Carl Weber, author of The Pleasures of Pipe Smoking, and other works, has stated that, "Upon reading a thoroughly conscientious, step-by-step description of the technique for tying one's shoes, almost any reader would elect to go barefoot. Thus it is with dissertations on how to smoke a pipe." He goes on to ask, "Why is it that more smokers who try a pipe do not stick with it?" and points out that a man "will study with great . . . diligence, the arts and secrets of fishing, golf and carpentry, but he will not spend a few minutes . . . on the fundamentals of pipe smoking." It is hoped that anyone reading this brief work will not be so discouraged that he will decide, metaphorically, to do without shoes when it comes to the subject of pipe smoking. In fact, this dissertation was created as an alternative to both the long, technical books on pipe smoking and the too brief pamphlet one sees handed out in pipe shops for the benefit of the novice smoker. The first tells us perhaps more than we want--or need--to know; the second barely wets our appetite for information. Moreover, this little guide is not a history of pipe smoking, nor a study on the smoking rituals of far-away peoples, nor a detailed look at the great pipe makers; it is, quite simply, a how-to book on pipe smoking technique, as detailed as possible, but highly limited in the ground it covers. No less a luminary in the pipe world than Alfred Dunhill, author of The Gentle Art of Smoking, and The Pipe Book, felt frustrated on occasion, and observed that "so many men have affirmed that pipe smoking is one of the most satisfying pleasures on earth," yet "only inexperience and carelessness can account for those who, having a taste for smoking, have given up the pipe in dispair." Dunhill attributes many of these failures to the fact that these would-be pipe smokers "have tried to smoke the wrong kind of tobacco in an unsuitable pipe and, little caring how to fill or tend it, have expended a box of matches upon a single smoke and thrown away the offending pipe with disgust." Perhaps this short and, for the most part, uncomplicated discussion of pipes and pipe smoking will succeed where other longer and more tedious works have failed. This is perhaps a pipe dream, though, for the average man, when given the chance, usually prefers to do things the easy way, regardless of what rewards may come from a modest investment of time and effort. Nonetheless, there is maybe at least a slight chance, that this brief overview, and the advice of those seasoned pipe smokers who willingly give their wisdom to newcomers, will to some degree increase the numbers of those of us who know the profound enjoyment of a good pipe and who will agree with Carl Ehwa, author of The Book of Pipes and Tobacco, that "the pipe is the most enjoyable form of smoking." So let us examine the basic elements, the essential concerns that must be addressed in order to achieve success in pipe smoking. Alfred Dunhill said, "It is absurd to suggest that there is anything mysterious or esoteric about . . . pipe smoking. Yet, if full satisfaction is to be won, three factors have to be considered: The selection of a good pipe that is suited to the particular smoker. The maintenance, cleanliness, and care of the pipe. The choice of a good quality tobacco of a suitable type."

It is probably safe to dismiss as absurd Georges Herment's advice, as paraphrased by Weber, that we ought to fill a new pipe "only a quarter of the way the first five or six times it is smoked; only half full the next ten smokings; and a few times at the three-quarter level before commencing normal smoking procedure." It should be said, however, that Herment, author of The Pipe, had a good deal more to say about pipe smoking, much of it of great value. At times, it seems as if everyone has an idea on how to properly fill a pipe, and there are probably several "strategies" you have not considered even if you've read several books on pipe smoking. Is there a perfect system for filling a pipe? Perhaps. Can it be found in a book somewhere? Again, perhaps. Here, in this little study, you will find suggestions, but few, if any, hard rules. Nonetheless, it's an issue worth discussing. For years, most smokers have subscribed to variants of the "Gradual theory": fill it one third the first time, then two thirds, or maybe one seventeenth and then two seventeenths. Whatever. It worked, but was laborious and somehow unsatisfying: "My pipe is not fully broken in yet, how long must I wait?" Carl Weber, in a kind of middle-of-the-road approach, suggests filling a pipe one-fifth full for the first smoke, then two-fifths, and so on. He quotes the old adage, "Fill your pipe first with a child's hand, then a woman's, then a man's." If you buy a Larsen pipe, however, you will notice a little pamphlet advising you to fill it to the brim and smoke it, just like you planned to do once it was broken in. It makes sense, and many have abandoned the old method. It works remarkably well. One caveat, though: because few of us ever smoke the last fifth of a bowl, it's a good idea to have a "bottom-of-the-bowl campaign" occasionally. Take a week now and then and fill your pipes only half full, then smoke them all the way to the bottom. Eventually, even if you have a large collection, all your pipes will have at least a modest amount of bottom charring, essential to prevent burnthrough. All this theorizing about the proper way to fill a pipe is by way of saying "it must be broken-in," or seasoned, of course. If we are talking about good