Breaking in new pipe

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morlader

Can't Leave
Mar 2, 2011
483
1
Cornwall UK
I wonder if anyone has a favourite way of breaking in a new pipe.If it is a briar I like to put a very thin smear of honey inside the bowl for the first fill.Only briars,Cobs and clays baccy straight in as with meers.It would be interesting to hear of any other preferences

 

babarajas

Lurker
Mar 11, 2011
18
0
I use the honey method for a couple of couple of bowl fulls per new pipe or old pipe i've just reamed and cleaned.

 

admin

Smoking a Pipe Right Now
Staff member
Nov 16, 2008
8,774
5,004
St. Petersburg, FL
pipesmagazine.com
I recently was ready to fire up a new pipe that had bare wood inside the bowl. I was out of honey, so I tried real maple syrup, and it was awesome. It did make everything taste sweeter, and I liked it, especially with a strong smoky Latakia. It added a new dimension to the smoke.

 

morlader

Can't Leave
Mar 2, 2011
483
1
Cornwall UK
Some interesting replies.Maple Syrup,now that's a thought.Good link to Russ Ouellette's blog.He definitly advocates fill full and smoke. ( I still fancy that Maple Syrup tho' ) Tom

 
May 3, 2010
6,442
1,496
Las Vegas, NV
I've never heard of the honey/maple syrup for breaking in a pipe. Usually I just do the old fashion a few bowls at 1/4 then 1/2 then 3/4 to build the cake. Maybe next time though I'll give the honey/maple syrup a try.

 

sirbogglesworth

Starting to Get Obsessed
Mar 20, 2011
168
0
I tried the 1/4, 1/2, 3/4/full method with my Savinelli, the real maple syrup method with my Ser Jacopo, and the fill up and fire up method with both my Boswells.
The Savinelli had a coated chamber, new.

The Ser Jacopo had a bare wood chamber, new.

Both Boswells had the Boswell coated chamber, new.
The Savinelli and both Boswells caked beautifully all the way to the buttom of the bowl, while the Ser Jacopo has only caked 3/4's of the way down its chamber.
Now, I'm not trying to insinuate that the real maple syrup method is inferior to the other two methods becuase it is not. I am just stating the outcome of each method with my particular pipes.
All in all, I personally don't favor one method over the other because I am very pleased with the way each pipe turned out. And I'm positive I will be trying each method again with the growth of my collection.

 

wallbright

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 22, 2010
845
2
I try to do the 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, full method but if it has thicker walls I just do the fill and smoke method and smoke it slowly and all the way down to ash. Most of the time this entails burleys or virginias.

 

fatman

Starting to Get Obsessed
Feb 18, 2011
141
0
interesting that no one mentioned that after smoking a bowl in a new pipe, to place the pad of the thumb over the bowl and shake the hell out of the ash/dottle to start a cake. A method told to me several years ago..works or not, I dont really kno for certain, but when an old piper tells ya, its sorta gospel.

 

sirbogglesworth

Starting to Get Obsessed
Mar 20, 2011
168
0
after smoking a bowl in a new pipe, place the pad of the thumb over the bowl and shake the hell out of the ash/dottle to start a cake

Now that is something I will definitely be trying in the near future. Thanks fatman!

 

admin

Smoking a Pipe Right Now
Staff member
Nov 16, 2008
8,774
5,004
St. Petersburg, FL
pipesmagazine.com
Just to clarify, for the most part, I just smoke my pipes. It is the rare occasion that I use the honey or maple syrup coating method, or any other procedure. I've done it on about 4 - 5 of 60 pipes I own.

 

ohin3

Lifer
Jun 2, 2010
2,454
26
I just fill and smoke. I do the cover and shake method after every smoke. When I finish a bowl, I push the ashes to the side with a pipe tool, then push a cleaner down the stem and shank until I can see it just start to poke into the bowl. Then I cover and shake till the bowl is coated with a fine layer of ash. Then I dump the ashes and push the cleaner into the bowl to clean the air way of any excess ash and then back and fourth to clean the shank. Then pull out the cleaner and it's off to rest till the next smoke.

 

hauntedmyst

Lifer
Feb 1, 2010
4,006
20,751
Chicago
My dad owns a top fuel dragster. Whenever I get a new pipe, I tape it to one of the exhausts before a 1/4 mile run. By the time he gets back, the pipe is fully broken in and ready to smoke. Nothing breaks in a pipe faster or better than nitro methane exhaust.

 
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