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Corncob Pipe Facts

The first commercial corn cobpipes appeared before the turn of the 20th century, but farmers had used the lightweight cobs as pipe bowls before then. Pipe smokers continue to prize these pipes for their rustic charm and low price, but they once served a more unusual purpose. The Native American Ponca people bought them in quantity not only as vessels for tobacco, but also as ornaments; the pipe's bone stem made attractive jewelry.

Origins
- While the exact origins of the corncob pipe remain hazy, the Missouri Meerschaum Company was the first to produce a commercial version in 1869. According to the company's web site, Henry Tibbe, a woodworker who specialized in pipe-making, created the first commercial corncob pipe after a farmer approached Tibbe to make a professional version of the homemade device that the farmer so enjoyed. Tibbe agreed that the inexpensive and attractive material made a quality pipe.
Appearance
- While tobacco stores carry painted and stained versions of corncob pipes, the classic version looks much like the corncob from which it came. Smoothly polished pipes resemble honeycombs in look and color, taking on a richer amber tone as the smoker uses them. Manufacturers leave some cobs rough for a rustic appearance, while homemade and antique pipes may be little more than a hollowed cob. The pipes' stems vary from long and curved to straight and plain; corncob pipes rarely have highly decorated stems.
Manufacturing Process
- Commercial pipes come from specially bred cobs with symmetrical kernels and sturdy outer surfaces. The cobs age and dry for two years. They then get cut, hollowed and shaped on a pipe-turning lathe. The cob bowls receive a coat of plaster to fill in any gaps and harden them for longer use. After their plaster coat dries, the cobs get sanded down and polished before a worker drills the stem hole in the cob. Finer details like labels and filters for the pipe stem finish off each pipe before it's shipped off for sale.
Benefits and Drawbacks
- Like fine-grained meerschaum clay, a corncob pipe remains porous and gives the smoker a pleasant "draw" from the pipe, leading to the material's nickname, "Missouri meerschaum." A cob pipe's light weight makes it easy to keep handy. Smokers who sample new tobaccos prefer to try them in an inexpensive corncob pipe instead of a costly briar pipe that might take on the flavor of a disagreeable tobacco. On the negative side, cobs have a rustic look that does not appeal to everyone's sense of style. They may also have small, narrow bowls that require tool tamping and frequent refilling.

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