Once upon a time, a Dutchman named Henry Tibbe arrived in a small town in the USA in 1897. His carpentry workshop in the Netherlands had burned down, so he was drawn to the New World.

A farmer asked him if he could machine-make his pipes – and he could.

In his small shop, the corncob pipes quickly became popular. Thus, in 1907, the Missouri Meerschaum Co. was opened.

The pipes are made from a corn cob, which gains enormous hardness and fire resistance during two years of drying.

The husks and kernels are removed, and the pipe bowl is cut out. The corn cob pipes are then coated with plaster. This gives them the appearance of being made from meerschaum—and their smoking characteristics are similar as well.

A "corn cob" smokes dry and cool. This is also the origin of the name Missouri Meerschaum & Co.

The pipe is sanded and polished. The stem, made from bamboo or twisted corn cob, is glued on, and finally, the mouthpiece, made of transparent plastic, is attached.

From then until now, corncob pipes have been manufactured in this factory and shipped all over the world.

The pipe is very inexpensive compared to classic wooden pipes, but also considerably less durable. If the pipe starts to taste bad, its lifespan is over and it's time for a new one.

Experienced pipe smokers smoke them slowly and enjoy the cool, dry smoke.