pores.

In summary:

By no means drop nor hit it on unyeilding surfaces

By no means enable cake to build in the bowl

Do not twist the stem counter-clockwise

Never take the stem out of a meerschaum pipe when it's still hot

By no means use alcohol to wash your meerschaum pipe

By no means use smoking pipe sweetener on a pipe

With proper care, your meerschaum shall be an artistic piece of beauty, enjoyment, a heirloom and treasure for years.