UNUSUAL OPIUM PIPE SKEWER, NEEDLE TWISTED SILVER, NICE!

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Source eBay

OPIUM PIPE SKEWER OR NEEDLE TWISTED SILVER Up for auction is this super opium pipe skewer, or needle. It has a pointed end that was used for applying and working opium, with a small scraper end as well. It has a very attractive design, please note the many photos. It measures 5 1/4 inches in length. The Chinese method of smoking opium did not 'burn' the opium, but in fact 'distilled' the vapors in a highly specialized damper or bowl. This is unlike any other smoking method, which usually burns the product, while the key to this process was to not burn the opium, but to vaporize it. One of the simplest tools used in the preparation of the opium was the skewer, or needle. However, simple as it was, it was indispensable in the preparation of opium for smoking in a Chinese pipe. One end of the skewer would be ground down to a fine point, for which the opium pellet would be inserted into the bowl. The fine tip of the skewer would leave a hole as it was inserted, to facilitate the draw after the opium was heated. The other tip of the skewer would be hammered flat to provide a small spatula for scraping residue and other purposes. As the opium pellet was placed by the opening and heated, it would be transformed by the heat into a dense vapor, which then would be drawn into the bowl, through the opening at the top of the bowl. When the read more

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