Many pipe smokers are tempted by the purchase of a Sea foam pipe (Meerschaum in German), but they ask: what is it? How do you smoke?
Well, it must be said that sea foam is a mineral known as sealitite (or hydrated silicate of magnesium) which is done only in Turkey and takes on the bizarre name of "sea foam" because it is not uncommon to see small pieces floating and roll on the banks of the Black Sea and, therefore, evoke the white effect of the waves who collapse on the shore.
The geologist Ernst Friedrich Gloker was the first inventor of small pieces and classified the characteristics.
It is not known with precision who was the first who had the idea of transforming the sepolitan blocks into a smoke tool, but it is known with certainty that Austria was the cradle of the first and most famous pipes produced with this material.
The well -known Andreas Bauer in many years of activity has worked with wise skill with the most beautiful pipes in sea foam, at least until the export imposed by Turkey: today, in fact, all the sepiolyitis that is wandered, is worked only and exclusively in Turkey.
Well, these wonderful objects, often depicting faces, animal heads (or in any case everything that the imagination of individual artists is able to generate) have their own smoke characteristics.
First of all, smoking a foam gives the original flavor of tobacco as the pipes do not remain conditioned by previous aromas; They offer very fresh smokes and, truly unique feature, with the constant and continuous use they "culotta" or darken. Better still take colors first amber and then, gradually darkened more and more.
This is the reason why, as we said before, the stove often depicts what is produced by the sculptor's imagination: for example, a stove depicting a face, over time it will be transformed in a progressive and gradual way, coloring and defining the effigy image (just look for Google, to get an idea)
In short, try to believe! To start, just buy a pipe imported from Lubinsky, rigorously coming from Eşkisehir in Turkey, to approach this different way of living the smoke: fresh, which enhances the flavor of tobacco and gives, with the passage of the time, also visual emotions due to effect of the Cuolottage; In other words, a pipe that transforms and color with the owner's constancy (and patience).
It is said, in fact, that a nobleman from the early 1900s, a seafront collector, had the habit of inviting clochards to his house and in exchange for a meal, he was smoking the pipes to them just to speed up the culottage of the same!
The pipe, for the first smokes, will be "challenged" with a white glove, as during the first 5/10 smokes the mineral expels wax and oil (in very modest quantities) which, however, run the risk of staining the pipe. But, we repeat, overcome these first precautions, a foam gives only beautiful emotions.
