Clay pipe

[Sidevalve45]

Another item my son found. I thought at first this was some sort of trade pipe but I was told that it's not. Also told it dates from around 1900.

 

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[hollowpointred]

its in amazing condition!

 

[Sidevalve45]

The bowl is broken on the other side unfortunately. But for rolling on the river bottom for over 100 years it does look pretty good.

Thanks,
SV

 

[Johnny X]

Very sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet.


xstevenx

 

[Abbey]

Three cheers for your boy! Great find-- keep l king, and happy hunting!

 

[badandy]

Amazing it's still pretty intact for a clay waterway find!
badandy

 

[River Rat]

​

 

[sassyrockhunter]

i think i would just faint on the spot finding something like that

 

[jbl04410]

Nice find,what you have there is a tavern pipe.They were pipes the taverns had on hand so patrons could buy tobacco from them and use the taverns pipes.The stems were usually long and when broken in use you just had a shorter pipe.I have found a few pieces of these pipes myself here in Maine.I would not rule out the possibility that these pipes were traded with the indians.Some are way older than the 1900's and at least here could have easily been traded.Believe it or not I bought two at a display in the local mall that a diver had found locally.The one had a name on it which allowed me to look it up on line and find out it was made in holland in the mid 1800's.so there you go...............Jay

 

[Sidevalve45]

Thanks for the information! It is appreciated.

 

[Cannonman17]

Kaolin pipes, generally referred to as "trade pipes" but they were made and used before the trade era and long after. I find them (or pieces of them) in many old out house pits when looking for bottles, seems most farmers smoked back in the day. There is a reference out there somewhere that dates them according to the diameter of the hole in the stem.

 

[coalfire]

Cool find! Back in the day the tavern pipe that jbl04410 mentioned also could be bought already filled. Then the pipe was usually kept for more use. Still a great find for a river bottom!
~Z~

 

[Cannonman17]

I also find about one inch fragments of them scattered about the farm fields, there wasn't any filter so when the started to become clogged you could snap the end off and keep using it. Here's a quick reference I found doing a google on trade pipes:

Early clay pipes or "Kaolins" which refers to the white clay which was used to make them, were very crudely made. They usually have a little dimple at the base of the bowl resulting from the "spur" where the clay was poured into a mold. These pipes are sometimes referred to as "white-earth" pipes. They were shipped from Europe to the colonies by the millions. Usually only shards or bowls of the clay pipes are found as they are so delicate. Sometimes the natives used the stem shards as beads or other adornments. Millions of clay pipes were made in Mogadore, Ohio. Mostly only the bowls of these pipes were made and came with a separate wooden or cane stem. They were often "glazed" and made from a red clay. Other colors can also be found such as green, brown and yellowish. Because clay pipes are formed in a mold there are many hundreds of different graphic patterns and makers names found on them. Clay pipes are still being made today.


Here's a link to an archaeological site that excavated a kaolin trade pipe, about half way down the page is the picture and identification- I've only found one to date with the ribbing like this one:
http://www.fromsitetostory.org/nhr/21bl0004knutsondam/images/images.asp

You see them on ebay also, always thought it would be cool to make a display case of them-