Kaolin is the anglicized pronunciation of the part of China from  
which the name was adopted into English, per normal practice. The  
conflation of the two is widespread, undoubtedly because both Kaolin  
and ball clay are used in ceramics. They are chemically distinct  
entities with a very similar appearance. They do have different  
working characteristics in ceramic manufacture.

It is another example of how "first published" achieves primacy  
despite being corrected by subsequent work.

The Pamplin pipes website also has kaolin as the clay of choice for  
earlier pipes. It does, however, have a nice series of thumbnails of  
Pamplin types. http://anthromuseum.missouri.edu/minigalleries/ 
pamplinpipes/pamplinpipes.shtml

Lyle Browning
On Sep 29, 2007, at 11:24 PM, Mary C. Beaudry wrote:

> in response to Pat Tucker:
>
> White clay pipes are not made of kaolin but of white ball clay.  
> Calling them
> kaolin was a mistake in the first place and everyone should stop  
> doing it.
> See Iain Walker's article reprinted in Schuyler's reader of previously
> published historical archaeology articles.  Most everyone professes  
> to have
> read this reader but I seriously have my doubts.
>
> mcb
>
> On 9/29/07, Lyle E. Browning <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>
>> It doesn't appear to be from any of the Pamplin City Reed Stemmed
>> Smoking Pipe manufacturing companies from Pamplin City, Appomattox
>> County, VA, where kilns were in production starting in 1879. Sudbury
>> does indicate that a gray product was produced that might be similar
>> to yours. Both earthenware and stoneware pipes were produced.
>> Sudbury's history is quite useful and is available from the
>> Archeological Society of VA at www.asv-archeology.org
>>
>> Sudbury, Byron, History Of The Pamplin Area Tobacco Pipe Industry.
>> ASV Quarterly Bulletin 32.2:1-35.
>>
>> Lyle Browning
>>
>>
>> On Sep 29, 2007, at 9:31 PM, Patrick Tucker wrote:
>>
>>> Can anyone identify this clay pipe as to type or possibly
>>> manufacturer? It
>>> is plain (no decoration) and gray in color with a short stem. It
>>> has a mould
>>> seam in the front and back running the length of the pipe. Diameter
>>> of the
>>> bowl mouth is 22mm. Length of the bowl is 35mm. Length of stem is
>>> only 18mm.
>>> There is some discoloration on the bowl due to oxidation of metal
>>> (probably
>>> iron). The object comes from an archaeological site known as Port of
>>> Miami/Orleans (33Wo50) on the Maumee River in northwest Ohio, and
>>> dates ca.
>>> 1810-1850. I suspect the pipe was locally manufactured, like redware
>>> pottery, and post-dates CE 1850 since it comes from the surface of
>>> the site.
>>> White clay (kaolin) pipes (bowls and unmarked stems) were found  
>>> within
>>> specific features and the plow zone. The site contains a residential
>>> structure (cabin remodeled into or succeeded by a frame house with
>>> a brick
>>> foundation). Digital images of the pipe can be found at the links
>>> below.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r230/Pat_Tucker/
>>> 33Wo50PipeGrayClayShortSt
>>> emNo425Lef.jpg
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r230/Pat_Tucker/
>>> 33Wo50PipeGrayClayShortSt
>>> emNo425Rig.jpg
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r230/Pat_Tucker/
>>> 33Wo50PipeGrayClayShortSt
>>> emNo425Bot.jpg
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Pat Tucker
>>>
>>> French Canadian Heritage Society of Michigan
>>>
>>> Detroit
>>>
>>>
>>
>
>
>
> -- 
> Mary C. Beaudry, PhD, RPA, FSA
> Professor of Archaeology & Anthropology
> Department of Archaeology
> Boston University
> 675 Commonwealth Avenue
> Boston, MA 02215-1406
> tel. 617-358-1650