white color and its surprisingly low weight. Meerschaum is a very porous mineral that absorbs elements of the tobacco during the smoking process, and gradually changes color to a golden brown. Old, well-smoked meerschaum pipes are valued by collectors for their distinctive coloring. Meerschaum pipes can either be carved from a block of meerschaum, or made from meerschaum dust collected after carving and mixed with a binder then pressed into a pipe shape. The latter are far less absorbent, color in blotches, and lack the smoking quality of the block carved pipe. Synthetics A variety of other materials may also be used for pipes. The Redmanol corporation manufactured pipes with translucent stems in the 1920s and a series of pipes were manufactured and distributed by the Tar Gard (later Venturi) Corporation of San Francisco from 1965 to 1975. Marketed under names such as "the pipe", "The Smoke" and "Venturi", they used materials such as pyrolytic graphite, phenolic resin, nylon, Bakelite and other synthetics, allowing for higher temperatures in the bowl, reduced tar, and aesthetic variations of color and style. After Venturi stopped making pipes, several companies continue to make pipes from Brylon, a composite of nylon and wood flour, as a cheaper substitute for briar. Types and shapes of pipe parts Briar bowl finish types Brushed Carved Rustic Sandblast Smooth Corn cob bowl finish types Natural Stained Varnished (Polished) Chamber types Important is size – diameter and depth. Chamber can be lined with other material, usually meerschaum or metal. Tenon shapes Army – Enables the pipe smoker to remove the stem from the shank while hot without fear of warping. Is often seen with a metal band around the shank. Screw – Also allows for the immediate removal of the stem from the shank for cleaning while still hot. Often seen on pipes with stingers, allowing the pipe smoker to clean the stinger while still hot, making the task much easier. Standard Filter types None Cooler (Stinger) 6 mm 9 mm Other, e.g. Falcon dry ring. Stem materials Acrylic Amber Bakelite Cumberland (Brindle) Ebonite Horn (Keratin) Plastic Metal, e.g. Aluminium. Metal stem serves as a heat sink. Stem shapes Combination Saddle Tapered Stem curvatures Straight Slightly bent (semi-straight, half bent) Bent Bit shapes Denture Fishtail P-lip Standard Bit sizes Regular (single bore) Double bore Wide comfort Double comfort Accessories Filters Used to absorb moisture, tar and nicotine. Made of: Paper