Pipes have been around for hundreds of years. Even though the majority of pipes are manufactured from briar, meerschaum pipes are particularly popular with collectors and enthusiasts alike. Meerschaum is a very unique material. It consists of millions of little sea creatures that were deposited on the sea floor, and formed this magnesium silicate thousands of years ago. The first pipes of this kind date back to the early 1700s. Smoking Meerschaum Pipes is a very different experience, even to the seasoned pipe smoker.
Meerschaum is mined in Turkey and Tanzania, Africa, but the pipes are only hand-carved in Turkey. Turkey is famous all over the world for these distinguished pipes. The mining process itself is very labor intensive. The meerschaum that is chosen to be carved into a true work of art has to be of superior quality. Only about 20 percent of the material is suitable for pipes. The color, density, and homogeneity of the meerschaum are very important to the overall quality of the carved pipe. The most commonly seen color of meerschaum is a creamy-white, but a grayish and yellowish color also exist.
Before a carver can work on this material, the meerschaum has to be washed and soaked. Soaking softens it and allows the carver to use more intricate designs for the final pipe. The art of carving is often handed down from generation to generation. Whole families are involved in this type of business in one form or another. Younger generations of carvers incorporate more modern designs, even though the traditional designs are still very popular.
These modern designs appeal to a younger generation of pipe smokers, who ordinarily would not consider a meerschaum pipe with a traditional design. Smoking a pipe is no longer reserved for the older gentleman in the smoking jacket. Modern designs include skulls, flowers, animals, and many more. The traditional captain’s head, or sultan’s head, appeal mostly to the older generation, and not so much to the young pipe enthusiast.
Smoking Meerschaum Pipes is a very special experience. As most pipe smokers will attest, the smoke is much cooler than the smoke a typical briar pipe produces. Just like the briar pipes, meerschaum pipes have to be cured. This is usually done by smoking a couple of loads of tobacco. The golden color of this type of pipe is achieved over time through the natural oils contained in pipe tobacco. Darker colors are usually caused by oilier tobaccos and are very sought after.
Even though this kind of pipe requires a little extra care due to the fragile nature of the material, pipe smokers and collectors enjoy the unique experience and the craftsmanship of these pipes. Smoking Meerschaum Pipes definitely delivers a one of a kind smoking experience.
Earth has different kinds of mysteries that can and cannot be seen. Some of them are already revealed in our eyes, and some of them are yet to be discovered. Some of these mysteries are still unrevealed because no one has seen it or no one has studied it. An example of this mysterious things is called Earth Magnets. They have been discovered centuries ago and several scientists try to mix and combine earth metal elements to produce more of these.
Earth magnets are earth elements that can be found on land and in water which allows magnetism. Magnetism is the attraction between two special forces usually identified as the North and South poles. These magnets are started between 1970 and 1980, and have been marked as one of the strongest magnets in the planet. Earth magnets are said to be stronger than alnico and ferrite magnets, two other types of magnets. Added to it, earth magnets are abundant. Similar to any other elements, these are very abundant in earth and can be found on places where same elements can be found.
Examples of earth magnets are Neodymium and Samarium-Cobalt. They have magnetic properties which includes Curie temperature, remanence, and coercivity. The Curie temperature is the property when the temperature limit when the magnet loses its magnetism. And the remanence is the magnetic field measure of strength for the earth magnets. While coercivity is the resistance of the magnetic materials for being demagnetized by other factors.
These magnets can be seen everywhere since it has been found. We just do not notice it, but they are everywhere and used on the objects that we always use. Some of the functions of earth magnets are for Maglev trains, hard drives of personal computers and laptops, fishing reel brakes, headphones, flashlights which are self-powered, roller coasters, and electric guitar pickups. Earth magnets are formed and packed in different shapes to be used as tools for everyday use.
Although even if we often use them, bare in mind that they also have hazardous effects or risks to us. For instance, big earth metals that are used can cause injuries when parts of the body are accidentally pinched in between magnets. Another situation is when swallowed. In most cases, kids are the victims of this situation. Accidentally swallowing it may cause sickness and other diseases. This is why it is important to keep the children away from magnets, especially children below 3 years old.
Earth magnets are very useful and helpful in our industrialized world. This is also useful for our technology in the present day because it can help make our lives better and easier. But remember that we just have to be cautious when using this particular material.
