So rereading some of today's posts on the pipe n00b thread and was reminded of something. I may have shared this before. I don't remember.
Couple of years ago I broke down and bought a Peterson pipe. I read and read and reread on how to break it in. In all my attempts to break it in I realized I wasn't enjoying the pipe.
One day I saw via email (think it was St Patty's day) that a local shop was having it's yearly Peterson sale. I went to check them out. And fell in love with the Nording pipes. Long discussion with the shop owner over breaking in pipes when another customer, smoking a Nording, walked in. The shop owner said to ask him. So I did. He said, "Pack it and smoke it".
Took the new Nording home and packed it and smoked it. The most enjoyable bowl I ever had. Completely hooked me on pipe smoking.
To this day I have yet to enjoy a bowl out of that Peterson. Not the Petersons fault but mine.
So no I don't generally break in my pipes. I do however let uncoated pipes rest longer that my coated ones. I generally only rest them for 24hrs. I have several pipes in my rotations. I grab 2 or 3 clean pipes and rotate those till they need cleaned then grab 2 or 3 more. And so on and so forth. I keep Authors and Rhodesians and Bulldogs in my rotations. Freehands like my Nordings sit at home for my Virginia blends. I have a couple full bents I have set aside for times when I want to have some quiet time with my coffee when I get up. One for aros and one for English blends.
Cobs, well cobs I don't take very good care of. They get abused. I smoke back to back to back bowls. I smoke baccys that I'm unsure of. Blends with strong smells. I smoke them hot and fast. I scortch them and beat them around. I don't clean them much. But I do love my cobs.
Couple of years ago I broke down and bought a Peterson pipe. I read and read and reread on how to break it in. In all my attempts to break it in I realized I wasn't enjoying the pipe.
One day I saw via email (think it was St Patty's day) that a local shop was having it's yearly Peterson sale. I went to check them out. And fell in love with the Nording pipes. Long discussion with the shop owner over breaking in pipes when another customer, smoking a Nording, walked in. The shop owner said to ask him. So I did. He said, "Pack it and smoke it".
Took the new Nording home and packed it and smoked it. The most enjoyable bowl I ever had. Completely hooked me on pipe smoking.
To this day I have yet to enjoy a bowl out of that Peterson. Not the Petersons fault but mine.
So no I don't generally break in my pipes. I do however let uncoated pipes rest longer that my coated ones. I generally only rest them for 24hrs. I have several pipes in my rotations. I grab 2 or 3 clean pipes and rotate those till they need cleaned then grab 2 or 3 more. And so on and so forth. I keep Authors and Rhodesians and Bulldogs in my rotations. Freehands like my Nordings sit at home for my Virginia blends. I have a couple full bents I have set aside for times when I want to have some quiet time with my coffee when I get up. One for aros and one for English blends.
Cobs, well cobs I don't take very good care of. They get abused. I smoke back to back to back bowls. I smoke baccys that I'm unsure of. Blends with strong smells. I smoke them hot and fast. I scortch them and beat them around. I don't clean them much. But I do love my cobs.