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How Do You Know A Pipe's Broken In?

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mso489

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,459
Here are my signs a pipe is broken in. What would you add?

*It has a nice thin carbon layer (I'm not much on cake, just a good even layer all around)

*I get no flavor other than the blend at hand

*The draw has evened out to perfection, though some pipes start there when new

*If the draw is open, it becomes more focused and less airy

*A broken in pipe seems to light more readily and burn more evenly
What have I forgotten?

 
cortezattic

cortezattic

Lifer
Nov 19, 2009
15,147
7,638
Chicago, IL
For me, many new pipes have what I can best describe as a green, or a raw taste. Some are borderline bitter.

When a pipe is properly seasoned by smoking, it loses that woody edge. I suspect the greatest transformation

occurs in the shank, not in the bowl (many of which are pre-carboned anyway.)

 
tbradsim1

tbradsim1

Lifer
Jan 14, 2012
9,102
11,062
Southwest Louisiana
I agree with Cortez about the taste, also like a new fishing reel or shotgun , useing it you notice little things and after a while it hums in you make a great cast without thinking about it, the quail jumps out o f a thicket and Blam you got him, everything has dialed in without thinking about it.

 
phil67

phil67

Lifer
Dec 14, 2013
2,052
7
It might very well be my imagination, but I swear a broken in pipe takes less relights. As an example; I have two relatively new pipes that I could not for the life of me keep SG St. James Flake going without at least 5 to 6 relights (if you know how moist that tobacco is you can relate) no matter how much I dried it out. However, these same two 'broken' in pipes now smoke it quite easily and I just finished a bowl of the aforementioned tobacco with only two relights to a fine ash on the bottom of the bowl with one of them. Life does indeed become easier, and more enjoyable with a properly broken in pipe. :wink:

 
mso489

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,459
phil67, I surmise that fewer relights may relate to the nice even coat of carbon, or cake for those

who like that approach. I think that makes the heat more even and keeps things at a steady low

burn. But I strongly agree with what you describe.

 
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