-
What is Meerschaum ?
-
Where is Meerschaum
mined ?
-
How is Meerschaum mined ?
-
Where is Eskisehir ?
-
Are the best quality of
Meerschaum in blocks
really extracted in
Eskisehir/Turkey
?
-
Some Do's and Dont's for
Meerschaum smokers.
-
What are the sizes of
Meerschaum pipes ?
-
What are the levels of
making a Meerschaum pipe ?
-
Is there a Meerschaum
festival in Eskisehir/Turkey
?
-
Did Sherlock Holmes really
use Meerschaum pipes?
-
What are pipe types?
-
Materials to make a Pipe
-
What are pipe styles ?
-
What are pipe Parts ?
-
About pipe tabacco
-
About tabacco cuts
-
Basic blending tabaccos
-
Taste tabaccos
-
Oriental spice tabaccos
-
About pipe accessories
-
Pipe terms
-
Shapes of pipes
-
Cross section of a pipe
-
Mouth pieces
-
Finishes
-
Accessories of a pipe
-
About Tabocco
-
Smoking a pipe
-
History of pipe smoking
-
Smoking Tips
-
Infomation about tabaccos
-
What is the main forms of
tobacco habit?
‘Meerschaum’ is a a german word
describing a soft mineral ,
which literally means ‘sea
foam’.alluding to the belief
that it was the compressed
whitecaps of waves, just as it
is said in mythology for the
goddess of beauty - Aphrodite.
It is of an opaque white or
cr’am color and when first
extracted is soft and easily
marked,but it hardens on
exporuse to the sun or when
dried in a warm room or in a
furnace. To polish the pipes is
very important. The polish must
be good quality.
Most of the Meerschaum for commercial
use is obtained from asia Minor,chiefly from the plains of
Eskisehir
, Turkey , where it occurs in a
small rounded lumps , in
alluvial deposits which are
extensively worked for its
extraction. The exracted lumps
are first scraped then
dried,again scraped and then
polished with wax. The rudely
shaped Meerschaum is then taken
into workshops,where it is
skilfully carved by hand into
beautiful pipes,or turned and
carved into cigarette and cigar
holders and articles of
adornment
Meerschaum
is one of the major reasons for
the fame of
Eskisehir.
A hydrous magnesium silicate
H4Mg2Si3O10 and used for
tobacco pipes.Its high
porosity acts as "natural
filter" allows to absorb
the nicotin that is
why it takes a rich brown
color as used
It contains
Magnesium(Mg) and Hydrosilicade
in it’s structure.Magnesium
doesn't make it strong and the
hydrogen and oxygen don't make
it cool. It is the crystalline
structure; the arrangement of
the magnesium, silicon, oxygen,
and hydrogen atoms in a rigid
crystalline structure that makes
sepiolite (the clay mineral that
is identified by pipe smokers as
meerschaum) so good for smoking.Eskisehir
has the purest and whitest ,most
easy to engrave Meerschaum in
the world.
Meerschaum
deposits of the highest quality
are found only in one place in
the world - in the small city of
Eskisehir
in central Turkey.And
here the deposits are confined
to an area of only 4 square
miles.It comes in other masses
in various sizes and round.
Because it is less dense that
the water, it floats on the
water.It is soft when newly
–extracted and feels like soap
but, it hardens overtime. It is
also called ‘white gold’ because
of it’s color.
Mined with
hand tools, and by men trained
in this singular family
tradition, meerschaum is
excavated at depths ranging from
200 to 300 feet. The miners wash
the raw meerschaum lumps and
sort them into 5 categories
according to quality. Each of
these 5 categories is further
divided into 12 qualities
according to size, color
porosity and homogeneity of the
mineral.
Nearly 300 years ago, the first
meerschaum pipe was carved by
hand. And today, these unique
pipes are still carved by hand.
The carver, a craftsman of
unique ability and long
experience, examines each piece
of meerschaum, calculating the
lines of cleavage along which it
should be split. The split
block-meerschaum is soaked in
water for 15-30 minutes until
the material achieves a
cheese-like consistency. Working
with the softened material, the
carver determines the rough
shape of the pipe before the
bowl and draft hole are bored.
Like all fine hand-crafted
articles, no two meerschaums are
alike. The carved meerschaum
goes into a kiln at high
temperature, a process that
removes all moisture from the
mineral. The shank is threaded
and fitted with a stem. After
meticulous polishing with the
finest grade abrasives, the
meerschaum is ready for waxing.
Though there are many different
wax formulas, beeswax alone
yields the rich coloring
associated with the finest
meerschaums. Melted and then
bleached, the beeswax is ready
to receive the pipe itself. The
subtle differences in color and
tone among pipes are
intentional, achieved by careful
dipping of the pipes a specific
number of times.
The purest and quality
meerschaum blocks are mined in
Eskisehir/Turkey. But a lesser
quality meerschaum blocks also
exits in the a few countries.A
pure bone white meerschaum block
indicates Turkish origin and top
quality; a block containing
flecks indicates a lesser grade
from Africa's northern coasts,
or Tanzania, referred to as
African Coral Meerschaum.
It is mined from 200 to
300 feet under the ground
surface, in irregular forms
and sizes. It is
fossilized remains of the
sea-animals that lived
millions of years ago.
Mined with hand tools, and by
men trained in this singular
family tradition. The
pictures can be seen
here.
Eskisehir is at the north west
of the center Anatolia of the
Turkey.The details of Eskisehir
can be seen
here.
Yes.Eskisehir has the purest and
quality meerschaum blocks of the
world.The best meerschaum pipes
are made by using this
blocks.The best quality of
meerschaum in blocks are
extracted nowhere in
the world but only in
Turkey. Whereas the lower
qualities do not absorb
the nicotin as the others
ones. Though the pressed
meerschaum do not absorb at
all.About 200 years ago,
the first ever
meerschaum-pipe was carved
by a certain shoe-maker
called Kovacs in Budapest.
Before than nobody knew
about this mineral, which
could be excellently carved
to make pipes.Eversince
"carving" has become almost
an art.
Back to Top
Don't
be afraid to handle or hold your
meerschaum with clean hands.
Remember, you purchased a
meerschaum primarily for your
smoking pleasure. The "added"
pleasure you derive from a
meerschaum is watching it color
as you smoke it.
The
conventional wisdom on this
topic is that handling a
meerschaum while warm removes
the beeswax coating on the pipe,
which highlights its coloring.
While this is true, only the
purist - the smoker far more
concerned with the look of his
pipe than his own smoking
pleasure - need worry about it.
Do take
care when removing the stem of
your meerschaum by pulling it
and twisting it CLOCKWISE while
supporting the shank with the
fingers. Replace the stem by
pushing it and twisting it
CLOCKWISE also. Twisting
counter-clockwise could unscrew
the tenon, and doing so
repeatedly can strip out the
shank. A little care here will
be repaid through a lifetime of
smoking pleasure.
Don't
tap your meerschaum against a
hard surface. If you tap it in
your palm, be sure to support
the shank firmly with your hand.
This is sound advice for briar
pipe smokers also. To empty a
meerschaum, tip it upside down,
and if the ash doesn't fall out
on its own use a pipe tool
gently to loosen it.
