Ever wonder, "Should I clean this new pipe before my first smoke?"
I usually do. I never know if someone has handled it, tested the draw etc. So I always clean a new pipe with pipe cleaner/sweetner prior to my first bowl.
My setup for failure.
New pipe
Too excited to wait to clean it
Tin of MacBaren HH Vintage Syrian
The pipe passed a pipe cleaner fine. Better than alot of pipes actually. Draw was ok. So I packed it. Light went fine.
Then the problem. As the pipe heated up the draw got tighter and tighter. Hmmmmm. I'm far from an expert but I've had a few bowls in a few pipes. This didn't seem to be a bad pack but I've made smoker induced errors before.
Pipe cleaner passes fine so smoke hole isn't plugged with baccy. Still struggling with the draw. Hmmmmm.
Ok frustration got the best of me. After half a bowl I dump it. Scrap it and still passes a pipe cleaner fine. Test draw on empty pipe and it's tight and restricted. I blow thru pipe it seems ok. Not plugged. Draw still tight. Still passes pipe cleaner fine.
So now I've got the inner head argument going. Your an idiot. No I'm not. Yes ur are, you can't even pack a pipe. Yes I can. Then it escalates to a fist fight. I will show myself. I test the draw again.
WHAM! Something smacks my tongue like a stink bug at 80 mph on my bike.
A piece of vulcanite. Apparently a small piece about the size of the smoke hole in diameter left over from the drilling of the smoke hole was acting like a check valve. Preventing me from drawing in smoke and as the pipe heated it must have expanded.
Well anyhow, lesson learned for this dumbass, wannabe pipe smoker.
I usually do. I never know if someone has handled it, tested the draw etc. So I always clean a new pipe with pipe cleaner/sweetner prior to my first bowl.
My setup for failure.
New pipe
Too excited to wait to clean it
Tin of MacBaren HH Vintage Syrian
The pipe passed a pipe cleaner fine. Better than alot of pipes actually. Draw was ok. So I packed it. Light went fine.
Then the problem. As the pipe heated up the draw got tighter and tighter. Hmmmmm. I'm far from an expert but I've had a few bowls in a few pipes. This didn't seem to be a bad pack but I've made smoker induced errors before.
Pipe cleaner passes fine so smoke hole isn't plugged with baccy. Still struggling with the draw. Hmmmmm.
Ok frustration got the best of me. After half a bowl I dump it. Scrap it and still passes a pipe cleaner fine. Test draw on empty pipe and it's tight and restricted. I blow thru pipe it seems ok. Not plugged. Draw still tight. Still passes pipe cleaner fine.
So now I've got the inner head argument going. Your an idiot. No I'm not. Yes ur are, you can't even pack a pipe. Yes I can. Then it escalates to a fist fight. I will show myself. I test the draw again.
WHAM! Something smacks my tongue like a stink bug at 80 mph on my bike.
A piece of vulcanite. Apparently a small piece about the size of the smoke hole in diameter left over from the drilling of the smoke hole was acting like a check valve. Preventing me from drawing in smoke and as the pipe heated it must have expanded.
Well anyhow, lesson learned for this dumbass, wannabe pipe smoker.
