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eurin

Lurker
Feb 24, 2014
9
0
Hello fellow smokers, name´s Adam and I apologize in advance for my English and this topic but I am afraid I messed up and I really need your, experienced people help to assure my I didn ´t destroy my first "expensive" pipe...so I recently turned 20 and my girlfriend bought me a pipe since she knew I wanted one for quite some time, it´s a Peterson kapet line and I really love it, I will post some pictures later.
The thing is I´ve been lurking here on the forums for some quite time and decided to start off by alcohol cleaning my pipe since it´s probably been dip stained (Oh, I should´ve probably mentioned I am not native speaker so pardon my English) and given it had black coating in the bowl I figured I am right and since I was afraid to mess up using cotton balls or salt treatment I decided to do it manually, using q-tips (those little ear things, I think that´s what they´re called) and some pipe cleaners for the little hole that connects the bowl to stem...so everything is looking good but the black coating is coming off REALLY easily and now I am kinda scared I messed up...there is a brown wood appearing under it, I´ve been doing it all manually using q-tips and Jameson since that´s my favorite drink and I have plenty of it.
So my question is, should I keep going and rub off that black coating and then maybe let it rest for a week or so ? I am thinking if I let it rest for long enough it´s not like it can hurt the pipe right ? Thank you so much for help !
edit: Also my deepest apologies if I put this in the wrong place, I am kinda freaking out :(

 

cortezattic

Lifer
Nov 19, 2009
15,147
7,637
Chicago, IL
If the pipe was dip stained, the stain inside the bowl would create a really foul taste for some time.

If the inside of the bowl was coated with carbon, then you should not have removed it.

It seems that you have removed some of the carbon coating inside the bowl, so go ahead and complete the job.

If you notice that there is stain inside the bowl, use alcohol to remove that too.

You have not ruined the pipe. It should smoke fine once the bowl is cleaned with alcohol.

 

theboz

Can't Leave
Mar 12, 2013
355
0
United States
As long as none of the finish from the outside of the bowl is coming off, I believe there is no harm done. The black coating inside the bowl is there to supposedly speed up the break in process. Some people remove that coating from all of their pipes.

 

eurin

Lurker
Feb 24, 2014
9
0
Thank you for help guys, the reason I started doing this without smoking it first is that I read here that this should be done with all new Petersons since that was a stain, although to be quite honest I have no idea how I could tell the difference between carbon coating and the stain :/
How do I know what is stain and what is carbon coating ? It looks kinda faded blackish could be carbon, although it´s not coming off THAT easily, so...there appears to be a real wood underneath. Also about the outside coating, yeah I´ve heard about the need to be really really careful not to ruin the outside finish of the pipe, that´s why I chose q-tips so I can be really gentle around the edges...ok, I will give it an hour or two and try to remove the rest of the coating/stain whatever it is tonight and than see what to do next...
Samcoffeeman,actually I didn´t want the stain, the problem is now I am not sure if I removed the stain or the coating, personally I couldn´t care less what the inside of the pipe looks like, the reason I started was that here on the forum someone said that "as long as the inside of the bowl is black I always clean it with alcohol" so I figured...yeah, why not :/ Also I am from Slovakia !
Again thank you very much guys, and on a completely unrelated topic, can you see my avatar.. ?

 

sean81

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 26, 2013
126
0
Peterson's come with a carbon coated bowl to eliminate the break-in period. If you removed that coating, then you'll simply have to go through the break-in process with it before you begin smoking full bowls out of it. Not a big deal, plus, it will help you get better aquainted with the pipe smoking hobby. I would recommend you do a google search on the break-in process. You'll find instructions that are fairly easy to follow.

 

sean81

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 26, 2013
126
0
Also, you'll find two or three schools of though on how to handle your pipe. Personnally, I prefer not to wax or clean the outside of my pipes. I have found that the oils from my hands have created a richer look. Additionally, I don't think you'll find a stain under the carbon coating. I wouldn't recommend putting anything else in the bowl once you have removed the remainder of the carbon coating (something you'll need to do to prevent uneven carbon buildup in the future). And remember, the carbon coating (known as cake) is very important so once you have rebuilt the cake, don't remove it again.