Don't
let a cake develop in a
meerschaum. Therefore do not
worry about "breaking in" your
meerschaum. Meerschaum pipes,
unlike briars, do not burn and
hence need not be protected by a
carbon cake. Besides, the
meerschaum is softer than the
cake and it may crack very
easily, since the cake expands
with heat faster than the
meerschaum does. You can ream it
out, but you've got to be very
careful in the process--the
reamer will remove meerschaum
faster than cake, so you've got
to watch for spots where you've
reamed away the cake and stay
away from those.
It is
not recommended to use pipe
sweeteners in meerschaum pipes.
The porous mineral will be
soaked with the sweetener
causing it to lose its
functionality.
Do
clean the cake or residue inside
the bowl of your meerschaum. Use
a sharp-edged, blunt-ended tool.
Avoid digging into the heel of
the pipe when cleaning the graft
hole by not allowing the pipe
cleaner (NOT liquid cleaner) to
extend too far into the bowl. Do
not use alcohol to clean the
bowl of a meerschaum pipe. The
meerschaum is WET and SOFT in
the heel immediately after a
smoke.
Smoke your favorite blend in
your meerschaum. Each pipe will
color differently.
SUMMARY:
-
DO NOT drop nor tap it to the
hard surfaces
- DO NOT allow a cake to build
in the bowl
- DO NOT twist the stem
counter-clockwise
- DO NOT take the stem out of a
pipe while it is still hot- DO
NOT use alcohol to clean
- DO NOT use pipe sweetener.
Our all meerschaum pipes are
avaliable at four sizes.
-
Small pipes height are about
1.2"-1.6" (30-40 mm) Long
are about 4.8"-5.6"
(120-140mm)
-
Medium pipes height are
about 1.4"-2.0" (35-50 mm)
Long are about 4.8"-5.6"
(120-140mm)
-
Large pipes height are about
2.4"-3.0" (60-75mm) Long
are about 5.6"-6.4"
(140-160mm)
-
Saxophone pipes height are
about 2.4"-3.5" (60mm-90mm)
Long are about 8.0"-8.8"
(200-220mm)
The meerschaum is in block form
and is sorted through to choose
the best nodules to carve from.
This block has been given a
rough shape.
After the careful selection of
the "Stone" the meerschaum is
divided into sections to begin
the carving process. The
meerschaum has natural "Fault
lines" where it must be split
for carving.
After the meerschaum is split it
is ready to be carved by
skilled craftsmen. There are two
choices for work in this part of
Turkey. One is to mine
Meerschaum and the other is to
carve meerschaum. The carvers of
meerschaum start directly after
school (About 12 years old).
These carvers will train under
the masters who have been
carving for dozens of years.
The carving process is not
complete until the pipes are
sanded perfectly.
The next step in the pipe making
process is to dry the
meerschaum. When Meerschaum
comes out of the red clay in the
ground it has a high moisture
content. In order to ensure the
meerschaum is dry a kiln is
used.
After the meerschaum is totally
dry it is boiled in beeeswax to
seal the pores in the pipe. The
pipes are first prepared by
inserting a cork into each hole.
Then the pipes are ready for the
beeswax.
Once the beexwax is dry and the
pipes are cool the pipes are
buffed and fitted with stems.
Well aside from making the case
this pretty much sums up the
entire process of Meerschaum
Pipe Carving.
Yes.Every year there is a
Meerschaum festival in
Eskisehir.Some
of the artistic artwork -
pipes made for the
competition of "Meerchaum
Festival" held at
Eskişehir.The pictures can be
seen
here.
Yes!William Gillette is credited
with the introduction of the
curved, meerschaum pipe to
Sherlock Holmes. Gillette found
it difficult to deliver his
lines on stage using a
traditional straight pipe. He
found he could hold the curved
pipe in his mouth and easily say
his lines. The curved pipe has
been a part of Holmes image ever
since.
Gillette served as the model for
Frederick Dorr Steele's
illustrations of the Doyle
stories in their American
publications.The picture can be
seen
here.
MEERSCHAUM: A German word
meaning literally, "sea-foam,"
alluding to the belief that it
was the compressed whitecaps of
waves. Meerschaum is a mineral -
hydrous silicate of magnesium -
one of the most porous
substances found in nature.
Composed of the fossilized
shells of tiny sea creatures
that fell to the ocean floor
millions of years ago,
meerschaum is found in red clay
deposits. Meerschaum deposits of
the highest quality are found
only in one place in the world -
Eskisehir, in central Turkey.
BRIAR: This is the
closely-grained burl joint
between the stem and roots of
the White Heath, a tree found on
the hillsides of mainly
Mediterranean countries.
Underground, this burl protects
the briar wood, which is tough,
close grained, porous, and
nearly impervious to heat. Good
briar is hard to find. The
larger shrubs take a long time
to mature...and the older the
shrub the better the briar and
thus your pipe. The most
suitable root may be 80 to 100
years old, and the finest pipe
briar may be from a shrub over
200 years old... aged and
mellowed by time.
AFRICAN BLOCK MEERSCHAUM: comes
from Tanzania, Africa and is
usually stained in varying
shades of brown, black and
yellow.
MISSOURI MEERSCHAUM: The
All-American Corncob pipe. It is
a length of hollowed-out
corncob, usually from a special
hybrid variety of corn, with a
straight wooden stem and,
sometimes, a inexpensive plastic
mouthpiece. Some veteran pipe
smokers buy corncobs by the
dozens, smoke one until it burns
out or goes sour, then throw it
away and light up another. (If a
youngster uses yours to blow
soap bubbles, buy another.)
CALABASH: A South African
gourd similar to a squash grown
specifically for use in pipes.
The shape is determined as the
gourd grows by placing small
blocks under the stem, forcing
it into a gentle curve. The
mature gourd is cut and dried,
then fitted with a cork gasket
to receive a meerschaum bowl.
The finished pipe offers one of
the coolest, driest smokes
available. Immortalized by
Sherlock Holmes and in Jimmy
Durante's signature line - "Good
night Mrs. Calabash - wherever
you are."
CLAY PIPE: Clay or pottery pipes
were very popular in England and
in Europe before the discovery
of briar. In London coffee
houses and clubs, long-stemmed
"Church wardens" and "London
Straws" were universally
accepted. The finest clay for
pipes is said to be found in
Devon, England.
HOOKAH: Also known as a
WATER-PIPE or occasionally
HUBBLY-BUBBLY. The Turkish
hookah filters the pipe smoke
through water (or booz) for
extra coolness. Many styles of
hookah exist including those
with multiple mouth pieces so
that several may enjoy the
tobacco (or hashish)
simultaneously. The tobacco used
in the hookah is usually dried
whole leaf, soaked and crumbled,
or canned, mixed with various
herbs and flavors. The very
moist tobacco is heaped into the
bowl and covered with a small
charcoal fire.
OPIUM PIPE: An Oriental
water-pipe, normally made of
brass with a very tiny bowl used
for smoking opium. Opium pipes
are frequently seen with 12 or
18 inch long stems and fancy
braiding.
CAST IRON: Normally used to
carry natural gas.
Different materials can be
used to make pipes. There is
naturally a wide variety of
materials, the most important of
which are meerschaum,
briar,corncob and clay.
