Re-Coating the Bowl With Honey?

[irish]

Gentlemen,

Since I was a young man and first started smoking a pipe the gentlemen who sold me my first pipes and taught me how to smoke a pipe always coated a new pipe with a thin layer of honey. He said it would help protect the bowl and help build a cake quicker for quicker break in. My question is do any of you coat a used estate pipe ? Do you feel even after reaming out the bowl and cleaning one that you should re-coat the bowl or is it good to go? Just somthing I have been curious about and thought I would get the opinion of the experts!! And yes I believe this website is the panel of experts!! You gentlemen are the best ! :puffpipe:
Edit: Corrected capitalization in title per Rule #9. L.

Number Nine, Number Nine, Number Nine

 

[petes03]

Hey Irish, like you, I was taught to coat the bowl of a new pipe with either honey or molasses. But since then, I've learned from many more experienced pipers that there is no need at all to coat the bowl with anything! Even if it's not a pre-carbed bowl! I've been breaking pipes in uncoated for quite some time now, and I've had absolutely no issues!

 

[irish]

Thanks Petes03 that was all I needed to hear. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't damaging alot of estates. I appreciate the info. :puffpipe:

 

[petes03]

No problem!

 

[voorhees]

I found a `26 Dunhill Shell Briar earlier this year and it needed reaming, I took it down pretty low, but not quite wood. Although I wished I'd left more. I smoked it a few times and it smoked kinda hot(small bowl). So, I coated the bowl with a bit of honey on a Q Tip and let it dry. I only smoke it about once a month. Building the cake very slow.

 

[irish]

Roger that . That was my biggest concern on high end estates after cleaning them up what I should do or like on the Dunny I just got from Samcoffeeman , don't want to ruin a good pipe because I was missing something .

 

[flyguy]

I tried the honey coating method several times then I tried breaking-in a pipe the old fashioned way by just smoking it. I couldn't tell the difference so I stopped bothering with the honey. Some swear by grape jelly... :puffpipe:

 

[irish]

Really ? I had heard of the molasses trick and of course the honey but had never heard of the grape jelly ! :puffpipe:

 

[petergunn]

I just coated a NOS pipe I bought, I've never done it to an estate and only on bare wood new pipes. Don't know if it's needed or not but like you that's what I was told way back in the day

 

[cigrmaster]

I personally have never nor would I ever coat a bowl with any substance. When I break in a naked bowl or an estate pipe, I load it and smoke it. Using honey or any other product is an old wives tale that is from the days when the old codgers would keep their tobacco moist with a piece of apple. It is not necessary nor is it advisable.
Now of course the real cognoscenti use whale sperm to coat their bowls.

 

[voorhees]

8O
Spermaceti is an interesting thing. Large Sperm Whales can have huge amounts of it. Barrels. Used for oil in lamps and such other uses many years ago.

 

[flyguy]

Which begs the question: "What do I do if fresh out of whale sperm?"

 

[pipestud]

Honey used as a bowl coating is not advised for several reasons. Honey is loaded with sugar and makes the bowl and the lit tobacco hottern' blazes. And, honey starts to caramelize when it burns and turns a dirty blackish brown. The ash that adheres to the caramelized honey will certainly give you a quick cake. The only problem is the first layer of the burnt up honey will soon begin to degrade and your cake falls off in chunks. Not a pretty site, especially after you've worked so hard to build up the cake.
Shoot, why not just use peanut butter? It's sticky, too.
Pipestud

 

[piperl12]

+100 Pipestud i abandon the practice after exactly that happened. Just smoke it.

 

[rcstan]

It only attracts bugs. Should rather focus on smoking at a slower pace the first bowls so the wood doesn't get scorched. No half bowls, lighting that little bit left at the bottom, using glowing coals for an ignition source etc etc etc.

 

[jeepnewbie]

I'm gonna mix peanut butter and jam in my pipe…….mmmmmmmmmm :lol:

 

[chemistfox]

PB&J sounds legit.

 

[irish]

:rofl: :rofl:

 

[petergunn]

Using honey or any other product is an old wives tale

The honey treatment was recommend by Tinderbox in their booklet for new pipe smokers, I got one when I bought my first pipe there back in the early 80's.

 

[timely]

+100 Pipestud, I never coat the bowls, even old estates that have been reamed down.

Just load em and smoke em, as Harris said.

I will pass the on the whale *****, but I did see comments about the ocean being salty. LOL!!!!!!!