The Pied Piper Trivia Quiz

Answer: Calabash

Calabash pipes were originally made from the African Bottle Nose Gourd. Calabash pipes are usually handcrafted and many of the antique ones are considered collectors' items. Today, these beautiful pipes are often made of mahogany wood which is hand-carved into the desired shape. Porcelain bowls are set inside them in which to place the tobacco. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle never actually wrote of Sherlock Homes smoking a calabash pipe, and early illustrations of Holmes featured him smoking a long stemmed pipe with a straight stem.

Answer: Corncob Pipe

Corncob pipes have been a popular North American pipe since the mid 19th century. The corncob pipe was made with a hollowed out corn cob that had been dried for many months. They were then lacquered and a pine wood shank was added. These type of pipes were an "every man's" pipe and were popular because of their low price and because they had an easy draw.

Answer: Briar wood

Briar wood has been used for hundreds of years to make pipes. There are a couple of reasons for this. They include the fact that briar wood is naturally fire resistant and can withstand temperatures exceeding 700 degrees Fahrenheit. Also the fact that briar wood is extremely dense, but is porous also.

This unusual combination allows briar wood pipes to absorb both tar and moisture from pipe tobacco. The lovely swirling patterns found in briar wood are also esthetically pleasing.

Answer: Tamper

These are some fine examples of pipe tampers. These are used to pack down the tobacco in the bowl of a pipe. Just like some pipes, these can be works of art. But something as simple as a large headed nail can be used for the same purpose. Sometimes pipes are sold with a matching tamper included.

Answer: That they were a deceased pipe smoker.

The term "broken pipe" is an old historic terms that refers to a pipe smoker that has died. The term originated from a time when taverns used to keep clay pipes for their patrons to use. Each person had a spot in the tavern's pipe rack that their pipe was kept in.

While visiting the tavern and enjoying a drink, the customer would use their pipe to indulge in smoking while they drank. The taverns often provided the tobacco and the pipe. When the patron died, the tavern owner would remove the deceased person's pipe from the pipe rack and break it in half.

Their spot in the pipe rack was never used again.

Answer: Churchwarden pipe

Churchwarden pipes are a beautiful style of tobacco pipe that is known for its distinctive long stem and cool smoke. These pipes are especially convenient for reading because the long stem allows for an unobstructed view of the pages of a book.

Answer: Amber

Many expensive antique pipe stems were made of amber. Amber is fossilized tree resin, and was at one time a very popular choice for high-quality pipes. While lovely to look at, it is fragile and very expensive. It is difficult to work with and easily broken if you bite down too hard.

Answer: Calumet

A calumet is a ceremonial smoking pipe used by several Native American tribes. The term calumet is a French and Latin word that refers to the reeds used in the pipe stem. Calumets were used during ceremonies that marked both war and peace. Some tribes used them as a sign of agreement between tribes as to political, social, and trade talks. Calumets came in many shapes and styles depending on the tribe and the materials available to them.

Answer: Meerschaum

Meerschaum comes from the remains of fossilized seashells. Almost all meerschaum is mined in Turkish caves, but is sometimes found floating in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. The term 'meerschaum' comes from German and means 'sea foam'. A new meerschaum pipe will usually be white or cream in color but will darken the longer it is used. Meerschaum is also used to make hand-carved incense burners and cigarette holders.

Answer: True

Tobacco was not introduced into Europe until the 16th century. Until that time pipes were used to smoke other plants and their derivatives, quite often hashish.