Corncob Pipe

The corncob pipe is a pipe type whose bowl is turned from dried corncob. Identified closely with American pipe-smoking, it is counted among the lightest and plainest of pipe bowl materials, yet thanks to its dry, cool smoke it has earned a lasting place among both beginners and experienced smokers alike.

History

The history of mass-produced corncob pipes begins in 1869 in the town of Washington, Missouri. As the story goes, a local farmer brought a corncob pipe he had whittled himself to Henry Tibbe, a Dutch immigrant carpenter, and asked him to turn a neater one on his lathe; Tibbe soon turned the job into regular pipe production. In 1878 Tibbe patented a method of applying a plaster-based coating to the outside of the corncob bowl that made the pipe fire-resistant; the recipe for the mixture is still kept partly secret today.

Tibbe likened the cool smoke of his light, porous corncob pipes to the expensive meerschaum pipes of the era and named his product "Missouri Meerschaum"; the business incorporated under this name in 1907. Detailed in the Missouri Meerschaum entry, the company is the sole survivor of about a dozen corncob pipe factories that once operated around the town in 1925; Washington is still known as the "Corncob Pipe Capital of the World."

Manufacturing Process

Pipe-grade corncob is no ordinary field crop: the factory grows a special hybrid corn variety on its own land, one bred to yield large, sturdy cobs whose seed was once developed with the University of Missouri. Once kernels are removed, the cobs are stored on the factory's upper floor for about two years before turning; this period both dries and hardens the cob. Production proceeds through turning on a lathe, boring the bowl hole, applying the patented coating, and, once dry, sanding and varnishing; some models are still hand-turned today. The company continues to operate out of its three-story brick factory dating from the 1880s.

One of the corncob pipe's defining traits is that the bowl and shank are made of different materials: a wooden shank and a plastic or acrylic stem are traditionally fitted to the bowl.

Smoking Characteristics

The porous cob absorbs the moisture that builds up during a smoke well, giving a dry, cool draw. Because the bowl remains largely neutral in flavor, it is considered to reflect the tobacco's character as it is. Corncob pipes also require no break-in period; they smoke without trouble from the very first bowl.

The main advantages and limitations can be summarized as follows:

• Advantages: Very light, requires almost no maintenance, and is low-cost; its neutral character also makes it widely used as a testing pipe for getting to know new blends.

• Limitations: Its lifespan is noticeably shorter than briar's; under heavy use the base of the bowl can burn through over time.

Place in Culture

The corncob pipe's best-known user is General Douglas MacArthur; Missouri Meerschaum still produces the giant-bowled model that bears the general's name. Mark Twain and the cartoon character Popeye are also names associated with the corncob pipe. This modest pipe is seen as one of the symbols of simplicity and practical ingenuity in American folk culture.