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The corncob pipe, Missouri meerschaum or barnyard briar

De maïskolfpijp, Missouri meerschaum of barnyard briar

By Don Duco

Abstract: General history of the cob corn pipe from its invention in 1872 to present day, discussing all the various types during the times, the smoke qualities and other curious informations.

Sorry, we do not have an English text of this article available. See for the full text the Dutch version of our website.

© Don Duco, Pijpenkabinet Foundation, Amsterdam - Holland, 2008.

Illustrations

1. Portrait of Henry Tibbe (* Enschede, the Netherlands 1819 - † Washington, Missouri 1897), wood worker and manufacturer.
From: Pfeife und Feuerzeug, 1969, nr. 2.

2. The factory of Henry Tibbe in Washington, Missouri where the mass production of cob corn pipes started.
From: Pfeife und Feuerzeug, 1969, nr. 2.

3. Tobacco pipe made from cob corn with high narrow bowl, flat bottom, stem on one third of the bowl. Missouri, Washington, 1890-1920.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 18.155a

4. Tobacco pipe made from cob corn with high slightly bulbous narrow bowl, flat bottom, stem from reed on one third of the bowl. Missouri, Washington, 1890-1920.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 18.155b

5. Tobacco pipe made from cob corn with high cilindrical bowl, round bottom, the stem on one third of the bottom, made from thin reed with s-shape with two knots, the third is the mouthpiece. The bowl treated with plaster and lacquered on the outside. Missouri, Washington, 1950-1960.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 19.012

6. Tobacco pipe made from cob corn, shape called Washington with cilindrical bowl without any further treatment, lightwood stem with left a text placed in a ribban “INDIAN SUMMER”, transparent yellow mouthpiece. The cob without finishing. Base of the bow label with “MISSOURI CORNCOBS MO. PIPE INC.”. Missouri, Washington, 1970-1980.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk196c

7. Tobacco pipe made from cob corn, shape called Legend, small size with slight barrel shape, the cob no further treatment, wooden stem with print of cob-design, metal ferrule and plastic mouth piece. Missouri, Washington, 1960-1975.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 196b

8. High slender cob corn pipe, shape called Mac with stem on one third of the bottom, outside treated with plaster and lacquered, long upward stem in light wood with metal ferrule and bent plastic mouth piece. Missouri, Washington, 1990-1995.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 196d

9. Tobacco pipe made from cob corn with cilindrical bowl and rounded bowl opening, outside with plaster and lacquered, the bowl opening burnt blackish brown. Bottom bowl intaglio stamp filled in with black “MISSOURI ORIGINAL MEERSCHAUM”, bamboo stem with black plastic mouthpiece. Missouri, Washington, 1960-1970.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 196e

10. Tobacco pipe made from cob corn with cilindrical bowl and flat bottom, on the side straight wooden stem. The cob polished after plaster treatment, bowl label in green with "SUNDAY COB PIPE, HUNTINGDON QUEBEC, CANADA". Black plastic mouthpiece with flattened end. Canada, Huntingdon, 1960-1975.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 196a

11. Cherry wood pipe from the assortment of Buescher, shaped after a cob corn pipe. The bottom shows a label of Buesscher, the stem contains a paper filter in plastic cover. Missouri, Washington, 1960-1970.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 196f

12. Advertisement for Buescher’s cob corn pipes, Pfeife und Feuerzeug, 1969, nr. 11.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet documentation

13ab. Advertisement for cob corn pipes showing a display card for a dozen of cob corn pipes, from Tobacco, July 1965.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet documentation

14. Two advertisements from the sales catalogue of a postorder business showing the standard cob corn and the Mac. New York, Wally Frank, 1948.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet documentation

15. Advertisement for the standard cob corn in a salescatalogue. New York, Wally Frank, c. 1977.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet documentation

16. Letter from the factory on the forthcoming price changes. Missouri, Washington, December 1996.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet documentation

Notes

1. Anonymous, ‘Zur Geschichte der Maiskolben-Pfeife’, Pfeife und Feuerzeug, 1969, no. 2, p. 10.

2. ‘No shortage of corn cobs’, Tobacco, July 1965, p 51. The start should be in 1872, the factory of Tibbe however was founded in 1869.

