Bowl coating ?

caa55 · Nov 14, 2015

Hello folks.
I'm considering purchasing a Savinelli pipe that's has the dark (carbon ?) bowl coating. I purchased another non-coated Savinelli that in time has built up a cake layer to the point that it would seem whether a pipe has a coating or not becomes a non-factor.

Any opinions on this ?

thanks.

papipeguy · Nov 14, 2015

I've had both. The uncoated bowls need more breaking in but usually get to where you want them in 5-6 bowls. Many smoke 1/3 of a bowl for the first couple, then 2/3 for a few and finally a full bowl. I'm not that patient, I just load them up and smoke. I haven't had any issues doing it my way for 45 years.

georged · Nov 14, 2015

Bowl coatings have never been discussed here as far as I know. I'm guessing you can assume that you are correct based on that lack of interest or comittment one way or the other by smokers.
:twisted:

warren · Nov 14, 2015

This is all gonna be yer fault!

ssjones · Nov 15, 2015

If you adverse to a bowl coating, most factory coatings can be wiped out with a paper towel dipped in alcohol and worked into/around the bowl (Peterson for sure).
That does beg the question about preferences for bowl coatings (George D: you are an evil man!).
ca55: for the uninitiated, bowl coatings are the most contentious topic among pipe smokers. Which shouldn't prevent you from asking a question about Savinelli coatings (can't say I've read much about than, or any?).

jpmcwjr · Nov 15, 2015

"Non-factor" is pretty much on the money!

shikano53 · Nov 17, 2015

Hey caa55 welcome to the forum. My 3 Petes and my 5 Brighams all came with that black bowl coating. They all

cleaned up just fine with rubbing alchohol and paper towels. Happy puffing.

peckinpahhombre · Nov 17, 2015

I always look forward to the quarterly bowl coating thread and resulting cage match.

northernneil · Nov 17, 2015

I agree with you there Peck.
Personally, all of my Savinelli pipes have been 'naked' briar (no coating). So I am no help there. That being said, I find the majority of coatings, I have had experience with, to be neutral and impart little to no flavor in the first smokes. And the coatings I found to be intrusive initially, during the break in period, quickly disappeared after multiple smokes.
Only way you will know for sure how you feel about bowl coatngs is to try them out.

georged · Nov 17, 2015

If you adverse to a bowl coating, most factory coatings can be wiped out with a paper towel dipped in alcohol and worked into/around the bowl.

Do NOT do this if any part of the bowl is unfinished (has raw wood exposed), such as a bulldog with cut rings, a Castello "Vergin" or similar, or laser etching (even on the shank.)
Many coatings incorporate blue-black stains that ABSOLUTELY CAN wick within seconds to such areas when put into solution. What you are left with is a pipe that looks like it got into a fight with a leaky fountain pen and lost.

gloucesterman · Nov 17, 2015

Peck, Cage Match is a very polite description.

caa55 · Nov 17, 2015

Thanks for the responses.
The issue of bowl coating is all rather confusing for a fairly new pipe smoker. I have purchased five Savinellis; four in hand and one on the way. Four had the coating and one did not. I can view the exact same Savinelli pipe model and one site will have the coating and another will not... and it seems to me that more of their pipes have it than not. I find it difficult to understand why Savinelli or any company would apply a coating unless there was some benefit.

I can't detect any difference especially after a few bowls but I was curious since I heard a youtuber make a big deal of not liking the coating. Interesting I was in a pipe shop recently and asked the assistant about it and he looked at me in disbelief insisting after a few bowls it's a mute point.

As stated, the whole thing seems rather odd and confusing.
Anyway, on my pipe that's in the mail I may experiment with the alcohol treatment as suggested.

davet · Nov 17, 2015

I can't detect any difference especially after a few bowls

on my pipe that's in the mail I may experiment with the alcohol treatment

I never worried about it and never detected anything after a bowl or two either, so load it up and smoke, why bother?

danielplainview · Nov 17, 2015

mso489 · Nov 18, 2015

I've had both coated and uncoated in various pipes, and both in Savenellis. I have to admit, I am impressed and snobbishly pleased at uncoated bowls. I carefully break them in with partial bowls for the first week or two. The only problem I've had with coating was with a Parker where the coating kept coming off from the shank when I used a pipe cleaner. I finally wore it off, but I was disappointed in this otherwise spiffy little cherrywood sitter. Now it smokes fine. But yes, I am well pleased when a pipe comes with an uncoated bowl; I can be trusted to build a carbon coating from the bottom up.

fitzy · Nov 18, 2015

I'm with Davet on this one. Why bother? The exception being those stupid Pete's that are dip stained resulting in the entire inside of the bowl being covered with that crap. Gotta take that garbage off. However with a nice Sav I don't bother.

rblood · Nov 18, 2015

For the record, Peterson's has not dip-stained their pipes for years... Are some still out there new old stock? Sure, but to say this is an ongoing practice is incorrect.
As to bowl coating, makes no difference either way after the first few bowls anyway so why would it even be an issue?

onestrangeone · Nov 18, 2015

As a relative newb I kinda felt that the coating offered some protection, at the same time I can't sand the taste of it and hate 'smoking thru it' I never thought about removing it!

Bowl coating ?

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