How do you date a clay pipe bowl?

Clay pipe bowls can be dated with some certainty according to their shape, size and decoration, and with even more accuracy if they feature a makers-mark on the heel, the protrusion under the bowl. The top pipe bowl above dates from 1640-60 while the one below is a fairly typical decorated one from 1780-1820.

What years were clay pipes used?

Clay is one of the oldest piping materials in the world and in some places, its still used today. In the United States, it was the material of choice from the 1880s to the 1900s. Like brick and tile, clay pipe is heavy and transporting it was difficult, so many towns had their own clay pipe plants.

How were clay pipes used?

A pipe was typically used to smoke the tobacco – usually made of clay, which would be delicate and easily broken. Once damaged, the pipe would be simply thrown away by the smoker. It would be 1881 before a cigarette making machine would be invented and the use of tobacco pipes started to decline.

What is clay pipe called?

Vitrified clay pipe (VCP) is pipe made from a blend of clay and shale that has been subjected to high temperature to achieve vitrification, which results in a hard, inert ceramic.