Weird, there is a blister on my new pipe

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thatbeetleguy

Lurker
Jul 14, 2012
25
0
Fontana, CA
Hello Everyone!
I recently got a new churchwarden and started to break it in. On my third bowl it started having a "blister" on it and it didn't go away when I tried to press on it with my tamper. I am uncertain if this is a "fill" or not. Here is the picture of the blister:
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If you guys know what it is or how to deal with it, I'll greatly appreciate it.

 

gray4lines

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 6, 2012
679
2
KY
How's the bowl look on the inside? Hope it is not caused by a "hot spot" that may burn out

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
A flaw in the briar or a flaw in the finish. Depending on how much you have in the pipe, you

could just smoke it and see what happens, or if it is a considerable investment, you might want

to talk to the seller or have a pipe repairman look at it.

 

hfearly

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 11, 2012
822
2
Canada
Had one happen on my 400$ Peterson - looked exactly like the one in your picture. The Peterson Rep who exchanged the pipe told me it was the finish bubbling up caused by extreme heat - most probably a weak spot / inclusion or hole in the briar at that point inside the wood. Peterson exchanged the pipe immediately no questions asked.

 

thatbeetleguy

Lurker
Jul 14, 2012
25
0
Fontana, CA
How's the bowl look on the inside? Hope it is not caused by a "hot spot" that may burn out
I took a look inside the bowl and saw nothing suspicious in it.
A flaw in the briar or a flaw in the finish. Depending on how much you have in the pipe, you

could just smoke it and see what happens, or if it is a considerable investment, you might want

to talk to the seller or have a pipe repairman look at it.
Since the pipe costed me $42, it is no doubt a flaw of some sort then. I'll try and see what happens. If it becomes worse, I'll go to the store I bought it from.
Had one happen on my 400$ Peterson - looked exactly like the one in your picture. The Peterson Rep who exchanged the pipe told me it was the finish bubbling up caused by extreme heat - most probably a weak spot / inclusion or hole in the briar at that point inside the wood. Peterson exchanged the pipe immediately no questions asked.
Thinking about it, yeah the pipe was pretty hot when it happened. Perhaps I should warrant more caution when I am trying break it in.
Thank you guys for your responses :)

 

skapunk1

Can't Leave
Feb 20, 2013
495
1
Happened to my first pipe, a cheap Medico.....just poor finish and smoking too hot.

 

hodirty

Lifer
Jan 10, 2013
1,295
2
My first pipe also had this similar blister. So have a few other cheaper of my pipes. That will happen if a pipe is smoked too hot. I would try a cooler smoking tobacco, and feel the bowl regularly throughout the smoke. If it gets too hot, it could be a packing or sipping error. That being said, it could just as easily be a briar issue. But, you can control how it is smoked not what it is made of. Let us know how it turns out for you.

 

cortezattic

Lifer
Nov 19, 2009
15,147
7,637
Chicago, IL
Since the long stem of a Churchwarden cools the smoke stream so effectively,

that type of pipe is especially susceptible to unnoticed overheating.
That might be your fault, but as hfearly pointed out, an inclusion within the

wood may have conducted heat to the surface, where the lacquer blistered.

 

hfearly

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 11, 2012
822
2
Canada
As mentioned earlier, does also happen to more expensive pipes ;-) Unless you X-Ray the bowl (something that Kaywoodie used to do in the 70s) it's really hard to figure out inclusions within a bowl that otherwise looks perfect.

 

pipestud

Lifer
Dec 6, 2012
2,010
1,749
Robinson, TX.
I can't remember the exact year or the brand, but at the KC Show Slow Smoking Contest (maybe 2006?), we all received pipes for the contest that blistered like that during smoking. I was told it had something to do with the outer bowl coating being applied without finishing it out properly with buffing and polishing. Not sure if that is what is happening with your pipe but since you bought it new and all of the pipes in the contest were brand new, that is a possibility.
Best,
Pipestud

 

brudnod

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 26, 2013
938
6
Great Falls, VA
I refinish bamboo fly rods (in addition to pipes) and use varnish for the process. Although bamboo does not have to put up with the heat of a pipe, it does have to tolerate UV sunlight and motion (preferably a lovely trout on the fly line bending the rod as it is brought into the net). Anything on the surface of the bamboo, particularly petroleum contaminants can harm the contact of varnish with the bamboo underneath resulting in bubbling up or cracking. I am guessing that the same can happen in the pipe making industry, perhaps more so when the price point is low. One can not help but be surprised that with a biological system like a tree root we do not see hot spots more often with bubbling from that. The remedy depends on how much you want that particular pipe to look good in addition to being a good smoker.

Spencer

 

rockymtnsmoker

Can't Leave
May 31, 2013
418
3
Peck , wondering if your personal leprosy issues and this pipe leprosy issue are connected. I recall you tragically lost a testicle to leprosy recently. Is it possible for leprosy to travel from human to pipe, or visa versa? I think I'll be giving my estate purchases an even deeper cleaning from now on.

 

thatbeetleguy

Lurker
Jul 14, 2012
25
0
Fontana, CA
Figured I'll give an update on my "Pipe Leprosy" issue:

After a while making this thread half of the lacquer blister broke off while I made another attempt to flatten it, leaving a gap on the finish :?

Not sure how to deal with that... but everything on the pipe is good otherwise.

 
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