quality pipes, then, as Weber says, "The subject can be dismissed quickly; the modern pipe seldom requires seasoning." You do want to build up that cake in order to protect the pipe from burnout, but it should be entirely smokeable from the beginning--again, if it is a good pipe. But filling your pipe gradually still is best, in this sense: let gravity fill the bowl about half way, then tamp gently; next, fill to the top and tamp again; fill a third time and tamp with a little more pressure. In the event the tobacco is packed a little too tight, you can take the pipe apart, insert a pipe cleaner, push up slightly, and make a little "hole" in the bottom of the tobacco pack. Some people deliberately pack tight and employ this routine. You'll get an easy draw. Always check to be sure there's no obstruction in the bit or shank--a bit of fluff or some hard tobacco can clog the bit easily. Certainly, Weber's simple list of "Do's and Don'ts" is still useful today: "DO fill the pipe a pinch at a time, starting with a small pinch to cover the bottom of the bowl. DO tamp the tobacco evenly. DO even the lighting surface with forefinger pressure. DON'T imitate those dunderheads who fill a pipe by plunging it into a tobacco jar or pouch and ramming it full with a forefinger. DON'T try to smoke your pipe if it draws tightly; repack it! DON'T forget that a pipe cannot be filled correctly" if it hasn't been cleaned properly after the last smoke. Carl Ehwa has an excellent section on how the different tobacco styles, or cuts, affect how a pipe is filled and/or lit. Among other things, he stresses that "the smoker should make certain the tobacco strands are separated as they are placed in the bowl" to eliminate clumps "which would block a free draft." He recommends that moist tobaccos be packed loosely, for "otherwise they will pack down too densely, preventing a good draft." One must strive for that Goldilocks ideal of packing that is just right: "When the pipe is packed too loosely, the tobacco burns inconsistently" making the smoker draw harder, thus "creating more heat." Conversely, when the tobacco is too tight, "it won't burn at all." This much is indisputable: you must find your own path, develop your own methods, create your own successes. Guidebooks, large and small, and the advice of pipe veterans can help, can set you on the right path but, ultimately, it is your choice. Very few strategies, however extreme, will destroy a pipe. You can fill it in twenty-six stages if you like, or all at once. You can clean it once a day, once a week, or once a month, and most of the time it will survive the treatment. You can sweeten the bowl of a new pipe with honey, brandy, distilled water, or nothing at all, and it won't make a lot of difference. If someone asked you to name the cause of the fall of the Roman Empire, and you had some knowledge of history, you would never say X caused it, or Z caused; you would say that a number of things caused it and that, working together, they were a mighty force. The same is true of pipes. You may neglect this thing or that; you may ignore the best advice available. But if you neglect that pipe in every area--filling, lighting, cleaning--and so on, the consequences of that neglect will catch up with you eventually. Let common sense prevail.

That's easy, you just start puffing away, right? Well, it might be a good idea to light your pipe first. Matches are to be preferred, even though there are some good lighters out there. If you must use a lighter, butane is less likely to affect the tobacco's taste and the electric starting system is less bothersome than flint. But matches just offer more control, producing a smaller, more manageable flame. Carl Weber cautions that, "if you do use a match, let its head burn off so that you don't ruin your smoke with phosphorous and sulfur fumes." Begin with the "false light," that is, light the match, touch it to the tobacco, draw in lightly, and rotate the match over the whole surface. Depending on how the tobacco was packed, the type of tobacco, and your skill, it may take a few attempts just to achieve the false light. When you do get it going well, don't be tempted to keep smoking; take a few puffs, and maybe blow through the pipe a couple of times. Tamp it down now, and relight, again with a circular motion. You want to light the whole surface for a good, even burn. It cannot be overstressed: light every corner of the tobacco surface. This will aid in charring, in building up a "cake," or "char." Well, now that you've got it going, resist the temptation to puff vigorously. You're relaxing with a pipe, after all. Puff smoothly and slowly. There are times you'll want to hold the bit in your teeth but, if you can, just hold it and draw upon it; touch it to the lips and let the smoke flow out. Gentle puffing, and resisting the temptation to keep the pipe in your mouth will produce a gentler smoke, reducing bite and burn. Speaking of burn, until you master the technique of smoking, and until you get used to a certain amount of unavoidable burn, you will be slightly uncomfortable; it's the nature of the beast. But mild tobaccos, and a good technique will keep discomfort to a minimum and over time, eliminate it. A poor technique--and pipe smoking veterans are not immune to this--will guarantee you will never reach a state of "full adaptation." Some pipe smokers can gradually move up to stronger tobaccos, some never can. Some have a special blend, delicious but strong, that they indulge in periodically as a treat, finding the discomfort