Pipe Bowl

[Guest calabash digger]

We hit a new site yesterday and this amazing Pipe Bowl showed up.

[kac]

Is that bone? Very cool.

[Guest calabash digger]

clay I think..

[JCR]

That is a neat find. Do you estimate 18th century or early 19th activity at that site?  I suspect it is made of fired clay and would have had a wooden tenon fitted with a Cherrywood or reed stem. This suggest a "better quality" pipe than the more common all clay Tavern type pipe. You could restore it fairly easily for display. You could actually place it in the hot ash of a wood fire to rejuvenate it and it would come out clean and snow white just as it was when made.

[Guest calabash digger]

We always date these as Civil War era or before...I have need heard how to restore pipes..Thanks

[JCR]

Restoration is common among pipe collectors and a lot of satisfying fun. Mostly done on wooden bowls but also old clays.

That style is called a Straight Dutch.

[JCR]

Also it should have a Makers mark on it.

[Guest calabash digger]

Thanks! No makers mark that I can see..

[Glenn in CO]

Very nice find! Just think of the stories it could tell. Thanks for saving history!