LUBINSKI Meerschaum pipe in meerschaum Bent Apple Smooth Smoked with silver ferrule

Sea foam made from whole block

Finishing : Smooth

Group 6 : Medium Small

Shape : Bent Apple

Meerschaum is generally known as the “white goddess” and her admirers particularly emphasize her rendition. It is composed of hydrated magnesium silicate (scientifically called sepiolite) which is found in Turkey and Tanzania.

Its origin is uncertain, but it is assumed that the calcareous water of the rivers eroded the magnesium stones and deposited the mud formed. Possible geological changes would have determined the change in the course of the river leaving behind, at a depth of between forty and eighty metres, the alluvial deposits which would then have been pressed into blocks as a result of the pressure exerted by the overlying tectonic masses.

If on the one hand there are innumerable legends about the date of birth of the first pipe made from this particularly light material, on the other hand it is certain that the first European meerschaum pipes were manufactured in Hungary and imported by some aristocrats to Vienna, where a meerschaum processing center developed. Around 1870, over two hundred companies located in the Austrian capital produced hydrated magnesium silicate pipes and the term "Vienna foam" was introduced into the pipe literature.

The best meerschaum used in the manufacturing of pipes is the one in blocks from Turkey. The original Tanzanian material is geologically much younger than the Turkish one and does not give the same yield and does not even have the same truly white color as the Turkish one, extracted mainly in the region surrounding Eşkisehir. For low-priced pipes, pressed foam is also used, made up of foam waste held together by the pressure exerted and by the binder. The lower quality is mass sea foam which also consists of waste, but. contrary to what has just been illustrated, they are ground into a pulp which, once water, potassium silicate and potassium salts have been added, is boiled for processing.

Block meerschaum pipes, which we will discuss now, are usually made on a lathe. At first the blocks are cut to the right size, softened in water and finally, still wet, turned and drilled and often carvings or ornaments are applied to them. While in the past the turned or sculpted heads were dipped in whale white, today they are dipped in bleached white wax. Foam pipes have conquered many smokers because they do not require breaking in, do not suffer burns and allow the tobacco to retain its aroma. So the pipe "doesn't mind" if the smoker smokes different tobaccos. The desire of most smokers is that the color of their "white goddess" gradually changes from amber to pink and finally to dark brown. However, to achieve this goal it is necessary to smoke the pipe several hundred times bearing in mind that the first time it must be smoked with great caution. In fact, if the head of the pipe overheats, the smoke condensate settles on the bottom and it is no longer possible to obtain a uniform colour. In the past it was generally recommended not to touch the head of the pipe while smoking as fingerprints caused stains.

Some books even recommend touching the pipe only after putting on soft wire gloves. Expert Otto Pollner, on the other hand, recommends smoking the pipe holding it in your hand – provided it is clean – as this would allow you to constantly keep the temperature under control and contribute to uniform heat distribution, thus obtaining the much desired red-brown hue more quickly. Many misconceptions, many outdated care instructions and incorrect recommendations for use have led to a decline in the popularity of the meerschaum pipe which it once enjoyed. In reality, there are few rules to be respected, one is for example that these fragile pipes must not be emptied by beating them against hard objects, but this also applies to briar pipes.

There are only a few foam pipe producers left. One factor that has favored this trend is that, when Turkish politicians realized that Turkey is one of the few countries with deposits of the precious foam, they issued an export ban on the raw material to incentivize local producers. Regardless of the fact that the ban is sometimes harshly and sometimes leniently enforced, some European manufacturers legally circumvent the law by purchasing meerschaum in Turkey, where they start processing it and then exporting it. The finishing is carried out in Austria, Switzerland or France. Since the rights to the name of the long-established Viennese house Andreas Bauer were ceded, Sedat Konçak produces approximately 1,500 pipes a year bearing that brand and 8,500 bearing his own name. The Lubinski catalog offers foam pipes, exclusively Turkish blocks, made exclusively to a design by the Sekergioglu brothers of Eşkisehir. Usually the classification by value of the foam pipes, in the classic forms, takes into account the size of the raw block, and mainly the height of the bowl. Hence our classification by groups from 5 (small) to 10 (giants).

All individually boxed with a unique artisan process.