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Mystery pipe

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Pipes120 of 239Has anyone seen a pipe like this?Cheroot   silver/bone smoking device?
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    Posted 8 years ago

    hotairfan
    (385 items)

    I need your help with this one.
    I purchased it at a local antique flea market because it intrigued me of it's uniqueness and also it was cheap to purchase.
    It is heavy walled, probably brass and is nickel plated all around. It appears that the cup attachment is part of it's use because it has the same characteristics as the pipe like item. Nickel plating tells me it is pre 1930, although I am not sure of that, because there is no markings anywhere.
    When you blow into the top of the pipe end. you can feel the air exit the 3/8" hole in the base. The air is restricted when blowing, but you can feel the air push slightly out of the opening if you rest your finger on the hole.
    The soldered on base seems to be a chamber to hold denatured alcohol or some other type of fuel. If it was for tobacco, you would push it right to the bottom of the chamber. Maybe a wick was installed in this hole.
    I can't imagine what the cup with the nickel plated lid was used for,
    Things like this intrigue me and I hope that someone can describe it's purpose........... Thanks for your help

    Unsolved Mystery

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    Comments

    1. blunderbuss2 blunderbuss2, 8 years ago
      Hotair needs help ? !! This can't be ! LOL !
    2. kyratango kyratango, 8 years ago
      Kind of Asian water tobacco pipe, I think :-)

      Asian Water Pipe : Lot 10
      https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/43226092_asian-water-pipe
    3. UncleRon UncleRon, 8 years ago
      Odd! When you say the long tube goes to the bottom of the device do you mean all the way to the bottom of the conical section or just down into the main body? I'm thinking some kind of water pipe. There could have been a bowl that plugged into to the pipe sticking out the top of the body. If so, the bowl would have a tube extending down into the conical chamber which would have been filled with water.
      I don't see it being any kind of "burner".
      Are you sure it's plated? It looks like pewter except for the bottom plate and the lid for the box on the side.
    4. blunderbuss2 blunderbuss2, 8 years ago
      Where would you put the tobac ? Maybe it is missing the bowl that fits over the vertical pipe ?
    5. kyratango kyratango, 8 years ago
      Metal is probably paktong, a copper nickel and zinc alloy.
      No burner on these pipes, the tobacco used was a thin cut black tobacco, very strong :-P
    6. kyratango kyratango, 8 years ago
      Anatomy of water pipe :-)
      Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum - State Museum of Archaeology
      http://www.jefpat.org/CuratorsChoiceArchive/2015CuratorsChoice/May2015-SmokingInLifeAndInTheHereafter-AChineseWaterPipeFromDeadwood-SD.html

      Or it is a bong...
      Bong - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
      https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bong
    7. Windwalker, 8 years ago
      Way to go.... Kyratango.....well done ... ;-)
    8. hotairfan hotairfan, 8 years ago
      Thanks a lot guys, you have all been helpful. I think kyratango hit the nail on the head. I looked at the web addresses that he suggested and it looks very similar to my mystery tool. All except the little cup that came along with the pipe. Maybe it never belonged to the pipe in the first place.
      As to the material make-up, It is some sort of base metal. I didn't make it as visible as I should have, but, the base has a few chips that show what appears to be brass underneath the heavy plating.
      Why do you think the tube that is hollow down to the base of the conical chamber has a restriction that is fitted within 1" of the top of the tube?
      I am satisfied as to the use and purpose of this item.
      I am glad that I wasn't stopped by one of Pennsylvania's finest and asked why I carried an opium bong on my person......

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