Facts to Know About Corn Cob Pipes!
Missouri Meerschaum offers the following tips to lengthen the life of your authentic Missouri Meerschaum Corn Cob Pipe and enrich your smoking experience!
How to Fill and Smoke Your Corn Cob Pipe
1. Filling your pipe correctly is the first step in enjoying your pipe
2. Draw gently, in short puffs, to produce smoke and enjoy the tobacco. Doing so will provide a cool smoke and prevent “tongue bite.”
3. If this is a new pipe, it is important to smoke it all the way through. As you smoke, a carbon wall is formed inside the tobacco chamber. This carbon wall not only insulates the pipe, but also helps a pipe perform consistently.
4. As you smoke, it is important to blow smoke back through the pipe periodically while smoking. It not only allows for a more consistent and enjoyable smoke, but aids in keeping the pipe lit.
5. Additionally, it is essential to use a lighting method that gives a gentle flame, such as matches, a Bic Lighter, or a Zippo. Do not use a “torch” lighter.
Maintenance and Care of Your Pipe
1. Due to wood being a natural product, temperature and humidity during transit and storage will affect the fit of the bit.
In warm, humid temperatures you may find the bit to be too tight. To correct this, simply place your pipe in the freezer for a few hours. This will draw the moisture from the wood shank and allow it to contract. Also, adding a little beeswax to the tenon will help ease the removal of the bit.
In cold, dry temperatures you may find that your bit and metal ferrule may fit loosely due to lack of humidity. To correct this issue, remove the bit and swab the mortise in the wood shank with a warm, wet Q-tip. Allow the water to permeate the wood. Repeat this process until a proper fit is made.
2. We advise the use of pipe cleaners when you are finished smoking your pipe; they can be especially helpful to use while smoking as well. Removing the filter, if it has one, is essential during this process. If you hear a gurgle while smoking, it is indicative of too much moisture in the pipe. A clean pipe is a good-smoking pipe!
3. Allowing all the components of the pipe to cool together will help avoid breakage during disassembly. Hold the shank firmly while gently twisting to remove the bit, and only once the pipe has cooled.
4. Never knock your pipe against a hard surface, but rather against something soft such as the palm of your hand. Holding the bowl (rather than the shank) while knocking out your pipe will prevent breakage.
5. Having more than one pipe in your smoking rotation will allow your pipes to dry and “rest.” Dry pipes will always smoke better and last longer than wet, overworked pipes. Reliable smoking pipes are the key to a truly excellent smoking experience. Most pipe smokers recommend having a 7-day rotation.
If you have additional questions or need advice, please call or email. We’re glad to help!