Break in differences

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hauntedmyst

Lifer
Feb 1, 2010
4,006
20,750
Chicago
Hobies temp question made me think of this topic. One thing I've noticed, at least for me is that different pipe brands tend to break in differently. My Upshall's all smoked very hot at first but then when they were broken in, they are wonderful. My early Dunhill's (70's and 80's era) all smoked wet and hot, where as everything I have from about 95 on all smoke like a dream from the start, no noticeable break in. Personally, I won't buy anything made before 2000 from them any more. The Italians are similar. My Ser Jacopo's are all over the board, some smoke hot and wet, others are smoother where as the Castellos are awesome right out of the gate. Newer Caminettos I think look cheaper but they smoke like a dream.
Have you noticed any brand specific break in/smoking qualities?

 

cortezattic

Lifer
Nov 19, 2009
15,147
7,637
Chicago, IL
I can't say that I noticed any break-in differences among pipes. Some pipes started to smoke better, sooner; but I never noticed anything the likes of which you've described. It could be, in fact, that I don't smoke too "critically" when using a new pipe. I dunno.
I generally won't declare a pipe to be a clunker until it's got well over 100 smokes on it, and it still doesn't "settle-in" like my favorite pipes.

 

surfmac211

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 28, 2009
609
0
Jacksonville, Florida
Ser Jacopo: Same thing for me I got 3 that smoked great right off the bat, 1 that smoked hot, and 1 that smoked very wet for about the first 20 smokes.
Peterson: Most of mine are estate but the 9 I purchased new all smoked hot through the break in.
J. Alan: The 2 I have smoked perfect and still do
Randy Wiley: 50/50 some great some hot and wet
Savinelli: All of mine have done great.

 

admin

Smoking a Pipe Right Now
Staff member
Nov 16, 2008
8,764
4,932
St. Petersburg, FL
pipesmagazine.com
Those are interesting observations.
Personally, I couldn't really say. I know I have some pipes that smoke better than others, but I can't really remember the break-in characteristics of all of them. I tend to remember really good experiences and really bad experiences, or at least where expectations were exceeded, or not met.
I remember a little over a year ago when I bought three new Dunhills, 2 from 2002 and 1 from 2007 and thought they all smoked hot and wet for a while. They smoke much better now. I did try the method of honey-coating the inside of the bowls, but I think that made them smoke hotter instead of cooler. I also happened to be smoking Davidoff's Danish Blend on the porch on a windy day.
That first Dunhill experience was like "WTF!?!"
On that same order I had two Savinellis, one handmade and one mass-produced. The machine-made mass-produced Savinelli smokes the best out of the five pipes, and it was the cheapest of all of them coming in at $48.
The Dunhills were between $284 - $403 and the handmade Savinelli was $104, but the $48 Savinelli beats them all in smokeability from the start and to this day.
Another higher-end pipe I own, one of my favorites, is my Ardor which smoked amazingly from the first bowl. I bought it at the Richmond Pipe Show in Oct 2009, and smoked it within 30 minutes of buying it and it was like a dream.

 

smooth

Might Stick Around
Jan 10, 2012
82
1
Kevin's comments mirror my thoughts -- neither the price nor the name on the pipe is a guarantee of a good smoker which will become a favorite.

 

nsfisher

Lifer
Nov 26, 2011
3,566
20
Nova Scotia, Canada
i break ALL mine in hot and i mean very hot. I use Drum ROY baccy for the first 3-4 bowls that runs hot anyway. Still have some same pipes from 15 yrs ago. There r so many break-in theories out there today that it makes u wonder which is right and which is not.

 

tobakenist

Lifer
Jun 16, 2011
1,440
1,293
68
Middle England
I am a big Peterson fan, they always seem to take a long time to break in but once they are broken in they become great smokers. One particular one I thought was never going to break in, it seemed to taste of burnt wood for ages but now it is one of my favorites.

 
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