an acceptable side effect. Some pipe makers are now drilling their smoke holes wider and flatter, so the draw is improved and the smoke flows out with ease; it's also a cooler smoke, because less effort is required and the smoke hits the tongue with less force. New pipe smokers, who have only a few pipes, might consider this criterion seriously, because it does make a difference. It should be emphasized that these more "generous" smoke holes are not for people who clamp down on their pipes with a vise-like grip. The wider hole generally means the surrounding material in the bit will be thinner and thus more vulnerable. If you're easy on bits, don't worry. A word about pipe/tobacco "matching," that is, using the same tobacco in the same pipe each time. If you can make yourself do it, it's great. Some pipes will absorb the flavor of some tobaccos, and therefore the ideal is to restrict your pipes using the matching protocol. Some people smoke maybe a dozen different blends, five or six of them regularly, and may keep a chart in order to keep track of the matching. Frequently, they cheat. They may just feel like smoking such and such a pipe, with such and such a tobacco, and that's that! After all, we pipe smokers can tyrannize ourselves with our little rules and rituals. Nonetheless, it does make sense to place some restrictions on the use of very dark, highly flavored (cased or sauced) tobaccos. Moreover, if the tobacco has an oily quality to it, this will aid in the absorption process. Remember, this is not a hard and fast rule, but there are times when its application seems almost mandatory, as in this example: Many smokers smoke a very dark, rich, oily coffee or other flavored blend. If they take up a pipe in which they've used this tobacco several times, and attempt to smoke a light, subtle blend in it, they wouldn't get any of the light tobacco's flavor. They probably would get some of its aroma, but even that would be compromised. Returning to the matter of lighting your pipe, you will probably encounter a number of unusual theories in your reading, but unusual does not necessarily equate with impractical. Herment suggests, though he may not be the originator, an interesting use of paper. In this method, one crumples up some thin paper, presses it over the pipe bowl, and forms a kind of cap. While the smoker is "applying the lighted match to the center," he is "at the same time drawing gently but rapidly. It is rarely that the tobacco does not light evenly." Perhaps no other author spends as much time on the "science" of pipe combustion or, indeed, examines in such detail the physics of pipe smoking. After reading Herment, you will be convinced that pipe smoking is an art and a science, as you will be convinced that Herment is a poet as well as a scientist. Weber has a handy list of Do's and Don'ts for pipe lighting, too, and it might be of value, by way of review, to have a look at it. "DO light the pipe evenly. DO consider the usefulness of the lowly match. DON'T apply match to bowl until the match fumes have burned away. DO hold the bowl upright when lighting the pipe. DO make sure, before lighting, that the pipe stem is clear, by blowing through the mouthpiece."

There are smokers who clean a pipe thoroughly after every smoke. But there are probably far more who don't like to take a pipe apart each time they smoke it, even if they're sure it's fully cooled off . But they do clean it each time after a fashion. They try to run a pipe cleaner all the way through the pipe, then double over the pipe cleaner and swab out the bowl. After every three smokes they take the pipe apart when completely cool and do a more thorough job. Dunhill believes "it is important to empty the bowl at once" but "the mouthpiece of a warm pipe should" wait a while "because the stem contracts slightly with heat" and may crack. Of course, there are pipe smokers who never clean their pipes at all, and everyone can tell. There pipes look bad and smell bad; one assumes they taste bad, but apparently not bad enough to prompt action. As Ehwa observes, "smokers . . . who complain about the sour smell of their pipes, obviously are pushing them beyond their capacity to endure punishment." Yet we must be tolerant of these brother pipe smokers, chiding them in only the most delicate manner. All of us have a relative who cannot keep a clean house, yet few of us are intolerant to the point of refusing ever to visit that relative. Twice a year, smokers may do a complete "ritual" cleaning. (When my collection was smaller, I did this more often because each pipe was smoked more frequently. Now I start by cleaning each pipe in a brand so I don't forget which are done and which are next.) Many smokers use the commercial Yellow Bowl pipe sweetener, but one can try anything from fine brandy to various liquid chemicals which threaten an interest by the EPA. Try this: take each pipe apart, usually doing a half dozen at a time, and lay each piece on a paper towel under a good light. Then, with a pipe cleaner, swab the bit, the shank, and the bowl, being extra careful not to get cleaner on any finished surface. With the interior still moist, use a miniature scrub brush in the bit and shank. After each pass, dip the brush in clean, plain water, dry it, and repeat until the brush comes out of the pipe clean. Lastly, run a new pipe cleaner back through the bit and shank and around the bowl. The pipe is next reassembled and put in its spot. (I like to listen to Bach while conducting this semi-annual ritual, but that's my formula. You