Breaking In.

surfmac211 · Mar 3, 2010

Hey guys this topic has probably been brought up a whole lot but was curious what yalls break in style is for a new pipe. I got a couple new pipes and wanted to try a different way of doing it. I have a new meerschaum and 2 new briar pipes. None are pre-chard.

python · Mar 3, 2010

You don't have to break in a Meerschaum pipe.
I used to use a honey/water mixture and coat the chamber. I also used to do the 1/3, 2/3, full bowl method. I don't do any of those now.
When I break in a new pipe I MIGHT smoke 1 or 2 half bowls first and then start smoking full bowls.

Most of the time I just load up the pipe and smoke it. I just make sure to smoke it slower than normal until it builds up a carbon lining in it.

cortezattic · Mar 3, 2010

On the break-in, I'm quite the opposite from Bob. In an old post I wrote:

I get a real kick out of the whole break-in process. Talk about OCD! I'm positively anal-retentive; typically I fill up only halfway, or less, for the first (dare I admit it) 100 smokes! And I use the spoon end of my trusty pipe nail to burnish the developing cake after every smoke. OCD to the max , but it produces a very durable and smooth cake, eventually. Well, hey, I'm retired and I'm entitled to my eccentricities.

Master blender Russ Ouellette has his own theory.
Like Bob said, don't bother breaking-in a meer. And if you want to color it nicely, shop around for a meer coloring bowl (insert.)

sapo59 · Mar 3, 2010

I will usually smoke about 10 half bowls, and then start smoking full bowls. The first ten I smoke i leave the dottle in the bowl until the pipe cools. Then put my hand over the top a give it a shake before empting it.

dudleydipstick · Mar 4, 2010

I've become a bit like Bob over time, with the exception of uncoated wood.
I only bother with the partial bowls on the first few if the bowl is bare wood and not coated with some sort of black B.S..
If it's coated, I'll fill it up normally but will be careful to smoke it to the very end to make sure a heel cake develops.
I don't know why I bother making the distinction, as it probably doesn't matter the least bit. I guess I'm just more willing to be gentlemanly if I don't have to deal with an annoying and unnecessary bowl coating.

hauntedmyst · Mar 4, 2010

I wet the inside of the bowl by lightly licking my finger, then I give it 1/2 to 3/4 of a bowl and smoke as usual. Like sapo, when I'm done I'll shake up the ashes, put my thumb over the bowl and shake but I do it right away.

cortezattic · Mar 4, 2010

How does lightly licking your finger wet the inside of the bowl? LOL

hauntedmyst · Mar 4, 2010

ya rub it around the inside?

cortezattic · Mar 4, 2010

"Stop lick... I say, stop lickin' yor finger, son! If yor gonna use spit, then spit!

An' if ya miss some, don't pull no frilly handkerchief like some dadgum pipe babe. Wipe it off on yor shirt."

Now if ya wanna know 'bout spittin', ask that Iowa llama rancher, he knows all 'bout spittin'.

surfmac211 · Mar 4, 2010

Yea to be honest most of my pipes have been all estate pipe bought or passed down to me. I've only broken in about 4 to 5 pipes total from the start and 3 of which were Peterson's which dont require a break in process. I think I'll try the load n' smoke method on one and the honey and water mixture on the other. To be honest I've been wanting to try the honey and water way for a while just wanted to see if i heard a no go or a it works great statement lol.

thecigarsoldier · Mar 4, 2010

When I have done the honey and water it's fairly thick in consistency so it will stick to the walls of the bowl but I don't use a lot. I do full bowls right away then and have had no issues. Not sure if that's exactly right but it seems that I've had good success doing it like that.

sapo59 · Mar 4, 2010

Don't know anything about honey in the bowl but the llama spitting is funny.

thecigarsoldier · Mar 4, 2010

That's what I was told. The sugars help build a char quicker giving it something to stick to on the walls of the bowl.

cortezattic · Mar 4, 2010

Russ Ouellette's theory

[T]reating the chamber with fluids like honey or saliva to accelerate the build up of cake: I strongly disagree with this approach. 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.

dudleydipstick · Mar 4, 2010

Cortez,
I agree with Mr. Oullette, though I don't know through experience. I just see it as unnecessary since a cake really forms fast enough that it doesn't seem to me like it would need to be accelerated. I'm impatient about a lot of things in life, but bowl carbon is one thing it doesn't feel like I've ever had to wait too long for.

sapo59 · Mar 4, 2010

Indeed...

cortezattic · Mar 4, 2010

I've had cake come off the pipe wall in chunks before. A little disappointing, but no big deal. But by the time that happened, I had forgotten what method I used to break-in the pipe! LOL
Anymore, I'm pretty much in the dry-bowl camp with you two guys. I think the tobacco can supply enough moisture of it's own. What I do pay attention to, however, is the tobacco I use during the break-in. My favorite is heavy Perique blends. A while ago, Bob/Python mentioned that he favored Virginias ...now there's your sugar source.

thecigarsoldier · Mar 4, 2010

I wish I had this site when I started pipe smoking. Seems like not all the info I was given years ago is accurate. Every tobacconist in my area pushes the honey/water method so I figured they should know. I didn’t want to ruin a new pipe so I religiously followed those directions (don't tell my wife I can actually follow directions). Never had any problems so I feel lucky I didn’t after reading some other posts. Great to hear some other thoughts and ideas.

hauntedmyst · Mar 4, 2010

Soldier, dont worry about ruining your pipes. The water honey method works just fine and doesn't produce a soft cake. People have been using the method for years without people complaining about soft cake. You'll notice he doesn't offer any proof - just opinion. What a ridiculous theory. I've been smoking for 30 years and never had soft cake (lol maybe these people need some cake viagra to stiffen things up!) There are few hard and fast rules in pipe smoking. If you find something works for you, go for it! Its part of what makes it so grand!

bytor · Mar 4, 2010

The only reason that I bother with smoking half bowls to begin with is so that I can get some cake development in the heal. I have a habit of smoking a bit too fast and accumulating moisture (and therefore not finishing a bowl). I keep working at slowing down though

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