Re-Coating the Bowl With Honey?

[cigrmaster]

timely, so that is why we get a mouth full of salt when swimming in the ocean, gross. lol
pipestuds analysis of the horrors of using honey was most eloquent and of course correct. I was going to post something similar, but decided to let pipestud illuminate our gentry with his vast knowledge of all things pipes.

 

[cortezattic]

Apparently Russ Ouellette agrees with Pipestud too.

Using anything to expedite the development of a carbon layer generally leads to a soft crumbly cake. Then, when you ream the chamber, the carbon can come out in chunks, leaving thin or bare spots where the heat can attack the wood.

So, what does that say for the concept of Savinelli's Miele pipe series? ...Not that it matters, since P&C is out of stock on that too! :lol:

 

[irish]

Thank you very much for all the great information. I have to admit though I have used honey on several occasions but always on new pipes. I have never coated the bowl very thick and it has always been a very fine coat, and only because that was the way I was taught long ago. My admission is that I have never had a problem with any of them I coated with honey. Never, not one. I have never had a cake disintegrate or crumble the way it has been described here. I will admit though it has alwasy been a very, very thin coat, that may be why I haven't seen the problems discussed here in this thread. Again I thank you all for your input and insight. I see no reason to continue using honey after all the info I got here and I now know I do not need to use it on estates ever, which was my original question. Thanks and happy smoking! :puffpipe:

 

[mlyvers]

I to have used honey as a interior bowl coating with no ill effects. This was also suggested to me many years ago from an old man who worked at my local b+m. I have even made some pipe dope using cake reamings and honey mixed together for minor chamber repairs. However i do not use anything now for aiding in breaking in a new bowl or a reamed estate pipe. I prefer a naked bowl for a new pipe purchase and breaking both new and estates in using notthing at all. Oh yeah when i did use honey i would only coat 1/2 the bowl meaning the 1/2 way point inside the bowl down too the heel and smoke 1/2 bowls for a period of time until cake started too form. So i to like others here suggest using NOTTHING when breaking in your new or estate pipes. My only sugestion would be always smoke to the heel of your pipes to insure proper break in which allows for a better smoke in the end. Good luck.
Mike.

 

[rcstan]

I'd eat my hat if SP is not using some combination of Honey or Molasses to sweeten their estates

You can do that, I'll even provide you with the necessary condiments. I can certify that we do not use anything of the sort, not in the 3 months I have been there. As a matter of fact, it is our policy AFAIK that we do not "tweak" any of the pipes we sell ( bowl recoating, topping, restaining etc ).

 

[rcstan]

With all due respect, only water and denature alcohol are used in the cleaning of our estates. You may believe what you wish. The Kleen Strip does have an odor but I don't believe it imparts to the pipe. But we do get in all the nooks and crannies as much as humanly possible.

 

[rcstan]

And another thing, since some are getting hung up on technicalities of speech. AFAIK once we clean them upstairs, there are no magical elves going through the trouble of dripping sweeteners in the bowl or anything else.

 

[rcstan]

Based on what you said then it has to be the denatured alcohol we use to clean the shank that imparts the "sweet" taste. Mystery solved!

 

[rcstan]

No worries, and thanks for the compliment. If you're in the area, pop in for a visit. I usually socialize after 4 pm downstairs in the store.

 

[benton629]

Okay gents here's my new pipe smoker experience in this matter.
I bought a new Vauen basic and a new Dr. Grabow Duke. The Vauen had a coating in it and has built up cake just fine with no special tricks. The Duke is coming along the same way.
Now,I recently bought two estate pipes with normal to heavy cake build up. I smoked both and found serious ghosts in one. I did the overnight alcohol and cotton ball treatment on both without removing much cake.One had to be done a second time because of a persistent foul ghost. I smoked both regularly afterward.
Well, I looked up several days ago and found huge scary cracks in the cakes. I was in direct sunlight so it really showed the true condition. I carefully removed all the cake I could and found some cracks in the wood itself (probably from packing the tobacco too firmly and smoking way too hot and frequently. I am new to this.

I then lightly (very lightly) coated one with honey. I rubbed the honey into the wood with the tip of my pinky so there was no sticky residue on the surface. The other (which still had a fair amount of cake)I just smoked until more cake started to build.

The honey coated pipe seems to be building it up normally. I put the honey in to protect the wood until a good cake builds.

Lessons learned:

Inspect your pipes in sunlight. It really shows the true condition.

Don't pack too firmly and create a hot spot in your pipe.

Smoke slowly....it's not a race.

There is some merit in every tip you read here.

Use your brain and think about what you are doing.

 

[james80]

The guy in the Peterson shop told me to use whiskey to coat the bowl on your first smoke of a new briar

 

[lordofthepiperings]

I have a Miele and a Choclat from Savinelli. The coating of the bowl with the honey and coco was extremely light and as mentioned only noticeable for the first few bowls. It hasn't affected the cake forming at all.

 

[Alfred Of The Dunhills]

Duhill White Spot recommends coating the bowl with honey in there owners/warranty information included in your new Dunhill pipe box. Just for the record!

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Necrobump!!

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

100% agree with Harris and Pipestud. It's rather humorous. When you first start smoking a pipe, you tend to worry about building cake. After you've smoked a pipe for awhile, you'd like to minimize building cake so you don't have to ream the pipe.

 

[Alfred Of The Dunhills]

100% agree with Harris and Pipestud. It's rather humorous. When you first start smoking a pipe, you tend to worry about building cake. After you've smoked a pipe for awhile, you'd like to minimize building cake so you don't have to ream the pipe.

I bought a shell brier, thin walls, it's unfortunate I'll need a cake to chill things out. The design of pipe dictates thinner walls...Have it to do over I'd select a different style White Spot!