Polite notice - 1 of a number of antique 19th Century and vintage smoking pipes and cheroots I am currently selling which are made from Sepiolite in English but the German name Meerschaum is more widely used. In German it translates to "sea foam" which is a SOFT WHITE CLAY MINERAL and is often used to make tobacco pipes called "meerschaum pipes" or cigarette holders called "cheroot holders".
It is mostly found in Turkey but there are some other European countries and America have small areas of it too. Most antique meerschaum pipes will have been made in Vienna, Europe though using Turkish sea foam. It can be found floating on the Black Sea.
Meerschaum has been used to make tobacco pipes from about 1723 and was found brilliant to absorb the moisture and tobacco tar, and it soon took over clay being used for pipes. The older and more use a meerschaum pipe has, the darker the creamy white clay material goes.
You can research many pages about this fabulous natural occurring soft clay mineral material.
These antique and vintage items made from sepiolite - meerschaum can be miss identified by people with little knowledge of the material. I have been collecting and dealing in antique pipes for nearly 45 years and the usual people that have no idea what an item is made from are customs officers and certain folks at the global shipping program department that seem to think it is ok to confiscate these items that pass through their shipping program. They are so misinformed of the actual material they are looking at. ALL these pipes and cheroots of mine are 100% legitimate natural clay material to be bought and sold on eBay. They are NOT made of anything illegal. There must be an awfully large room full of mistaken identity antiques at the GSP headquarters in Lichfield as they really could do with a " course of common sense & identification of raw materials " which I would happily go down and teach the department what they are looking at. I am sick to the back teeth of ringing eBay customer support and trying to explain to them about what antique and vintage items are made of and what they clearly are NOT made of.
At any time you will find at least 9000 meerschaum items listed on eBay for sale available to the UK buyers from around the world which includes about 4500 pipes and cheroots.
Global Shipping Program does not allow sepiolite - sea foam - meerschaum items to be sent through their program as there is a misguided department there which is completely WRONG and miss informed about the natural soft clay mineral which these pipes are made from. They CONFISCATE the items and let the buyer know and refund them and then let the seller know and refund them as well. The seller does NOT got their item back and the buyer does NOT get the item sent onto them, which in my opinion is THEFT as the natural material is not a banned material. An administrator or head of department must have a really fabulous collection of antique carved pipes and cheroots which have been taken from the buyer with no good reason or explanation. So if you are a seller and reading this take my word for it do NOT send items like this using GSP as you will be disappointed with their shocking service. So these pipes and cheroots will be sent using Royal Mail or Parcel Force worldwide.
This antique pipe has been made into a normal round shaped bowl but the top rim is mounted with a silver rim and it also has a sterling silver collar attaching the stem to the bowl. The silver has a really nice ivy leaf pattern on it.
The silver collar is hallmarked for Chester 1888, with maker's marks BW for Ben Wade.
Comes in its original case which is also branded BW inside a horseshoe shape on the inner lid.
The silver collar is hallmarked for Chester 1888, with maker's marks BW for Ben Wade.
Comes in its original case which is also branded BW inside a horseshoe shape on the inner lid.
Please see photographs provided for more details and visual confirmation of condition for yourself.
Normal signs of age and use wear, including some light surface scuffs and minor impact marks etc.
The pipe has been used so there are tobacco stains and teeth marks etc. The plastic mouth stem has been " shaved down " by someone on the top and bottom with a sharp penknife in antiquity, probably to accommodate the smokers mouth.
The case is worn on the outer surface, especially on the edges. The inner lining is worn and stained from the pipe.
The pipe has been used so there are tobacco stains and teeth marks etc. The plastic mouth stem has been " shaved down " by someone on the top and bottom with a sharp penknife in antiquity, probably to accommodate the smokers mouth.
The case is worn on the outer surface, especially on the edges. The inner lining is worn and stained from the pipe.
The pipe measures approx. 126mm (5 inches long) x 52mm x 38mm at its widest points.
My stock ref : #T313/7723 in cheroot - pipes box.
These cheroots - pipes will be sent via Royal Mail as the global shipping program WRONGLY confiscate and restrict such items being sent overseas.
To see ALL my other 6000+ items for sale: please click on the VISIT SHOP or click "see other items", strangely both only have a limited view of what I have to offer on each platform so to see everything click on Shop by Category which will give you a much better view.
Scale is usually an English 1 penny coin which is 20mm in diameter which is just short of 7/8ths of an inch in diameter, or a universal Coke can, and we all know how big those are.
If you see A/F = a/f in the title or description it means "as found" condition which may have scuffs, scratches and damage. In relation to all my listings it does not mean " about fine ". I have used A/F for " as found " for 45 years.