Meerschaum : Meerschaum pipes
were manufactured from the
beginning of the 18th century.
Nowadays, meerschaum pipes come
mainly from Turkey. Meerschaum ,
a German word meaning literally
‘sea-foam’, is a fairly scarce
product actually is a mineral, a
rock made up of magnesium which
can be found from a depth of
approximately 25 metres.
Meerschaum’s pipe-making
qualities lie in the fact that
it is a very lightweight, porous
material, and is very soft,
making it easy to work with. In
addition, a meerschaum pipe
changes colour over the years as
it is smoked.
Briar :Briar pipes originate
from Saint-Claude, where they
were made for the first time in
1850. Saint-Claude is still an
important world centre for Briar
pipes. Briar wood has a number
of properties which make it
highly suitable for making
pipes: it can withstand high
temperatures, is exceptionally
hard, yet extremely light and
looked after, it will last a
lifetime. The part of the Erica
arborea which is used for making
pipes, the briar root, is the
part between the roots and the
actual trunk of the tree. The
tree is found on the hillsides
of mainly Mediterranean regions.
The older the shrub, the better
the briar and thus your pipe.
The wood is only suitable to be
carved into its final shape
after extensive treatment.
Clay :Clay pipes were highly
popular in the 19th century,
although nowadays they are
principally manufactured for
decorative purposes. Several
different types of clay are
frequently mixed to obtain a
uniform colour. Clay pipes
originate in The Netherlands,
Belgium, France and England. One
famous example was made in
Gouda. Clay pipes also have a
significant price advantage over
briar and meerschaum pipes. One
disadvantage however, is that
they are fairly fragile,
although this would seem to be a
small price to pay for a real
old-fashioned pipe smoking
experience.
Corncob :The phenomenon of the
corncob pipe originates from
America. As the name suggests,
such pipes are made from a
corncob specially cultivated for
the purpose, which is dried for
approximately 2 years before
being treated and coated. One
cob normally makes two corncob
pipes. What is unusual about
this type of pipe is that, in
addition to being very light and
porous, it can take on a certain
flavour and has a relatively
short lifetime, although this is
offset by very low cost.
APPLE:
A pipe with a rounded bowl, in
the shape of an apple.
BENT: A curved stem pipe.
BILLIARD: A common shape.
Straight stem, slightly rounded
verticalbowl.
BULLDOG: A pipe with a round
bowl and a pointed heel and
shank.
CANADIAN: An unbent pipe with a
long shank and a straight
verticalbowl.
CHURCHWARDEN: A pipe with an
extremely long stem.
DUBLIN: An Irish style, shaped
after the clay pipe. Straight
shank, bowl leans forward
slightly.
FREEHAND: Also known as DANISH
FREEHAND. An asymmetric,
one-of-a-kind shape.
OOM PAUL: A large-boweled bent
stemmed pipe name for the Boer
leader who smoked this variety.
POKER: A cylindrical bowl and
stem, without bend.
PRINCE: A squat, rounded bowl
and a stem bent near the
mouthpiece.
WOODSTOCK: The same as a DUBLIN
with a slightly curved stem.
BOWL:
The part of the pipe that holds
the tobacco.
HEEL: The base of the inside of
the pipe bowl.
SHANK: The part of the pipe that
joins the bowl and the stem.
STEM: The part that connects the
shank with the bit. Examine it
carefully. Its quality, finish
and fit will reveal the maker's
carelessness or attention to
detail.
BIT: The part of the pipe stem
that fits in the mouth. Also
called the MOUTHPIECE.
BITE-PROOF STEM: A bit designed
with a solid center portion at
the mouth to prevent the
"canine" tooth from punching a
hole in it as readily as is done
in a standard bit.
AMBEROID STEM: A fusion of
Bakelite and pure amber -
usually used with meerschaum
pipes.
BAKELITE STEM: Trade name for a
synthetic resin widely used for
lacquers and varnishes and as a
plastic. A common material used
for the stem, especially of mass
produced pipes. An alternative
to vulcanite.
AMBER: brittle, feels like glass
to the teeth - Usually used with
meerschaum pipes.
VULCANITE: A dark-colored
variety of India rubber that has
been subjected to vulcanization
: also called "hard rubber." A
common material used for the
stem, especially of mass
produced pipes.
LUCITE: Trade name for a
plastic. A common material used
for the stem, especially of mass
produced pipes.
HORN STEM: Animal horn - often
found on inferior meerschaum
pipes
BONE STEM: Animal bone - often
found on inferior meerschaum
pipes
TOBACCO:
A member of the plant family
"Solanaceae" which also includes
tomato and potato plants. Around
40 kinds of tobacco exist.
QUALITY: Tobacco is graded by
leaf type and quality. There are
five grades - choice, fine,
good, fair, and low. These are
set by the tobacco's uniformity,
texture, age, oil, body,
coloring, etc.
NICOTIANA: The botanical name
for tobacco after Jean Nicot who
introduced tobacco into Europe
around 1560.
RALEIGH, SIR WALTER: He
popularized smoking at Queen
Elizabeth's court around the mid
16th century and was believed to
be the first to smoke a pipe in
England.
TOBAGO: Columbus discovered it
in 1498, and according to
legend, named it after the shape
of a Carib pipe smoked on the
island.
FLAKE CUT:
Tobacco packaged as large, flat
flakes. Must be rubbed out to
separate the flakes.
RIBBON CUT: Tobacco cut into
long, thin ribbons, though not
as long or as fine as SHAG.
CUBE CUT: Tobacco chopped into
small square pieces.
SHAG: Tobacco which has been
shredded very finely. Renowned
as the type of preference for
Sherlock Holmes; at that time,
shag was considered an inferior
grade.
RUBBING OUT: Separating tobacco
pieces prior to smoking, by
rubbing in the palm of the hand.
Must be done with FLAKE or PLUG
cut tobaccos.
VIRGINIA
- red / black / lemon / orange /
orange-red The mildest of all
blending tobaccos has the
highest natural sugar content.
Used in virtually all blends as
it is a good burner and aids in
lighting. It imparts a light
sweet taste when used in
moderation
BRIGHT - From the Carolinas
BURLEY - "white Burley" - a
natural tobacco taste with a
soft character that will never
"bite."
CAVENDISH - Cavendish is a
process of curing and a method
of cutting tobacco leaf; the
term does not refer to a
tobacco, but a type of
manufacturing process. The
processing and the cut are used
to bring out the natural sweet
taste that is a characteristic
of Virginia tobacco. This
process will create a tobacco
very light in taste, quite mild
and easy to pack. Black -
Traditional Navy Cavendish, aged
naturally with darkJamaican rum
.
PERIQUE
- From Louisiana
HAVANA - From Cuba
LATAKIA
- From Syria/Cyprus (richly
smoked and fermented) Latakia
was "discovered" when a bumper
crop resulted in surplus, and
the excess tobacco was stored in
the rafters. The village farmers
traditionally used camel dung
(or other dung, I suspect) as a
source of fuel, and the smoke
cured tobacco was revealed the
following season. Today, Latakia
is smoked over a smoldering fire
of aromatic herbs. The camel no
longer has to process the herbs
first!