 

warren

Lifer
Sep 13, 2013
11,699
16,205
Foothills of the Chugach Range, AK
eurin: Do not believe everything you read here as a lot of it is opinion. Granted most of the opinions are well grounded in experience but many are solely based on personal preference. I do not mind the coatings as I am not a "purist" and pipes are primarily a way to deliver nicotine to my system with less risk than cigarettes. So, my suggestion is to simply smoke the darned thing and see if it meets you expectations before altering it. If there is a taste or reaction that you find you do not like, then you can start to make alterations.
My taste buds are pretty much "toast" after fifty years of cigarettes, pipes, Tex-Mex, Thai and the like. So, flavor is not the driving force behind my habit (hobby?). It takes a bold tobacco to tickle my tongue and those I save for the evening smokes, accompanied with a wee glass of an adult beverage.

 

eurin

Lurker
Feb 24, 2014
9
0
Well I didn´t eliminate it all but I probably will, at least the bottom part just to start with a clean shield...I went through a ton of videos and guides here on forums about the breaking process so I think I have a pretty clear idea, there aren´t many pipe smokers in Slovakia and I personally don´t know anyone whom I can ask so I guess I´ll just try not to mess it up...
How do I know what is stain and what is a carbon coating ?

 

sean81

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 26, 2013
126
0
The carbon coating is black and will have a rough texture. The stain is a clear coat that is used to bring the out the color and beauty of the briar, it will be quite smooth to the touch. The stain will be on the outside of the pipe and the carbon will build up on the inside walls and bottom of the bowl.

 

eurin

Lurker
Feb 24, 2014
9
0
Oh ok thank you :-D I know what you mean now...so any special tips on building the new cake and however soon can start smoking it ? I am gonna start really really slowly but I still worry that I will get the bowl too hot..well I'll get rid of the rest of the carbon today let it sit maybe till Friday and let you know...
Cortez, thanks mate :-D at least some reason to celebrate after our hockey team performance...

 

sean81

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 26, 2013
126
0
The only way to rebuild the cake is to smoke so you can start as soon as you are ready. From my experience, the best way to build cake is to go slow. Start by only packing about a quarter of the bowl and smoke to completion. Do this for a few weeks then you can graduate to a half of a bowl, and so on. Building the cake requires quite a bit of patience. But this is a good way to develop your packing, lighting and smoking techniques. As far as the bowl getting hot, since you have a Peterson, I don't suspect that you'll have any issues with heat. You will notice the bowl warming, but it should get to hot. If you notice it getting hot, to the point that its uncomfortable in your hand, then put it down and let it cool. Once it cools, then you can re-light and smoke again.

 

eurin

Lurker
Feb 24, 2014
9
0
Ok thanks man ;-) so I can start smoking right away ? After alcohol treatment I can feel the pipe being a little moist from the inside really just a wee bit should I wait for it to evaporize or try to get rid of it by smoking and using the heat to kinda speed up the process?

 

sean81

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 26, 2013
126
0
If all you used was Jameson (or some other drinkable alcohol), then you shouldn't need to wait. If you used isopropoyl alcohol then let it dry.

 

eurin

Lurker
Feb 24, 2014
9
0
I did use Jameson mainly because I think it kinda clicks with the pipe and I love the drink :3 ok man thanks a ton I was worried there for a while that I was gonna have to wait for weeks for it to dry...and one last question I noticed a little spot where the inside and outside of the bowl meets maybe 2x2 millimeters that as I cleaned it got red edges like bright bloody red and kinda looks like it doesn't belong there like a patch or somethig...any ideas on that ? I'll try to get some pics but my pc broke so I am on the phone...

 

sean81

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 26, 2013
126
0
I doubt its a patch since its a brand new pipe. I would assume that its just the grain of the wood or maybe it is just the core of a knot. Either way, I would have any idea with out being able to see it. Based on your description of the location I am assumuing that this spot is at the rim of the bowl, if so, I doubt that it'll ever cause any problems. But, I could be wrong. Maybe someone else on here will have an answer for that.

 

eurin

Lurker
Feb 24, 2014
9
0
It is on the rim of the bowl the only concern was the red edges but as u said should be ok since I am not gonna smoke full bowls out of it anytime soon :) I'll light it up today or tomorrow ans let you know :)

 

eurin

Lurker
Feb 24, 2014
9
0
Ok I am finished with it and hope I didn't mess anything up, tried packing a 1/3 bowl but it kept dying out on me, I somewhat finished it and will try again tomorrow with filter out, hopefully I didn't damage the pipe...

 

eurin

Lurker
Feb 24, 2014
9
0
I figured Id post a bit on my progress since today I finally smoked a bowl with only relighting it twice :-D to me that's a big step and finally it was actually relaxing and since I never liked cigs I can enjoy the tobacco effects to the fullest extent ^.^

 
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