may prefer Metallica.) For those of you who have a pipe that has turned against you, that has gone really sour, there are remedies--if you'll put in the effort. Ken Coffield, retired professor, veteran smoker and collector, and a man who knew his way around a briar before World War Two was over, recommends a salt and grain alcohol treatment that appears to be quite effective in restoring the sour pipe to its original sweetness. Be warned up front: do not get any alcohol on the outside surfaces of the pipe! Place the pipe on a steady work surface after giving it a preliminary cleaning with a pipe cleaner to remove tobacco residues, etc. Fill the pipe about one fifth or one quarter full of non-iodized salt. Add a modest amount of 95% pure grain alcohol, saturating the salt. Repeat the process until the pipe is full. Leave the pipe alone for 72 hours--no more, no less--and you should notice a real difference. Of course, you'll want to keep the exterior of your pipe in good condition, too. A kit such as those sold by Jobey or Dunhill and others, plus some pipe wax preparation, is all you'll need for ordinary cleaning. Use the smaller treated cloth in the kit on your bits, but be careful not to get this on the wood portions. This cloth is also excellent for cleaning dirty silver parts, as well. The larger cloth, usually yellow in color, cleans the wood sections. To restore sheen, you may use something like Briar Pipe Wipe by Ruth Industries. Do not apply this directly to your pipe but use a treated cloth which you can easily prepare following the instructions on the spray can. Carl Weber thinks that "every few months a pipe should be cleaned thoroughly" and recommends the usual dismantling and cleaning of the part. For the exterior, he suggests the use of a "chamois leather" to "buff the pipe to a pleasing luster."

You're thinking, "This should come before packing or lighting or cleaning!" And you're right, except that we're going to discuss how to buy a good pipe, once you feel ready for one. In the meantime you might want to buy and smoke a "La Pipa Cippa" (pronounced Lah Peepah Cheepah), or cheap pipe, for a while and see if you're going to stick with pipe smoking. Then you'll be prepared to select a good one. Weber suggests the following simple factors be kept in mind: "Price, Function of the Pipe, Choice of Material, Shape of the Bowl, and Shape of the Stem." Herment points out that, although the pipe "has changed with the times," the "essential shape has remained" for it is "something that cannot be tampered with" if it is too fulfill its function. We must wonder, though, what he would say about some of the more recent "modern" designs, some of which seem a bit impractical. Herment had a point, though: form follows function, with pipes as well as other useful objects. He recommended no one shape, but did feel that "the bowl should not be reduced too much, to further some whim," believing this would doubtless interfere with proper packing of the pipe, among other considerations. When you are ready, there are several things to ponder, some practical (will it smoke cool and comfortable?), and some not so practical, yet possibly important (should it be beautiful, and by a famous maker?) Shape, style (which is not the same as shape), size and cost are among the first considerations. Sad to say, much of this will be intelligent guess work, because how can one know what one will like before one becomes comfortable with the subject? Who among pipe smokers has not said, after passing into the ranks of journeymen smokers, "If only I knew then what I know now!" (I am convinced that a quarter of the pipes I own are, in some way, mistakes.) The beginner should know that one is probably not going to get a good pipe for under $50.00, and is maybe wasting money to pay over $100.00 for a first pipe, but there are always fortunate exceptions to all these "rules." Weber states that "the buyer will get pretty much what he pays for" and believes the smoker should "spend as much money on a pipe as he can sensibly afford." If I might speak personally for a moment, I have many brands, but I think I'd recommend one of the lower priced Savinellis to start. It's basically a reliable pipe, reasonably priced, and not too hard to break in. Savinelli has a line of rusticated pipes called Porto Cervo which sell for around $65.00. It's a medium size pipe (I like big ones) and my wife picked it out. But it has given good service and I'm happy with it. It comes in several shapes, is quite attractive, and smokes cool. To me, Italian pipes break in most easily, followed by the Danish ones. English and French pipes seem harder to break in, unless oil-cured, but these preferences are very personal with all pipe smokers and what's good for one may not be good for another. I have four Ferndowns (English) which seemed to require no breaking in, and I have a Charatan which, in thirty years, has never been broken in. I have six Wilmers, and they are wonderful, but are almost unobtainable now. Getting back to a "cost-benefit analysis," one should set a limit on price, unless you're rich and want to be a collector. Some smokers stop at $100.00, while others may go over $400.00; and a pipe should be very special to prompt anyone to spend that much money. It must have more than its brand name going for it. At that price, for instance, it would have to be a large pipe, have good grain, and have some nice trim: silver, bone, contrasting wood colors, etc. It would need to be unique in some way, with an unusual shape, style or