DUBEC - From Turkey
XANTHI - From Macedonia
KOMOTINI - From Macedonia
DRAMA - From Macedonia
SERRES - From Macedonia
SAMSUN - From the southern coast
of the Black Sea, Turkey
IZMIR - From Western Turkey
PIPE CLEANERS:
Indispensable - two types -
"soft and fluffy" to dry up
moisture or "thin and wiry" to
dig out deposits.
LIQUID PIPE CLEANERS: Also
called PIPE SWEETENERS, dissolve
the gum and tar while leaving a
fresh aroma in the bowl, stem
and mouthpiece. DO NOT use it
for Meerschaum bowls.
SMOKERS COMPANION: Also called
MULTI-PURPOSE PIPE TOOL, a
spoon, a pick, and a tamper in a
metal holder. Usually built like
a pocket knife, often
accompanied by a "knife blade
reamer."
PIPE REAMER: A tool for
smoothing out the "cake" and
trimming it down to a desired
size. Reamers come in a variety
of shapes and functionalities.
PIPE RACK: A storage place for
your pipes. To most enjoy pipe
smoking one needs several pipes
to accommodate one's moods and
activities.
HUMIDOR: A thing in which to
store tobacco. Ideally - cheap
and air-tight (try Tupperware) -
one places fresh tobacco in it
and once sealed, it will
maintain the tobacco in a
smokable consistency
indefinitely. A major alternate
use of a humidor is the
"re-moistening" of dried out
tobacco. For this action one
adds a source of moisture to the
tobacco in the humidor before
sealing.
CAKE:
A small layer of protective
carbon allowed to form and
remain in the bowl of a briar
pipe. The cake protects the
briar from burning but too much
cake can split the pipe by
causing uneven heating of the
bowl.
DOTTLE: Unburned tobacco left in
the heel of a pipe.
TONGUE BITE: Irritation of the
tongue, usually caused by
smoking tobacco that is too wet,
or by puffing too hard.
MYOB: Acronym for "mind your own
business." Suggested rejoinder
to nasty antismokers who bother
you for no conceivable reason
Smoking a pipe provides a man
with a delightful ritual. The
bowl of a pipe is of great
importance; it is responsible
for good quality smoke and for
the aestethic part of the pipe.
When selecting the right pipe
bowl, both the eye and the hand
are the decisive factors. Not
only the size, but also the
shape of the bowl is important.
They both should fully suit the
pipe smoker. Strictly speaking,
no two pipes are alike. However,
some basic pipe shapes can be
given. Nearly all pipes come in
three basic configurations:
bents, bowed & straights. In
addition, a selection of pipe
shapes can be distinguished, all
of which come in different
sizes.Click
here
for pictures of shapes.
The pipe itself is made up of a
number of individual components,
each with its own function.
While pipes come in all shapes
and sizes, the parts described
below are common to all pipes.
The mouthpiece:The
mouthpiece forms the end part of
the pipe. It forms a hermetic
seal with the stem, although it
can be unscrewed from the latter
for cleaning purposes. The shape
of the mouthpiece plays a key
role in the pipe smoking
experience. In general,
distinction can be made between
two main mouthpiece shapes:
tapered models (straight and
simple) and saddle-type models
(with a triangular notch). All
mouthpieces have a flat (‘wide
bore’) or round (‘round bore’)
opening. In some cases, the
mouthpiece is split in two
internally; these mouthpieces
are referred to as ‘twin-bore’.
The stem:
The stem, also referred to as
shank, is an extension of the
bowl. The bowl and the stem are
always made from a single piece.
The stem is hollow inside, and
leads the smoke from the bowl to
the mouthpiece. Some pipes have
an opening in the stem, through
which ‘false’ air is sucked in,
so that the smoke is thinner,
making it less sharp.
The bit:
The bit is the very tip of the
mouthpiece, which is held
between the teeth or lips. the
shape of the bit largely
determines the smoking
enjoyment. The most widely-used
bit shape is known as the
fishtail, which has a flat,
right-angled end. The smoke
passes through it in a
relatively wide stream, directly
onto the tongue. In the case of
the lip bit, the top part of the
mouthpiece is semicircular,
while the bottom part is
recessed. The opening is located
on the top of the semicircular
part. The smoke passes through
it first onto the palate.
Finally, the dental bit has a
distinct profile, which gives
greater support.
The flue:
The hollow space through which
the smoke is led from the bowl
via the stem to the mouthpiece
is known as the flue. A system
can be fitted in the flue as an
extra feature to regulate and
cool the air flow, or to
counteract the moisture which
arises when the tobacco is
burnt.
The bowl:
The bowl is the round, broad
part of the pipe, into which the
pot is ground. The size of the
bowl is closely linked with the
type of tobacco to be smoked in
it. In general, a large bowl is
best suited for smoking tobacco
which burns relatively quickly,
while smaller bowls are most
appropriate for slower-burning
tobacco types.
The pot
:The pot is the part of the pipe
which is filled with tobacco,
which is then lit.
The floc
:The part of the mouthpiece
which screws into the stem is
known as the floc. The fact that
the floc breaks easily, makes it
one of the most vulnerable parts
of the pipe.
Though the bit may not seem the
most important part of a pipe,
it is the only part one holds in
the mouth. Therefore, a proper
fit is of major importance. Even
the smallest defect (too thin,
thick, narrow or wide) may
result in unpleasant smoking.
Mouthpieces come in many
materials, of which vulcanite
and lucite are the two most
frequently used.
Vulcanite:
Vulcanite is a dark-coloured
variety of Indian rubber which
has been subjected to
vulcanization. Molded vulcanite
mouthpieces have the advantage
that they are easy to fit and
therefore used on all
industrial, machine made pipes.
The disadvantage is that
vulcanite discolours as a result
of the oxidation of the rubber
and that this material is not as
strong as lucite and can be
bitten through.
Lucite:Lucite or acrylic
(hard plastic) mouthpieces have
become very popular over the
last years. This material, that
is commonly used for mass
produced pipes, does not
discolour and is relatively
strong. Lucite comes in a full
spectrum of colours, ranging
from clear to red, green, blue,
metallic swirled patterns and
deep black.
Amber: Amber, a vulcanised
resin, has been used as pipe bit
material since the 19th century.
It is originally found on the
shores of the Baltic Sea.
Because of its wonderful colours
(ranging from white to yellow to
deep red), it is often used for
prestigious high grade briars
and meerschaum pipes. Amber has
a fine structure and as a
result, breaks quite easily.
Apart from the shape of the
bowl, there are three basic
textures. A pipe can have a
smooth, sandblast or carved
finishing, or a combination of
these.
smooth. This
finish is mostly used for pipes
of which the grain of the wood
is the eye-catcher. As these
pipes are usually oil-cured,
they can be recognised by a
glossy waxed surface. These
pipes can easily be stained in
any colour.
sandblast.
Pipes with a sandblast texture,
also referred to as shell,
rustic, relief or thorn
finishes, have a rough surface
and are lighter in weight than
smooth finished pipes.
carved.
To this category belong
freeforms, spot carved and
sculptured pipes.
Cleaners:Generally, a pipe
cleaner is a cotton wrapper
around a metal core that is
being used to clean the draught
holes of the stem and mouthpiece
of the pipe. Pipe cleaners are
indispensable and fortunately
inexpensive. The two basic types
are soft, fluffy cleaners which
dry up any moisture, and thin,
wiry cleaners which dig out
deposits.