3. Carl Ehwa, The book of Pipes & Tobacco, New York, 1974, opposite p. 60.

4. Alfred Dunhill, The Pipe Book, London, 1969, p. 193.

5. Byron Sudbury, ‘An Illustrated 1895 catalogue of the Akron Smoking Pipe Co.’, Historic Clay Tobacco Pipe Studies, 1986, vol 3, p 31.

6. Paul Terstraeten, ´Steek ´ns op´, Nieuwsblad voor pijprokers, VI/1, p. 2.
1. Portrait of Henry Tibbe, wood worker and manufacturer.
2. The factory of Henry Tibbe in Washington, Missouri where the mass production of cob corn pipes started.
3. Tobacco pipe made from cob corn with high narrow bowl, flat bottom, stem on one third of the bowl. Missouri, Washington, 1890-1920.
4. Tobacco pipe made from cob corn with high slightly bulbous narrow bowl, flat bottom, stem from reed on one third of the bowl. Missouri, Washington, 1890-1920.
5. Tobacco pipe made from cob corn with high cilindrical bowl, the stem on one third of the bottom, made from thin reed with s-shape. Missouri, Washington, 1950-1960.
5. Bowl from the luxourious cob corn with round bottom, treatment with plaster and lacquered on the outside. Missouri, Washington, 1950-1960.
6. Tobacco pipe made from cob corn, shape called Washington with cilindrical bowl without any further treatment, lightwood stem with left a text placed in a ribban INDIAN SUMMER, transparent yellow mouthpiece. The cob without finishing. Missouri, Washington, 1970-1980.
6. Base of the bowl with on the label MISSOURI CORNCOBS MO. PIPE INC. Missouri, Washington, 1970-1980.
7. Cob corn with shape called Legend, the cob no further treatment, wooden stem with print of cob-design, metal ferrule and plastic mouth piece. Missouri, Washington, 1960-1975.
8. High slender cob corn pipe, shape called Mac with stem on one third of the bottom, outside treated with plaster and lacquered, long upward stem in light wood with metal ferrule and bent plastic mouth piece. Missouri, Washington, 1990-1995.
9. Cob corn with cilindrical bowl and rounded bowl opening, outside with plaster and lacquered, the bowl opening burnt blackish brown, bamboo stem with black plastic mouthpiece. Missouri, Washington, 1960-1970.
9. Bottom of a cob corn with intaglio stamp filled in with black MISSOURI ORIGINAL MEERSCHAUM. Missouri, Washington, 1960-1970.
12. Advertisement for Buescher's cob corn pipes, Pfeife und Feuerzeug, 1969, nr. 11. 13a. Advertisement for cob corn pipes showing a display card for a dozen of cob corn pipes. 14. Advertisement from the sales catalogue of a postorder business showing the standard cob corn in three shapes. New York, Wally Frank, 1948.
14. Advertisement from the sales catalogue of a postorder business showing the the Mac in two versions. New York, Wally Frank, 1948.
10. Tobacco pipe made from cob corn with cilindrical bowl and flat bottom, the cob polished after plaster treatment. Canada, Huntingdon, 1960-1975.
10. Flat bottom with on the label in green "SUNDAY COB PIPE, HUNTINGDON QUEBEC, CANADA". Canada, Huntingdon, 1960-1975.
15. Advertisement for the standard cob corn in a sales catalogue. New York, Wally Frank, c. 1977.
13b. Advertisement for cob corn pipes showing a display card for a dozen of cob corn pipes.
16. Letter from the factory on the forthcoming price changes. Missouri, Washington, December 1996.
11. Cherry wood pipe from the assortment of Buescher, shaped after a cob corn pipe. Missouri, Washington, 1960-1970.
11. Label of a cherry wood pipe of the Buesscher assortment. Missouri, Washington, 1960-1970.

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