Meerschaum Mine/Pipe Production Operation

[Kyle Weiss]

Some neat videos showing where the venerable "sea foam" and meerschaum pipes really come from, modestly stolen from BladeBoy over at T&P...

Interesting stuff.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YjB5yD35I98" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7r5mAx2DjL0" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[dshpipes]

Dammit! Now I want one!

Super cool videos, Kyle. Thanks for posting these!

 

[monbla256]

WOW ! Who'd a thunk it came from underground ! All this time I thought it was the hardened sea foam that was harvested by naked nubile virgins Just think what some modern production techniques and CNC machines in Asia could produce, why we could all get our meer's at Wally-World

That was some interesting vids. Thanks

 

[flytyer]

Thanks Kyle...cool stuff.

 

[alfredo_buscatti]

In the mining segment, I heard the narrator say that 70% of the nicotine of a smoke was absorbed by the meerschaum; I've never heard that said before.

The pipemaking segment was great but could have been much improved if there had been narration keeping track of the specific techniques needed to work the meerschaum.

Still, both segments were great.

 

[dshpipes]

In the mining segment, I heard the narrator say that 70% of the nicotine of a smoke was absorbed by the meerschaum; I've never heard that said before.

The pipemaking segment was great but could have been much improved if there had been narration keeping track of the specific techniques needed to work the meerschaum.

Still, both segments were great.

Even though I couldn't hear the narrator (I watched these at work without headphones), I'd wager that's an error in translation and actually refers to tar and moisture. It might be worth a little more research to confirm... Hmm. I'll report back.

 

[dshpipes]

So doing some quick research I found several websites that say the same about nicotine absorption... well that sucks!

 

[Richard Burley]

So doing some quick research I found several websites that say the same about nicotine absorption... well that sucks!

Sounds like ********. How does it absorb it? Magic? Most of the smoke doesn't even come into actual contact with the meerschaum. If it were filtered through the meerschaum somehow, it would be different.

 

[user 2031]

*

 

[jlong]

In the mining segment, I heard the narrator say that 70% of the nicotine of a smoke was absorbed by the meerschaum; I've never heard that said before

Holy crap! Remind me not to stuff Black XXX in a meer!

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Glad you all liked the vids--T&P is kind of a different vibe of a forum, the "sleepy small-town" of pipe forums, but they talk about and bring up some cool stuff. They're more "video oriented" than here on BoB, so I just steal their posts. :lol:

As for nicotine absorption?

I'm with Richard--I think it's kind of a ******** notion, too. Meerschaum (sepiolite) hasn't any obvious chemistry that would cause nicotine specifically to "bind" or oxidize or change that I see...

http://webmineral.com/data/Sepiolite.shtml

...but I'm not a chemist. What I'm thinking happened is colloquially, meerschaum's absorptive nature kind of holds ALL of the tars, moisture and other liquid/viscous components left over after burning. Many people think the brown substances in smoke, tar itself or other "not ash" stuff from burning tobacco is "nicotine," which is misleading. Nicotine, being water soluble, gets wrapped up in this "smoking soup," and so yes, some probably does get absorbed into the meerschaum. Hell, this could include spit, for us pipe smokers. Over time, the meerschaum will have a limit to this absorption, which is why we see the coloring process--that coloration is the meerschaum "filling up" on our smoking by-product. Finally, a meerschaum bowl obviously isn't necessarily acting as a direct "filter," as the path of least resistance as we smoke is through the stem and airways. There's not enough meerschaum/smoke interaction to be this effective in soaking up "nicotine."

Based on those thoughts, saying a specific percentage of nicotine as a rule is absorbed by meerschaum, or saying it "cuts down on nicotine in your smoke," is where I'm calling "********," until proven otherwise.

My take, anyway, and why I like my forum signature.

8)

 

[mark]

All this time I thought it was the hardened sea foam that was harvested by naked nubile virgins

That was my vision also, and I'll try my best to block underground mining from my memory and regain the image of the former,,,

 

[kieveryuu]

Thank you for sharing. I like the simple meers, the overly ornate ones have never, or more accurately - very rarely, appealed to me. Either way, a nice look at an interesting part of this great hobby.

 

[s.ireland]

Great videos! Thanks, Kyle!

In the mining segment, I heard the narrator say that 70% of the nicotine of a smoke was absorbed by the meerschaum; I've never heard that said before.

Well I have heard of the "mellowing" effect meerschaum has on strong blends. Could that account for Sherlock's "three pipe problem"? 70% of his dark shag's nicotine is being absorbed :study: :scratch:

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Great videos! Thanks, Kyle!

In the mining segment, I heard the narrator say that 70% of the nicotine of a smoke was absorbed by the meerschaum; I've never heard that said before.

Well I have heard of the "mellowing" effect meerschaum has on strong blends. Could that account for Sherlock's "three pipe problem"? 70% of his dark shag's nicotine is being absorbed :study: :scratch:

I thought those vids would be a hit... 8)

...also, to my knowledge, isn't Holmes' meerschaum-lined calabash something that came about when film/movie adaptations of his likeness escaped from the printed page? I think Doyle's original Holmes had a different pipe, which was briar.

 

[Wet Dottle]

Thanks for posting. Very interesting.

 

[monbla256]

Great videos! Thanks, Kyle!

In the mining segment, I heard the narrator say that 70% of the nicotine of a smoke was absorbed by the meerschaum; I've never heard that said before.

Well I have heard of the "mellowing" effect meerschaum has on strong blends. Could that account for Sherlock's "three pipe problem"? 70% of his dark shag's nicotine is being absorbed :study: :scratch:

I thought those vids would be a hit... 8)

...also, to my knowledge, isn't Holmes' meerschaum-lined calabash something that came about when film/movie adaptations of his likeness escaped from the printed page? I think Doyle's original Holmes had a different pipe, which was briar.

Doyle NEVER mentioned a Calabash in ANY of the stories. This pipe was the choice of a British actor to use. Here's a bit about that in Pipes Magazine:

http://pipesmagazine.com/blog/put-that-in-your-pipe/the-great-detective-and-his-pipes/#more-5214

 

[R.A.]

I agree great vids thanks for posting, And to the 70% nicotine absorption, I toss my hat in the ring. ..Aye ********

Now how much ever nicotine is in the moisture emitted by the burning tobacco that may be absorbed but I dare to say its way way loser than 70%

Inquiring minds want to know ! :study: