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Got My First Cob and Have Two Questions

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jason64

Might Stick Around
Dec 12, 2012
87
3
Hi folks,
Finally I got my first cobs. These seem quite different from briar. What is that thing at the bottom of the bow? should I leave it there? Any recommendation for how to break in them?
Thanks

 
ray47

ray47

Lifer
Jul 10, 2015
2,451
5,613
Dalzell, South Carolina
That's the shank extension extending into the bowl. Don't worry about it, it will burn away in time or you can use an exacto knife to cut it away. So far as break-in, just smoke it. I don't like to build cake in my cobs, but there are some who do. I use a 40 caliber bore brush to clean out the bowl after each use. Here a link that will help: https://pipedia.org/index.php?title=The_Complete_Corncob_primer

 
carolinachurchwarden

carolinachurchwarden

Lifer
May 9, 2018
1,687
86
Raleigh, NC
Leave it there, is my opinion. Some guys cut it out, but I think it helps establish the bottom of the bowl better. That's the inside portion of the shank that's pushed through from the outside.
To break her in, buy a pouch of Carter Hall and smoke the heck out of it! Congratulations on your first cobs.

 
acidpox

acidpox

Can't Leave
Nov 18, 2018
460
317
Another vote for leaving in it, as you continue to use use it the side around the inside shank will fill with ash and other stuff and round out the bottom as CCW said.

 
seanv

seanv

Lifer
Mar 22, 2018
2,971
10,454
Canada
There is a slight break in period for cobs, some say they taste different. I have never noticed. Pack a bowl and enjoy

 
J

jason64

Might Stick Around
Dec 12, 2012
87
3
I had my first smoke and almost fried my tongue! its totally different from briar, loose air flow and tobacco burn hotter, I guess because of thinner walls, right?

 
bent1

bent1

Lifer
Jan 9, 2015
1,151
3,020
64
WV
Haven’t had that experience, though the cobs that are varnished on the outside I smoke the first 3-4 bowls slowly as I do new briars. The un-coated cobs seem ready to go right away. Just my experience.

 
rdavid

rdavid

Part of the Furniture Now
Jun 30, 2018
648
9
Milton, FL
I use a 40 caliber bore brush to clean
Click to expand...
This is one of the best ideas ever. Saw this in another post from ray47 a few weeks ago and have been doing this ever since. I use the nylon bristled ones and they work very well.

 
A

aldecaker

Lifer
Feb 13, 2015
4,407
42
Yeah, a lot of MM's are set up to take a 6mm filter. I never use a filter with cobs, though; that open draw is perfect for me.

 
rdavid

rdavid

Part of the Furniture Now
Jun 30, 2018
648
9
Milton, FL
I do like the 6mm balsa filters in my cobs as they increase the draw slightly but don't change the flavor of the tobacco. Also helps with tongue bite by removing some of the moisture from the smoke.

 
trouttimes

trouttimes

Lifer
Nov 26, 2018
5,259
21,705
Lake Martin, AL
I love cobs, I would leave the extra stem in the bottom to prevent burnout. They can be great smokes but I agree you should smoke them slow. Enjoy. You will get more I bet.

 
davek

davek

Part of the Furniture Now
Mar 20, 2014
685
952
I had my first smoke and almost fried my tongue! its totally different from briar, loose air flow and tobacco burn hotter, I guess because of thinner walls, right?
Click to expand...
Mark Twain
"Oh, no," he answered, "I never smoke a new corn-cob pipe. A new pipe irritates the throat. No corn-cob pipe is fit for anything until it has been used at least a fortnight."
"How do you manage then?" I asked. "Do you follow the example of the man with the tight boots;--wear them a couple of weeks before they can be put on?"
"No," said Mark Twain, "I always hire a cheap man--a man who doesn't amount to much, anyhow--who would be as well--or better--dead, and let him break in the pipe for me. I get him to smoke the pipe for a couple of weeks, then put in a new stem, and continue operations as long as the pipe holds together."
Click to expand...
http://www.twainquotes.com/interviews/Idler1892.html
I don't know about all that, but it does take a few smokes for cobs to break in. The first smoke is actually kinda nasty. On a varnished cob there is often even some varnish in there to burn off. You can alleviate this a little by sanding the inside. You can also help build up the bottom of the bowl by putting a little honey on both side of the shank that sticks out into the bottom.
Any more though, I just smoke them. I do figure that the very first smoke is going to be not so good.
Once a cob chars inside, the combination of that charring and the cob itself being absorbent is what makes it a Missouri *Meerschaum* IMO.

 
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