Pipe rack:A pipe rack is a
storing place for pipes; it
holds the pipes when not in use.
Pipe racks vary from those that
accommodate one or two to those
that hold a dozen or even more!
To enjoy pipe smoking best, one
needs several pipes to
accommodate one’s moods and
activities.
Pipe tamper:A short metal bar
with a flat round piece at one
end to tamp down the lit
tobacco.
Sweeteners:Liquid
pipe cleaners, also known as
pipe sweeteners, dissolve the
hum and tar while leaving a
fresh aroma in the bowl, stem
and mouthpiece.
Smokers companion/ Multi purpose
pipe tool:The smokers companion,
also called a multi purpose tool
is the most useful of pipe
accessories. It consists of a
spoon, a prodder and a tamper in
a metal holder. Usually it is
built like a pocket knife, often
accompanied by a knife blade
reamer.
System:A system is an
anti-nicotine device; it can be
fitted in the flue of the pipe
as an extra feature to regulate
and cool the air flow, or to
counteract the moisture which
arises when the tobacco is
burnt.
About Tabocco:
The journey into the world of
pipe tobacco is a great
adventure, so it is important to
make a good start. First, it is
important to learn enough of the
pipe tobacco jargon. Here below,
the different parts of the
tobacco plant, the processing
methods, the cut and types of
tobacco are described. Learning
to group tobaccos and recognise
the blending components likely
to be found in each tobacco, is
a big but necessary first step.
The tobacco
plant:One of the commonest
tobaccos is Virginia tobacco. it
is often used in American and
European blended cigarettes, and
in particular in the so-called
‘English’ Virginian-type
cigarettes. The heavier grades
are used in various kinds of
mixtures for pipe-smoking.
Flue-cured tobacco is grown in
over seventy countries in the
world. The major exporting
countries are China, the USA,
Brazil, India and Zimbabwe.
Approximately 40% of the world’s
tobacco comes from the Virginia
type plant. A well-grown tobacco
plant (also known as the
‘nicotiana tabacum’) reaches a
total height of 160-190 cm and
will carry approximately 18-22
harvestable leaves.
Flower. The tobacco plant is
usually topped two or three
months after planting. The
flower bud has to be removed
before any flower has opened in
order to concentrate the plant’s
efforts on leaf development.
This topping is normally done
two or three months after
planting.
Tips. The tips are the leaves
growing at the top of the
tobacco plant. They are
relatively narrow and pointed,
but are usually heavier-bodied
than leaves lower down the
plant. Tips represent
approximately 18% of the plant’s
total weight and contain a
nicotine level of 3,5%.
Leaf. These leaves just below
the tips are characterised by
their relative length, and are
firm and heavy-bodied. The
nicotine content can range from
3% to 3.5%, while the sugar
level is approximately 15%.
Smoking leaf. These leaves grow
just above the middle of the
stalk. They make up around 7.5%
of the plant’s weight. They
ripen to a bright orange colour
and contain 3% nicotine. The
sugar level varies form 12% to
20%.
Cutters. Cutters are the largest
leaves on the plant, but account
for only 8% of the total weight.
They are characterised by their
bright, lemon-to-orange colour.
The sugar level rises to a peak
in these leaves (14% - 22%), and
the nicotine content is
approximately 2.5%.
Lugs. Lugs are the leaves around
the bottom part of the stalk.
These leaves are characterised
by their small size, thinness
and brightness. They make up 13%
of the plant’s weight total and
the nicotine content is 2.5%.
The sugar level is the same as
in the smoking leaves (12%-20%).
Priming. Primings, also referred
to as sand leaves, are the
bottom leaves of the plant. They
ripen first and need to be
harvested first. They take up
12% of the plant’s weight.
Primings contain only 1.5% to 2%
nicotine and 5% to 10% sugar.
Roots. Free drainage is vital
for the root area. Even short
periods of water logging may
kill the tobacco plant.
Processing methods:Tobacco is
grown on all five Continents.
Tropical and subtropical
climates are most suitable, yet
tobacco also originates in
countries with moderate
climates; i.e. Poland, Canada,
Italy and France. After drying,
tobacco can be distinguished
into four main groups, from mild
to strong.
The Air Cured group. The
mildest. These tobaccos, are
first dried in open sheds and
then fermented, mostly in large
stacks. This fermentation
creates a chemical reaction in
the tobacco leaf, resulting in a
soft flavour, and at the same
time reducing the nicotine
content.
The Flue Cured group.
Immediately after harvesting,
the tobacco leaves are hung up
in closed sheds and dried by
circulating heated air. This
very fast drying process turns
the leaves into a yellow colour.
Flue Cured tobaccos are
particularly suitable for
mixtures.
The Sun Cured group. After
harvesting, the tobacco leaves
are being strung into garlands
and hung against houses or sheds
for drying. Most Oriental
tobaccos are treated this way.
Quite often you will see these
garlands when travelling through
Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, and in
Russia around the Black Sea.
The Fire Cured group. The
strongest of full-strength
tobaccos. These tobaccos are
dried above glowing fires and
are fire/ smoke cured to achieve
a special flavour. This method
is especially practised in the
United States (Kentucky
Tennessee), Italy, Poland,
Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Malawi.
These strong tobaccos have been
named after the Syrian port of
Latakia, form where large
quantities of fire cured
tobaccos are shipped.
Like a composer writing music, a
blender must try to get the
right tones in perfect harmony.
His instruments are the leaf
tobaccos on the international
commodity markets. Since tobacco
is a product of nature, creating
and maintaining a blend is quite
complicated. Should a crop yield
a substandard quality, a
replacement must be available,
which together with the other
leaves will give the same
end-product.
Cuts:The cut of the tobacco
refers to the width of the
strands. In general, the cut
ranges from fine to coarse, via
medium and large. The basic cuts
for pipe tobacco are shag,
flake, ribbon and cube.
Shag. In Victorian times, shag
used to be very coarse cut, but
nowadays it is mainly found in
cavendish tobaccos as a finely
cut tobacco.
Flake. This is the general term
for pressed tobacco. The tobacco
is firmly pressed and then cut
into thin slices.
Ribbon. Sometimes referred to as
long cut. Most English tobaccos
are of long cut, because they
are blended with a high
proportion of Virginia, a long
cut tobacco. As Ribbon consists
of fine, string-like strips, it
is easy to keep lit and burns
fast.
Cube. Almost all burley tobaccos
are a cube cut. Because of its
thickness, a cube cut burns
slower.
Types:From
a manufacturer’s point of view,
there are two basic categories
of pipe tobaccos. To the first
category belong the more English
and Scottish-style cake
tobaccos, which are matured in
pressed cakes to release the
naturally occurring sugars in
flue-cured Virginia and the
Greek or Turkish oriental leaf.
The second category consists of
the American-style, cased and
flavoured tobaccos, which rely
largely on the application of
sugar syrups for their flavour.
The Danish and Dutch
cavendishes, based historically
on Maryland-style tobaccos and
possessing a considerable amount
of burley, are both flavoured
and matured in pressed cakes,
and then combined with loose
leaf.
