Breaking in a New Pipe.

[andypandy]

I'm going to try some blends with latakia and oriental tobacco.

I'll dedicate a couple of pipes to it.

Should I break in the pipes with some mild virginia and/or cavendish first or do I go srtaight for the English blends(?)?
Any thoughts?

 

[taerin]

Anything you like, don't over think it. If you want them to be English pipes, just go straight to English.

 

[petes03]

I would go straight to English blends. But if you wanted to use something else to break it in, I would use Carter Hall or something similar.

 

[flux]

I'm trying to do something similar. The route I'm opting for is to break it in with a few bowls of Early Morning Pipe. From what I understand it's Va forward, with some Orientals and latakia--so its in the genre, but mild flavored and should effect minimal ghosting.

 

[cortezattic]

One dedicates a pipe with the expectation that it will deliver the unadulterated taste of a particular blend.

With a new pipe it makes sense, therefore, to use only the tobacco blend you intend to smoke in that pipe.
Personally, I couldn't keep track of something like that, but it does make sense to reserve "Latakia pipes"

for smokey tobaccos -- including non-Latakia fire cured leaf such as McClelland's Royal Cajun blends.

 

[smokertruck]

I am breaking in a pipe using a mild solani now at about a dozen smokes - was given to try 3 oaks tobacco with latakia - cleared the latakia taste best i can with deniclean - do not intend to use the 3 oaks in this pipe being a very large bowl - wish to use boswell chocolate cream being a mild smoke. Rather than going thru a process , will the latakia eventually burn out ?

 

[cortezattic]

I've never smoked Boswell Chocolate Cream, but the smokiness of Latakia should gradually dissipate with any tobacco.

The fact that one gets used to background tastes and odors will also make the smokiness seem fainter as time goes on.

 

[cigrmaster]

If you are intending to dedicate the pipe to English blends then that is what you should smoke in it. I would never break in a pipe with something I have no intention of smoking after it is broken in. Why waste your time smoking something you think it just ok or something you just don't even like because you think it will break in a pipe faster? The goal is to smoke what you like and what gives you pleasure, in the grand scheme of things, it does not matter if it takes an extra ten bowls to break in your pipe with something you enjoy smoking.

 

[andypandy]

Thanks for all the advice here. I think I'll start with the latakia blends right away.

 

[kashmir]

As I smoke mainly Lat forward blends, with a new pipe I just load it up and smoke it with whatever blend Im in the mood for. I've tried all the different break in techniques ... loading thirds, honey, Carter Hall, etc. I've found it doesn't seem to make much of a difference. Enjoy your new pipe.

 

[lovethebriar]

Some might disagree with this post but It doesn't matter. As stated above just load that pipe and smoke it. It's nothing hard are to consider. I do not have pipes for specific types of tobacco, I have pipes for specific amounts of smoking times, small,medium,large bowl. Now I never smoke those heavy aromatic type tobacco, mostly stick to English, and Virginia, and orientals. To me it does not matter if I smoked heavy Latakia one minute then the next a soft flake out of the same pipe. As far as break in and cake build up, I minimize the cake in all my pipes. Have not ever broke in a pipe other than just stuffing it full and let her rip. I have been on multiple deployment with my Marines and can't walk around with a pocket full of pipes for this blend that blend

Smh, just in joy your pipe any way you want and you will figure out the rest with experience. This is only my opinion and don't try to do as others do just because they said it. Pipe smoking is not an art form in any way shape are fashion never has been. If you have to go by all these rules and guidelines to enjoy something it kinda takes the fun out of it. Also if you have to buy 100 pipes for the endless shapes and flavor tobacco available thats just insane and expensive.