Meerschaums and clays?

[Niblick]

Some of the meerschaum carving videos show the carver pulling the blocks out of a vat of warm water before carving. This softens it to make it easier to carve. If it dries out too much, they place it back in. I rinse the inside bowl of my meerschaums for about 20 seconds with warm tap water and wipe with a paper towel. It keeps the bowl carbon free and from building up.

 

[smoker13]

I have a beautiful smooth Apple Meer dedicated to C & D small batch tobacco SUN BEAR. This tobacco is simply sublime, and I get a wonderful hour + smoke whenever I feel I deserve a break from life's various pressures and demand. The coloring has been SSSSSLLLLLOOOOOOWWWW. Some paisley=ish brown around the stem, as well as faint traces of it in various places on the bowl. That's OK. It's still a beautiful pipe, and I enjoy smoking one of my favorite tobaccos in it. 'nuff said.