Turkish:This tobacco consists of
a broad classification of at
least a dozen tobaccos that are
actually grown in Greece.
Turkish leaf is of a high
quality that burns well and
evenly and has a very aromatic
taste. Although it is hardly
used in pipe tobaccos, it can be
found in some exotic blends.
Burley:Burley is a relatively
young tobacco that combines
extremely well with a variety of
aromatic elements, hence its
frequent use in aromatic
mixtures. It comes mainly from
the US states of Tennessee,
Kentucky and Ohio. It is a
low-sugar, high nicotine and
slow-burning tobacco. It has a
rich, nutty flavour. Another
air-cured tobacco, often used
for mixtures is the Maryland
tobacco.
Kentucky:Kentucky takes its name
from the US state Kentucky. This
fire cured tobacco can be found
in the United States, Malawi,
Tanzania, Italy, Poland and
Indonesia, has a dark brown,
nearly black colour and a
powerful, smoky taste. Adding
just a small percentage of
Kentucky to a blend gives the
tobacco a very strong character.
In general, Kentucky is grown by
small farmers working around 20
to 30 acres of land. Crop
rotation is practised to prevent
the soil from becoming
exhausted; only 10 to 20 per
cent of the ground is being
planted with tobacco each year.
The tobacco crop is harvested in
late August.
Cavendish:Dutch cavendish is
generally a mixture of different
component leaves such as Burley,
Virginia and Maryland, that have
been flavoured and pressed into
cakes for maturing. Any tobacco
that has been treated in this
manner can be called a
cavendish. The term cavendish
also refers to the cut which is
characteristic of matured
Virginias and Burley plug. The
pressed cakes in which the
leaves are aged are cut into
bars and then the bars are
cross-cut into thick or thin
slices called flakes.
Black Cavendish:Most black
cavendishes are stoved versions
of certain burley tobaccos from
Kentucky and Tennessee, as well
as some dark air-cured tobaccos
from central Virginia. The best
have a caramel flavour: mild,
sweet, full-flavoured but with a
slight aftertaste similar to the
taste of toasted marshmallows.
Virginia:This is the world’s
best known tobacco. 70% of
world’s production is of this
type. It takes it name from a
British colony in North America,
founded by Sir Walter Raleigh,
who called the colony ‘Virginia’
in honour of Queen Elizabeth I
of England (The Virgin Queen).
Nowadays, Virginia tobacco is
grown not only in the state of
Virginia, but also in other
parts of America, Asia, Africa,
South America and Europe.
Virginias, all characterised by
a relatively high sugar content,
are often used as the base
tobacco in blends, but can be
smoked alone as well. Virginias
have a subtle sweetness and a
delicate fruit-like flavour.
They are rather tangy and
pleasant on the palate. The best
matured Virginias are naturally
sweet and clean-smoking tobaccos
that fill the mouth with
flavour.
Latakia:Named after a small port
town in Syria from whence the
tobacco was originally shipped,
Latakia is grown mainly in
Turkey and Northern Cyprus. This
sun cured oriental tobacco is
‘smoked’ in small sheds after
the harvest, creating the
distinctive, spicy and smoky
aroma of Latakia.
Perique:Perique was originally
used as a semi-finished product
in snuff. Nowadays, perique is
used to give exclusive mixtures
a more refined taste. After the
harvest, the leaves are rapidly
cured. After this, the leaves
mature for 8 to 10 months in
huge oaks with prune juices,
spices and fruit pulp. The
result is a blue-black, highly
aromatic tobacco.
Oriental:Oriental tobacco is
grown in Greece, Bulgaria,
Turkey, Syria, the former
Yugoslavia, Albania, Romania and
southern Russia, and in parts of
Italy, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq and
Israel. It distinguishes itself
from the other types by its
small oval leaves, its ochre
colour and a sweet, highly
aromatic taste.
Breaking in
process: All briar pipes need a
breaking in process before being
used. The wood should be
prepared before it is exposed to
the heat and tobacco. First, a
layer of carbon has to be
applied to the interior walls of
the pipe. In order to create
this layer, the bowl has to be
filled to approximately a
quarter of its capacity. Then
the pipe can be lighted and
smoked slowly. One should avoid
too much heat. After four or
five of such quarterly filled
pipes, the amount of tobacco can
gradually be increased. An
important rule is to let the
pipe cool down before refilling
it, to prevent burning the
briar. The pipe has been broken
in when the layer of carbon is
even.
Filling a pipe: When filling a
pipe, it is important to do this
bit by bit. As the pipe bowl is
being filled more and more, the
tobacco can be pressed more
firmly into the bowl. However,
the tobacco should retain its
elasticity. When filled too
firmly, one needs to draw
strongly to keep the pipe lit,
whereas a loosely filled pipe
burns extreme easily, resulting
in a very hot bowl, wet smoking
and a sore tongue. The tobacco
should burn evenly. When
smoking, it is good to tamper
the tobacco slightly every now
and then. When the pipe goes
out, possible deposit should be
removed and the pipe can just be
relight again!
Maintenance:Taking care of the
pipe after use is just as
important as knowing how to
smoke it. By good maintenance,
the pipe will not only look
nicer, it will smoke better as
well.
A pipe should smoke clean and
dry, whereas the pipe tends to
smoke wet and bitter when not
been given attention to.
Finally, maintenance guarantees
a longer lifetime of the pipe!
The first thing to do is to
gently fluff out all the ash and
moist deposits of the tobacco
that have accumulated in the
bowl. Insert a pipe cleaner into
the pipe and let it cool down.
After a couple of hours, both
the pipe cleaner and the stem
can be removed from the pipe, by
twisting it gently. The next
step is to run the pipe cleaner
through the bit and the stem
until it comes out clean. The
pipe cleaner might be dipped in
a pipe cleaning fluid to loosen
any deposit. This is however not
necessary. After the inside has
been cleaned, one may polish the
entire pipe with a cotton cloth.
Briar pipes can be occasionally
polished with a natural oil or
wax. This will highlight the
lustre of the wood. Now the pipe
is ready to be stored in its
rack, preferably with the bowl
down.
If the pipe has a vulcanite bit,
this slowly may turn into a
greyish colour as a result of
oxidation of the rubber. Keeping
the pipe away from direct
sunlight will slow down this
process. When it does occur, the
bit can be polished with special
wet sandpaper.
After having smoked the pipe
over a period of time, the layer
of carbon will slowly begin to
build up on the interior of the
bowl. This cake helps protect
the briar and cool the smoke.
However, when this layer becomes
thicker than 0,15 - 0,20 cm, it
can crack the bowl. At this
time, it is best to carefully
remove a part of the layer with
a knife (or an especially
equipped reamer).
The American Indians believed
that a pipe was an excellent
medium in avoiding hostilities.
Smoking the Pipe of Peace was a
well-known ceremony. The use of
tobacco can boast a long
history. Since the beginning of
the 17th century, Holland has
been the centre of pipe
manufacturers and tobacco
blenders. In the past, pipe
smoking was not just a matter of
opening a pouch of manufactured
tobacco. One had to cut up the
leaves oneself, or to grind the
tobacco with the aid of a mortar
and pestle. For buying tobacco,
one had to go to the local
grocer’s. That was a natural
thing to do, since grocers
traded in colonial produce.
