Missouri Meerschaum Corn Cobs

The Missouri Meerschaum Company from (oh, surprise!) the US state Missouri is probably the best-known manufacturer of so-called corncob pipes. Put simply, these are made from the cob of a specially grown, particularly hard type of corn.

The bowl of the pipe is then the corn cob and an plastic mouthpiece is attached to it. These very inexpensive, yet easy-to-smoke pipe specialties have been produced here since 1869. The trick of the founder, Henry Tibbe, was to coat the bowls with a clay-like substance on the outside, which significantly improved their durability.

The name Missouri meerschaum can on the one hand be traced back to this light layer of clay, on the other hand the smoking properties are not dissimilar to those of a meerschaum pipe. The material used is also very porous and absorbent.

There are currently around 40 employees working in the factory who, according to their own statements, produce around 3,000 pipes per day. The main difference between the Corn Cobs and "normal" pipes made of briar is the fact that a slightly woody aftertaste can be noticed during the first five to ten smoke runs. This disappears quickly, the carbonized spar on the head base then ensures a longer shelf life of the pipe - and completely without the break in process!

We are very pleased that we were able to get to know the ladies and gentlemen from the company at the IPCPR 2016 in Las Vegas. We then put together a "starter package" in peace and quiet and have been offering these pipes with an extensive range since November 2016! For a complete overview of all available Missouri Meerschaum Company pipes, as well as a historical overview of the company, see the link above.