Question: It looks like the stem/tenon screws into the shank as I can vaguely see what appears to be threads. I have not disassembled this pipe for fear of cracking the delicate meerschaum shank, so I was curious if you might be able to enlighten me on any steps or best practices I would need to consider for disassembling/cleaning later down the road? Does it simply pull out? Screw in or out clockwise? Counterclockwise? The pipe I'm referencing is the billiard from my order (the others were a horn and I believe a Rhodesian).

Answer:  All of our pipes are engineered to be used as push/pull. Most of the pipes come with a mortise/tenon style fitting system. Only IMP and srv - Premium series come with a briar pipe style fitting system. 

For daily maintenance; you can just pull the stem by turning it clockwise. When you want to insert the stem back on your meerschaum pipe, please push the stem back into the pipe and again a clockwise twist will help the stem to get into the pipe. Always clockwise... 

If it is not an IMP or a srv Premium, there is a mortise screwed into the shank of the meerschaum pipe and there is tenon screwed into the stem. After these two parts; mortise and tenon are securely screwed into both sides, you don't need to unscrew them for daily cleaning. Push/pull (with help of clockwise twist) will extend the life of your meerschaum pipes. If you unscrew the connectors (fittings) all the time for cleaning, you may wear off the thread in the pipe especially if you do this when the pipe is hot and wet. 

If your pipe is an IMP or src Premium line, they have briar pipe type of a fitting system and there is nothing scres or unscrews into the shank nor into the stem of the pipe. You can push/pull directly, turning the stem any direction will not unscrew anything but help the stem to get in or out.