Radice Silk Cut Stack

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garywwhite

Lurker
May 5, 2019
6
0
Just got in the mail today from SPC a brand new Radice briar. I didn't have time to fire her up today and was a little bit shy about it since I am worried about burn out. I have just returned to smoking after about a 3 year hiatus and had experiences in the past of pipe burn out. Each time SPC replaced the pipe or gave me store credit on those high end pipes. I just want to make sure that a) I don't have any darkening on the rim and b) don't have any signs of a burnout. I have a Kiribi soft flame lighter and will make sure I just touch the tobacco and lift off before any darkening can occur. I will also smoke the pipe very slowly and if it gets warm at all, I will set it down no matter how many relights to complete the bowl. If you all have any suggestions I am all ears!! This pipe has a nice overall length of about 6.41 inches and has bowl depth of about 2.02 inches. The sandblasting shows extremely nice rings of grain which really are striking on this black pipe. I am excited to see how she tastes with Levant Mixture by Drucquer and Sons. This should be a treat!!

Thanks!

Gary

 

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,565
27,065
Carmel Valley, CA
Welcome, Gary.
I'd make sure the tobacco you use is dry. Quite dry. It will burn easier, less stress on the bowl.
Why not go old school on the break in, and start with 1/3 bowls, work up to 1/2, then more, etc.
If you get a chance, some photos would be good! (see next post)

 

pipingfool

Can't Leave
Sep 29, 2016
369
1,475
Seattle, WA
I second @jpmcwjr's suggestions. Dry the tobacco out a bit more than you normally would and fill the first third of the bowl and smoke it as best you can down to the bottom. Then let the pipe rest for at least 24 hours before filling the bottom third again. Then the next couple of smokes go up to two-thirds, etc.
Is this something that happened frequently when you were smoking pipes 3 years ago? If so, you may need to adjust your technique a bit, as burnouts are generally a rare thing. Slowing my cadence, and not pulling too hard are things that helped me keep my pipes in good condition.
Also, once you get a nice layer of protection built up on the bottom of the bowl, don't worry about smoking all the way to the heel of the pipe. Constant relighting with very little tobacco in the chamber can end up causing serious harm. Much better to dump $0.04 worth of tobacco than having to replace a $200+ pipe.
Also, rim darkening is just a natural byproduct of smoking. Usually it will be the portion of the rim closest to the shank because of the way the pipe hangs in the mouth. The smoke particles from the tobacco will collect in that area. But it can be removed with a pipe cleaner moistened with a little saliva. I usually clean my rims every 4 smokes or so and then hit them with a little pipe wax and buff them clean.
I also have a Radice Silk Cut Stack (Liverpool w/Cumberland Stem) and it is a Virginia smoking machine!
Enjoy, and welcome back to the hobby!

 
Oct 7, 2016
2,451
5,195
You don’t have to smoke down to the last shred of tobacco for a cake to form in due course at the bottom. That, plus frequent re lights with a butane lighter, is how I would burn out a new pipe if I intended to do so. Some dottle is not a bad thing at all. There is sometimes way too much anxiety over “building a cake”. Be patient, it happens.

 
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