Editing Meerschaum pipe (section)

== Characteristics ==

Meerschaum does not burn and floats in water. It softens when wet, but hardens again when dried. Meerschaum, which expels moisture due to its porous structure, is therefore used in pipe making. When smoked, meerschaum pipes gradually change color, and old meerschaum pipes will turn incremental shades of yellow, orange, red, and amber from the base on up. When prepared for use as a pipe, the natural nodules are first scraped to remove the red earthy matrix, then dried, again scraped and polished with wax. The crudely shaped masses thus prepared are turned and carved, smoothed with [[glass-paper]], heated in wax or [[stearine]], and finally polished with [[bone ash|bone-ash]].<ref name=EB1911/>