The European pipes were made of
meerschaum, a porous mineral
(Balkans and Turkey), porcelain
(Mid Europe), or clay (the
specific Dutch Gouda pipe).
Then, along with the Industrial
Revolution, the 19th Century
brought a revolution in the
manufacture of pipes. The briar
pipe has been triumphant. The
name has been derived from the
French word ‘bruyere’, or heath
tree - a low shrub found
throughout Europe, though
principally around the
Mediterranean. The root of the
‘Erica Arborea’ was discovered
as being exceptionally suitable
for the manufacture of pipes.
Who exactly invented the
excellent idea of cutting pipes
from this briar wood has, in
spite of numerous anecdotes, not
been determined. According to
the most probable version, a
cabinet maker in Chamont
(France), bought briar roots in
the market, offered to him by a
merchant from the Midi. In 1854
he cut pipe bowls out of these,
modelled from old porcelain
pipes. As a result, up to today
pipes are made from the root of
this briar shrub. At any rate,
it is a known fact that as long
ago as 1857 briar pipes were
being factory made.
Select a pipe that suits you:
-
The width of the mouth
piece should give a
satisfactory grip
-
The pipe should have the
right weight for you.
-
For the beginner, a
medium sized bowl.
Fill your pipe bit by bit,
pressing the tobacco slightly,
firmer as the pipe gradually
fills up, keeping in mind that
the tobacco maintains its
resilience. A pipe filled too
tightly, will require strong
pulling power, and a pipe filled
too loosely, will result in
fiercely burning tobacco and a
hot bowl (A consequence may be
wet smoking and an irritated
tongue).
Care for an even burning pipe.
Bring, after lighting, the
curling tobacco back into the
bowl, press lightly and, if
necessary, relight. Should your
pipe be extinguished during
smoking, just remove the layer
of ash, and relight the tobacco.
Tobacco does not quickly lose
its flavour. Use long matches so
you have plenty of time to light
the tobacco evenly.
Smoke in peace and quiet.
Forceful and rapid draws cause a
restlessness, fast burning pipe
that does not taste nearly as
good. Pipe smoking should become
a natural extension of the
breathing rhythm - unhurried and
gentle. This might explain the
pipe’s mystique. Peace of mind
and relaxation are to be
transferred to you.
Maintain a coin-thick layer of
carbon in the bowl. From its
first smoke a briar begins to
form a coat of carbon within the
bowl which will thicken, almost
imperceptibly with each
subsequent fill. The carbon
should not be more than a
coin-thick or otherwise you risk
cracking the bowl.
Use pipe cleaners to keep the
pipe clean and dry. Put the pipe
aside with the stem upwards.
When your pipe is empty, it is
better to clean it right away
with a cleaner, and set is aside
for some hours with a cleaner in
the stem. In this way much
moisture is absorbed by the
cleaner. On the other hand the
cleaner should not be left
permanently in the stem; a pipe
benefits from ventilation.
Re-use the pipe only when it is
completely dry. This will
explain why regular smokers have
a selection of pipes at their
disposal; they smoke pipes in
rotation.
Do not smoke a hot pipe or
re-fill one that is still warm.
If you need to relight halfway
through a pipe, first remove all
ash and tap the remaining
tobacco down gently and then
light up. But do not top
up with new, until you have
smoked or emptied out the
remaining tobacco.
Beyond regular cleaning, a point
demanding attention is the
occasional need to clear the
bowl of excess char. The best
method is to use a pipe reamer
or smoker’s knife. Insert it in
the bowl and turn, slowly,
stripping off the layer of
carbon to the required depth.
Moisturising a new pipe is
strictly speaking not required,
yet is not advised against. A
pipe can be moisturised by
honey, syrup, rum, whisky, or
another flavour you might
prefer. Let this soak overnight
into the pipe.
The word 'tobacco' is reported
to derive from the Spanish
'tobaca' -a term used by the
Spanish to describe a Y-shped
instrument used by early
American Indians to inhale snuff
of various types into the
nostrils.
Tobacco(picatt) was used by the
early American Indians to
relieve toothache,to treat skin
wound and insect bites,as an
antifague agent and as a tooth
whitening agent.
Tobacco is used to manufacture
the various forms of smoking
tobacco,chewing tobacco and
tobacco and tobacco snuff is
chiefly derived from two species
of the plant genus Nicotiana.The
two speces are N.tabacum and
N.rustica.The addictive property
of tobacco is due to one of its
component alkaloids,nicotine.Raw
and processed tobacco has been
shown to contain over 2500
different chemical constituents.
Composition:
Tobacco contains a variety of
different chemical of these
constituents ,tobacco specific
N-nitrosa are the compounds
which are thought to be the
major Carcinogenic agents in
tobacco.
Non-volatile N-nitrosa compounds
include
N-nitrosonornicotine(NNN),&
-(methylnetro-samino),(3
pyridifl), butanone(NNK) and
N-nitroso -anatabine(NAT)
The non-volatile N-nitrosa
compound are derived from
tobacco alkaloids.the a;lkalcid
nicotine can give rise toNNN,NNk
and NAT although NNN can also
derive from the alkaloid
nornicotine and NAT from the
alkaloid autsbine.Other
nitresamines are also found in
the processed tobacco.
The main form of tobacco habit
encountered around the world
are-
|
Tobacco Habit
|
Percentage
|
|
BIDI
|
34
|
|
CIGARETTES
|
30
|
|
CHEWING TOBACCO
|
19
|
|
HUCKAH
|
9
|
|
CIGARS
|
5
|
|
SNUFF
|
2
|
Tobacco
Smoking :
The smoking of tobacco is a
widespread habit practised by
people from most culture and
socities throughout the
worldTobacco constituents
including known
carcinogens.Tobacco is smoked in
one of the three basic ways.
-
as a Cigarette
-
as a cigar
-
in a pipe.
The earlier forms of
cigarette probably comprised
shredded,crudely cured tobacco
wrapped in vegetable or other
plant leaves or shredded tobacco
tamped inside a hollow piece of
reed or bamboo.An example of
this basic form of cigarette is
the Indian bidi.
A bidi consists of a small
quantity of shredded,sun-cured
tobacco which is hand rolled
into a piece of tendu. These
bidis are very popular in the
Indian subcontinent. Smoking of
bidis may commence at a very
early age.Bidi smoking in INDIA
is associated with a high rate
of oral laikoplakia in users.
Others types of local Cigarette
include the Kretek of Indonesia
and the so called 'stick' of
Papia new Guinea.The Indonesian
Kretek is characterized by the
addiction of substancial
quantities of cloves which
produces an aromatic quantity to
cigarette smoke.
The stick of new Guinea consists
of locally grown tobacco which
is shredded and rolled in coarse
paper such as newsprint or in a
modern cigrette paper.In
Indonesia tobacco may be wrapped
in corn or in bannana leaves.
Manufactured cigrettes comprise
fine cut tobacco wrapped in a
paper.The tobacco is genreally
created with a variety of
sugars,flavouring and aromatic
substances .