color; in any event, it should be different from what the smoker already has--he shouldn't pay $400.00 for another of what he already has. (To confuse matters more, I have a $35.00 Lorenzo--1969 money, a $225.00 Larsen, and a $400.00 Ser Jacopo, and they all smoke equally well!! To be fair, the Lorenzo has been smoked 200 times and is well broken in, but I recall that it was a decent smoke at the outset.) When you're ready to pay a little more, try a Don Carlos. For around $140.00 for a good size sandblast pipe, you're getting a bargain in today's market. You may decide to be a smoker/collector, and that's fine, too. But then you have to decide what to collect: a particular brand; a certain shape; all the shapes in a particular line within a brand? Many smokers consider themselves a kind of collector, but not on a grand scale. (If I have any specialty at all, it is collecting calabashes; this keeps me comfortably limited.) Weber feels that "buying a pipe may represent an adventure only slightly less terrifying and final than selecting a cemetery plot." However, it need not be so daunting, if only common sense and patience prevails. But, ultimately, collecting, as well as selecting tobacco, and smoking itself, is a very individual thing. There is really only one sound, irrefutable piece of advice to offer on buying and/or collecting: think it over and never buy in haste or without thoroughly examining the pipe. To adapt the old saying, Buy in haste, regret in leisure.

You'll want to try several, so Selecting Tobaccos would be more accurate. Individual tastes come into play here even more than in the pipe selection process. Thank goodness one can try several tobaccos for only a few dollars. Everyone talks about aromatics versus English, as if there were no other tobaccos. Most smokers, if they've been at it ten years or so, have tried a large sampling of the world's tobaccos at one time or another. A lot of this "experimenting" may go on in the early years, while caution settles in later. (I am still "experimenting" today, but a bit more cautiously than in years gone by.) Dunhill believes that "variety and contrast can obviously add to the pleasures of pipe smoking" and encourages the smoker to find "tobaccos which are designed to meet individual requirements." A number of pipe smokers keep searching for the perfect blend, with only moderate success. (Actually, I've found two absolutely wonderful mixtures in my life, but they both got away. They may have been house blends, or from companies that went out of business, but I haven't found them again.) Today, many smokers alternate among Lane's BCA, a nice mild black Cavendish that goes by many names, 1Q, which also has many names, and something more exotic, perhaps a fruit-flavored tobacco. Now these "mild" tobaccos can be problematical, inasmuch as the mildness refers to such matters as level of nicotine, or strength of flavoring, or how pronounced the taste and aroma are. Dunhill is quick to point out, in fact, that "a mild tobacco, especially if it is finely cut and smoked rapidly . . . can taste very hot and burn the tongue." He goes on to suggest "a Navy Cut or mixture of medium strength which is neither too moist or too dry." These Cavendish tobaccos are usually mild (but not always without tongue bite) and blend well with other tobaccos. Some pipe smokers prefer the so-called "English blends" which have a good, strong tobacco, or natural, taste. Some like tobaccos with almost no flavor at all! And, sooner or later, you'll want to become your own tobacconist, in a sense, experimenting and blending. As risky a business as this might seem to the beginner, it can be an endeavor that, as Weber puts it, "provides rich rewards in terms of education, esthetics, and economy" in an enterprise where "the pipester can learn to make the best use of the best qualities of each type of tobacco." Here are a few common sense ideas about selecting tobaccos: Start with a chart. You might have columns marked Tobacco, Pipe Used, Date, Hour, Bowl Number, and Evaluation. Note the tobacco or blend, then what pipe was used for the evaluation (more about this in a minute), the date, the hour (because an early morning test may be different from one done late in the day), the bowl number (that is, was it your first bowl of the day, etc), and the actual evaluation (fragrance, mildness, taste). You can create your form using the Microsoft Works program, specifying that gridlines be printed out, but a sheet of lined paper will do. Blends you create yourself can present problems, especially if you do not carefully list ingredients and proportions. Many of us pipe smokers tend to give up too soon on a given tobacco, testing one only once or twice. The blend may not taste or smell right to us but, with more testing, may become a favorite. Yet, if a blend is tested as the first bowl of the day, in a fairly "neutral" pipe, that first impression is usually correct. You can "rescue" a loser, so to speak, by blending your own little concoction, so be aware that some tobaccos, which by themselves are not appealing to you, may become good if mixed with something else. (The best example of this for me is my Mocha Supreme blend, now one of my three favorite things to smoke. I had purchased some Walnut tobacco and decided it was too sweet for me but, when mixed with McClellen's Coffee, and a third tobacco, is absolutely out of this world--flavorful, unique, and very mild.) When you do make your own blend, keep records, noting the ingredients and their proportions in the mixture.

