New Ser Jacopo that I have just started breaking in. I have smoked 5 bowls so far on this, two half bowls first, followed by three full bowls with PS Luxury Navy Flake. The first four bowls, the tobacco was fully rubbed out, the last was cube cut.
First four bowls were smoked very slowly, in fact it took me two full Saturdays to smoke the first two full bowls. Pipe never felt more than slightly warm. On the second full bowl, the tobacco was likely too tightly packed, and the last 1/4 to 1/5 of the bowl ended up being wet dottle and would not burn. When I dumped it, the bottom of the bowl was very wet, so I wiped it out with a towel, and what little cake I had formed on the bottom of the bowl mostly disappeared. At that point, I did not see the black spot. Might have missed it, but I doubt it, the bottom of the chamber was pretty clean.
The spot/depression has shown up after the fifth bowl. On this one, I ended up losing the last 1/4 of the bowl when I went to dump some ash. As such, I was not able to smoke it the full way down. As you can see, there is no significant cake formation this low in the bowl. As such, I don't know how the bowl could have got scorched this far down on this last go around.
The area doesn't seem too soft, you can see the marks around the area made by the pick on my pipe tool, but it definitely is a depression, although slight. Given the location, I have to think that if this is the beginning of burnout, it has to be a void in the briar. Should I try to get some pipe mud to stick and then try to get some cake to form? Or just continue to smoke it slowly and hope for the best. I assume once I can get some cake in the area, that the issue will resolve itself? If it truly is a flaw in the briar, am I am up the creek?
Bought the pipe from Al Pascia, so I don't now that it is worth the trouble to follow up with them given the hassles in shipping and customs. Even if it was, I feel weird making this problem theirs since they are not at fault, and neither really is the pipe maker.
First four bowls were smoked very slowly, in fact it took me two full Saturdays to smoke the first two full bowls. Pipe never felt more than slightly warm. On the second full bowl, the tobacco was likely too tightly packed, and the last 1/4 to 1/5 of the bowl ended up being wet dottle and would not burn. When I dumped it, the bottom of the bowl was very wet, so I wiped it out with a towel, and what little cake I had formed on the bottom of the bowl mostly disappeared. At that point, I did not see the black spot. Might have missed it, but I doubt it, the bottom of the chamber was pretty clean.
The spot/depression has shown up after the fifth bowl. On this one, I ended up losing the last 1/4 of the bowl when I went to dump some ash. As such, I was not able to smoke it the full way down. As you can see, there is no significant cake formation this low in the bowl. As such, I don't know how the bowl could have got scorched this far down on this last go around.
The area doesn't seem too soft, you can see the marks around the area made by the pick on my pipe tool, but it definitely is a depression, although slight. Given the location, I have to think that if this is the beginning of burnout, it has to be a void in the briar. Should I try to get some pipe mud to stick and then try to get some cake to form? Or just continue to smoke it slowly and hope for the best. I assume once I can get some cake in the area, that the issue will resolve itself? If it truly is a flaw in the briar, am I am up the creek?
Bought the pipe from Al Pascia, so I don't now that it is worth the trouble to follow up with them given the hassles in shipping and customs. Even if it was, I feel weird making this problem theirs since they are not at fault, and neither really is the pipe maker.
