Pipe Break In.

[crperkins]

Well guys as many of you know there will be a few new pipe owners this year, the 10th Anniversary BOTL pipe is still in progress but it is only a matter of time till they will be all wrapped up.
I thought why not a better time to discuss proper pipe break in.
I am not sure this has been discussed on here yet so why not.
Instead of going ahead and saying how I prefer to break in a pipe, lets take some suggestions and see how everyone goes about it themselves.

 

[javajunkie]

the only "rules" i have seen that carry commonality are smoke slow, smoke dry, and smoke to the heel whenever possible.

also, in fairness, i haven't entirely "mastered" any of my pipes so far, i smoke too carefully. but, dammit, i'm enjoying the journey! o)

 

[cgraunke]

the only "rules" i have seen that carry commonality are smoke slow, smoke dry, and smoke to the heel whenever possible.

I have such a hard time doing this...
But I'll keep practicing!

 

[crperkins]

the only "rules" i have seen that carry commonality are smoke slow, smoke dry, and smoke to the heel whenever possible.

also, in fairness, i haven't entirely "mastered" any of my pipes so far, i smoke too carefully. but, dammit, i'm enjoying the journey! o)

Agreed, I always like to pack a full bowl. Smoke it slow, if it starts to heat up in the hand to much I will set it down and let it cool if you need to re light not a big deal. Just keep it slow cool and dry for the first 3 or so smokes.
I have heard the rule of 1/3rds but in my opinion that just tends to create an uneven cake.

 

[sam a]

Do you plan to coat the bowls?

 

[javajunkie]

Do you plan to coat the bowls?

please don't? i promise we will be gentle. o)

 

[crperkins]

Do you plan to coat the bowls?

No I am not a fan of bowl coats, I will not be coating them.
I find if broke in properly they are not needed. Aside from bowl coats giving a finished look I do not like them myself.

 

[sam a]

Fair enough... In that case I'd say take it nice and slow for the first few dozen smokes, burnouts are no fun.

 

[crperkins]

If bowl coats are preferred I am more then willing to do them, I find personally I just like to see the briar that would otherwise be beneath them. This is a topic that can be debated till the cows come home.
Perhaps a valid option to poll.

 

[sam a]

Yeah, one of those annoying cello on cello off type topics for sure. I just wanted to ask to make an informed reccomendation for break in, not to spur a fruitless debate.

 

[smokinghole]

With out looking it up on my own, isn't a bowl coating just a mix of ash and something else brushed into the bowl?

 

[sam a]

With out looking it up on my own, isn't a bowl coating just a mix of ash and something else brushed into the bowl?

Kinda. Usually activated charcoal plus something to make it stick to the chamber walls. Receipes differ from maker to maker.

 

[Grrrrr609]

Great topic Cody.

I suck at breaking in a pipe. I've tried the thirds, fourths etc methods. I don't have the patience I guess. For me, this is going to be more about the tobacco. I want a blend that's dry and smokes cool so I'm probably going to use Semois. Semois is an Old Seed Burley. Drier than a popcorn fart. Smokes cool, at least for me. I haven't dedicated a pipe to the Semois blend yet, and alot of my pipes are dedicated to English. So this pipe may be my Semois pipe.

I'm also of the mindset not to coat this bowl. Don't ask me why. I don't know. Just cuz i wanna see it. So many new pipes are coated. I want this one uncoated.

I'm not gonna stress over breaking this in. Been there done that. I want to enjoy the experience. A BOTL anny pipe custom made by Cody Perkins whom I consider a friend with one of my favorite baccys, Pur Semois. WTF else could be better?

 

[smokinghole]

I was about to suggest semois to break it in.

A little off topic. The semois I got ive moistened up ever so slightly in an my OR Tat black cg ceramic jar (perfect fit for the brick) with a small amount of beads. I found it cooled it even more, and allowed me to smoke it slower with better smoke volume. So good.

 

[Grrrrr609]

I was about to suggest semois to break it in.

A little off topic. The semois I got ive moistened up ever so slightly in an my OR Tat black cg ceramic jar (perfect fit for the brick) with a small amount of beads. I found it cooled it even more, and allowed me to smoke it slower with better smoke volume. So good.

Let me ask you brother, since you and i are on the same kinda thought here, would you recommend using Carter Hall, since it's a straight burley, to break in a pipe? I recommend Carter Hall to a pipe n00b to learn on.

 

[smokinghole]

To be honest you shouldn't ask me. I sort of skipped Carter Hall in my pipe newbess. I had pipes for 5 years that I didn't touch for 4 of those years until this winter. I got into it deep though thanks to our pipe newbie trade and found my way and my tastes quick. Maybe Carter Hall wouldn't be a bad break in baccy. I will have to stop and get some along with more cleaners this week sometime, maybe tomorrow. I know I was brazen breaking in a Sav 320 series III with some too moist English blends and got it real hot in one spot near the draw hole slightly charting the bowl when I first got the pipe. That was me trying to pack with the Frank method which never worked for me causing more problems than it solved. Ever since I just started the pack and just testing the draw all my even burn issues went out the door. I feel more comfortable now that i could break in a new pipe much better than I had with the 320. All the other briar pipes I have came with a bowl coat of some kind. My Hackert poker had what looked like only ash mixed with water and was not much of a coat but more like a black dusting and that thing broke in beautifully since i had stopped trying with the Frank method at that point.

 

[sam a]

Carter hall is a good suggestion, probably a little better than semois since its less likely to ghost the pipe. That said the past few times I've had a first smoke in a new pipe, I've just jammed it full of semois, and smoked the shit out of it.

 

[dharbolt]

Ok noob question. What are the negative effects on a pipe if you happen to char it a bit?

 

[Grrrrr609]

Ok noob question. What are the negative effects on a pipe if you happen to char it a bit?

Where did you char it?

 

[Grrrrr609]

To be honest you shouldn't ask me. I sort of skipped Carter Hall in my pipe newbess. I had pipes for 5 years that I didn't touch for 4 of those years until this winter. I got into it deep though thanks to our pipe newbie trade and found my way and my tastes quick. Maybe Carter Hall wouldn't be a bad break in baccy. I will have to stop and get some along with more cleaners this week sometime, maybe tomorrow. I know I was brazen breaking in a Sav 320 series III with some too moist English blends and got it real hot in one spot near the draw hole slightly charting the bowl when I first got the pipe. That was me trying to pack with the Frank method which never worked for me causing more problems than it solved. Ever since I just started the pack and just testing the draw all my even burn issues went out the door. I feel more comfortable now that i could break in a new pipe much better than I had with the 320. All the other briar pipes I have came with a bowl coat of some kind. My Hackert poker had what looked like only ash mixed with water and was not much of a coat but more like a black dusting and that thing broke in beautifully since i had stopped trying with the Frank method at that point.

I skipped it too. went back to it after getting heavy into englishes. Needless to say it was kinda boring.