Cigars consists of a filler,made
of cigar,tobacco wrapped in a
tobacco leaf paper or
reconstituded tobacco.Cigars are
of various sizes and comprise
both the manufactured and the
local users in India.In the
state of Andhra pradesh a
homemade cigar,called a Chuta is
made by wrapping cured tobacco
in a dried tobacco leaf.Chutta
smoking is a very popular habit
and may begin in childhood.An
unusual feature of chutta
sinking is that in some area of
thia state it is often smoked
with the lighted end inside the
mouth - a practise described as
reverse smoking.
In Thailand locally produced
cigar called Khiyo cigars are
encountered.other varities of
the cigar include the cigarillo
(cigarette like cigar consisting
of cigar tobaco wrapped in
treated cigarette paper)and the
chereet(a small cigar made with
heavy -bodied cigar tobacco)
Pipe smoking was prabably the
earliest form of tobacco smoking
pipes are manufacured from a
variety of materials and exhibit
varying degree of sophistication
and complexity.Modern
manufactured European style
pipes such as the brter pipe and
meerschaum pipe made from wood &
clay,respectively are
encountered throughout the
world.
Other forms of pipe smoking
includethe chillum or sulpa in
India and Nepal, respectivelythe
water-pipe which is used in the
Middle-East,Asia & parts of
Africa.simple pipes,made from
bamboo or other hollow
materials.
The water-pipe is known as a
hookah,goza,hubble-bubble or
sheesha.Pipe tobaccos are of
variable composition,but modern
manufactred forms usually
consists of blendeed tobacco to
which sugar & flavouring agents
such as liquorice are added.
Chewing
tobacco and snuff are the form
of smokeless tobacco.
The forms include :
· Khaini(India)
· Pattiwala tobacco(India)
· Maiwpuri tobacco(India)
· Mishri(India)
· Zarda(India,Arab countries)
· Kiwam(India)
· Gadakhu(India)
· Shammah(Saudia Arabia)
· Nass(Iran,central Asia)
· Naswar(Afghanistan,Pakistan)
Composition of
some of the forms of chewing
tobacco:
KHAINI :Powdered tobacco,slaked
lime paste mixture occasionally
used with areca nut.It is just
placed in the mouth.
PATTIWALA TOBACCO : Sun-cured
tobacco leaf used with or
without lime.
MAIWPURI TOBACCO : Tobacco
slacked lime areca nut and
spices.
MISHRI : Dark roasted powdered
tobacco
ZARDA : Tobacco leaf boiled in
water eith lime and spices until
evaporation.Residual tobacco is
then dried and coloured with
vegetable dyes.
KIWAM : Destalked tobacco leaf
boiled in water with rose water
and
spices(eg-Saffron,cardamon,aniseed,musk)
used as a
thick paste or if further dried
as granules or pills.
GUDAKHU : A paste of powdered
tobacco molasses,and others
unspecified ingredients.
SHAMMAH : A mixture of powdered
tobacco leaf,carbonatee of lime
and unspecified ingredients.
NASS : A mixture of tobacco ,ash
cotton or sesame oil,lime and
sometimes gum.
NASWAR : Afghanistan - A mixture
of powdered tobacco ,slacked
lime and indigo.
Pakistan - A mixture of sun
cured tobacco,ash,slacked
lime,water and flavouring agents
such as cardamon oil and menthol
used as pellets or as powder.
Some of the forms such as Zarda
are physically chewed,some are
placed in the mouth and not
chewed like Khaini, Mishri,
Shammah, Nass and Naswar
(sometimes also chewed). Two
types,namely Mishri and Gudakha
are primarely used as tooth
cleaning agents in parts of
iIndia.The non-chewed tobacco
mixtures are generally used by
placing a quantity of the
material in the labial or buccal
sulcus area or along the
gum.Users of nass may also place
the product under the
tongue.Naswar is usually placed
in the maindibular sulcus
area,but some place it is on the
floor of the mouth or the dorsum
of the tongue
Chewing Sticks
The habit of chewing pieces of
twig obtained from a variety of
plant species,for the purpose of
tooth cleaning is one which has
been carried out for thoudand of
years.In different parts of the
world chewing sticks assume a
variriety of local names,but
most share a common design and
method of preparation.Most
chewing sticks are prepared by
taking a piece of twig 6-8
inches long and and chewing one
end until it becomes frayed.The
brush like frayed end is the
applied to the teeth and gums
and used in a rubbing-brushing
manner for several minutes.
When this procedures is
completed the chewing sticks may
be left in the mouth while the
person goes about performing
his/her duty tasks.After being
used several times the bristles
are cut off fresh bristles
prepared by again chewing the
end of the stick.Chewing sticks
generally derive from the twigs
or stem of plant species,but
some are obtained from the root
or the bark.
A variety of chewing sticks are
used among which are:
1)Miswak
2)Fagara Zanithoxyloides
Datu:
Datu can be obtained from the
neem,babhul,banyan or the peepal
tree.It is widely used among the
local people in India.
Uses of Datun:
It is used for massaging the
gingina
When chewed it acts as a
modified brush.
Ill effects of Datun:
Gingival absorbtion
Hyperpigmentation of the gingina
Hyperkeratinization
Leukoplakea
Degeneration changes are
atheroselerosis of the gingina
Calculus formation
MISWAK
Miswak is a twig of the neem
tree which is fresh and is to be
washed properly.It has ready
natural ingredients.It is very
juicy in its taste.
Composition:
Mismak is a twig of neem tree
when chewed it tastes juicy
.This juice is bitter,which is
actually contains tannic
acid.This stimulates salivation
and thus there will be a better
cleansing effect.The twig has to
be chewed in the mouth for about
15-30 minutes.
This bitter juice acts as an
anticariogenic agent.Tannic acid
acts as an astringent.In Datun
Gurectan is a antibacterial
powerful tannic acid.
After chewing fibres are used on
the tooth surface in the form of
a brush.These will be dry after
72 hours and then will be of no
use.
Drawback:
It cannot clean the interdental
areas.
The oral aspects cannot be
cleaned.
Fibrous elements of datun atre
not stiff and cannot reach in
all the sulcus areas.
Force ful widging of these
fibres in the interdentel areas
can give rise to ginginal and
peridontal abscess
SNUFF
Snuff is finally powdered plant
material.The principal plant
material used to produce snuff
is tobacco. Snuff may be used
plain or as a compound mixture
of powdered tobacco and other
agents.It may be used orally or
nasally.
Modern North American and
European snuff are manufactured
in two basic forms:
A moist type consisting of many
finally cut tobacco which is
finally pulverized tobacco and
used orally or nasally.
The composition and usage form
varies in every region,In North
America snuff is placed in the
lacial or buccal sulcus area and
left in position.Sometimes it is
placed under the tongue.In the
Scandiaanian countries snuff is
usually placed in the upper or
lower labial sulcus area..In
india snuff is used as a tooth
cleaning asgent although special
forms may be used as a nasal
inhalation.
In parts of Africa,snuff may be
used orally or nasally.Snuff
usage is an important custom
among the South African who use
a snuff composed of
tobacco,plant ash and flavouring
agents in the form of scented
oils and herbs.Oriental snuff is
composed of tobacco and a gum
made by incinerating a substance
called white earth which is then
mixed with water to form a
paste.The tobacco paste mixture
is sun-dried to produce the
snuff.
Article by: Dr. Swetha Doshi
Meerschaum... the best material
for pipe.. |
