Take a Picture of Yourself Smoking a Pipe

[Mister Moo]

Congrats on some nice looking pipes.
Dan, is black meerschaum naturally black, stained, painted...?

My take on african meerschaum is:

1. less pourous than turkish limiting coloration from smoking;
2. not naturally white but more ivory to tan; and
3. a tendency to have color and texture variations or streaks in a natural state.

I speculate the select stuff made premium natural pipes, most or all of which were highly rusticated; variegated clay was dyed or covered in handstitched leather boots.