>>955119I can't talk about Strambachs in particular, but generally meers take on coloring because tobacco tars are absorbed into the pores in the material. With pressed meer, those pores are full of the binder holding it all together. So it can't take on color naturally.
Pic related is how a natural meerschaum usually colors. It starts where the pipe comes into contact with the most smoke-the stem and bottom of the bowl-then slowly progresses to the rest of the pipe over time as tars accumulate in the material.
One other thing I forgot to mention that is key to enjoying ANY new meerschaum is to swab out the stem with a pipe cleaner first. Factory-fresh meers can have some stone dust left over in the stem from drilling, and that is no bueno. Just a wet pipe cleaner or two before the first smoke and you're good to go.