Picking a pipe to use for tobacco testing might be tricky. The old adage about smoking only one tobacco in a given pipe is largely true, yet one cannot be expected to buy several new pipes to test tobaccos, unless you were planning to buy some anyway--whenever you do make a new purchase, though, you have the perfect opportunity to evaluate a new tobacco as well. If you use an old pipe, pick one that has had only very mild tobaccos smoked in it before. A pipe that has been smoked with a pronounced fruit-flavored blend would not be suitable for evaluating a subtle nut-like flavor, for instance. Don't even try to make an evaluation using a favorite old pipe you've smoked with the same tobacco over and over throughout the years! Some experts suggest using a clay pipe, as they are cheap and can be thrown away without regret. As for the evaluation process itself, well patience will be the key. Be prepared to try the same tobacco several times, then look over your chart and see what that tells you. You may note that on one occasion you marked it as "mild," but on another as "a little harsh." Was the first notation the result of a first bowl of the day smoke, and the second a third or fourth of the day? Did you smoke more than you usually do the night before, perhaps puffing away while doing some computer work, smoking in a manner best described as "fast and furious," but not conscious of the fact? Look for patterns and ask yourself what they mean. Each successful evaluation will enhance the enjoyment of your hobby, and bring balance to your smoking pleasure. Acquiring a new tobacco is like gaining a new friend; rejecting one without a fair testing is like loosing a potential life's companion.

If "the briar is the king of pipes" Weber states, "then meerschaum is surely queen," and points out that "for at least a century, meerschaum was to be the hallmark of the very rich." Happily, this is no longer so. If you've read the little brochures that come with most meerschaums, or read about them in various magazine articles or book chapters, you know that meerschaum means "seafoam" in German. And you know that it comes from Turkey--primarily in the town of Eskishehir--and is composed of hydrous silicate of magnesium, the remains of ancient sea creature shells. The pipes are formed and carved while still damp, immersed in wax, and priced according to size, whiteness and color uniformity, and intricacy of carving. Carvers who have achieved a measure of fame, can command higher prices for their work--or at least higher profits for those who distribute their pipes. Call it heresy, but more than one "expert" will tell you, HANDLE YOUR MEERSCHAUM! Some will tell you the opposite, of course. It's cool and comfortable, and it feels good in your hand--go ahead, enjoy! It's going to color differently in different areas of the pipe anyway, so whatever oils or other residues your hands leave on the meerschaum aren't going to have much effect. And the pipe will color through the years, especially if you smoke black Cavendish in it. Some will turn dark as briar. Ehwa states the case simply: "just smoke the pipe and be patient," but cautions that "it generally takes two or three years" to darken appreciably. The only exception you might want to make as far as handling is concerned, is the completely plain, unadorned pipe. You may want to use some kind of smoking glove in this case. Pipe smokers like to break rules, it seems, but one you ought to stick to steadfastly is never smoke a meerschaum while walking, or over any hard surface. A sudden case of butterfingers, and it's all over. Even if it doesn't shatter, it will have some nasty dents after the accident. Clean your meerschaum as you would a briar, but keep in mind that most bits are screw-in types--don't pull them out or you may break one. You might save some of your stronger tobaccos for your meerschaums, because, being cooler than many briars, the effect may be somewhat lessened. Carl Ehwa, in a chapter of his great work, The Book of Pipes and Tobacco, entitled "The Amiable Pipe," provides wonderful pictures and descriptions of meerschaum pipes. After studying this material, and enjoying you own pipe, you will surely agree with Weber that meerschaum is, indeed, "queen of pipes."