How Many Bowls is Too Much for a Pipe Everyday?

pigping · Sep 29, 2014

I heard 2 bowls are the maximum that a pipe can afford everyday... more than 2 is overloaded, is that true? Thanks!
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pylorns · Sep 29, 2014

If you can handle 1 pipe a day that would be better, but I have done 2 bowls on the same pipe before, just let it dry out a little bit if you can.

doctorthoss · Sep 29, 2014

No, it's not true (assuming it's a decent briar). I don't know if there is an actual limit. Experiment and see how many bowls your pipe smokes until it starts to taste bad. Then, just put it down and rest it for at least three days.
You may get a lot of conflicting advice with this question. Some guys argue strongly that a pipe should only be smoked once per day and then rested for several. Others will say that a pipe should be rested for a number of days equal to the number of times it is smoked in a day (smoke 3 bowls, rest 3 days), and I tend to lean more toward that camp. I also think it depends a lot on the pipe you are smoking and the tobacco you use. My advice is to worry more about having enough briars to allow each one to rest three days for each one it's smoked than how many times a day you smoke.
In the end, though, it comes down to you and your personal experience.

tbradsim1 · Sep 29, 2014

Pig let your pipe cleaner be the test rod, after a smoke if cleaner is rather dry, load it up again, wet cleaner, not advised, got some pipes I can smoke all day, some that are high dollar 1 smoke is all you get. That's been my Bellweather for smoking same pipe during the day.

cosmicfolklore · Sep 29, 2014

Over the last year, I've seen several people test this on here. I believe even Brian Levine tried it. Using one pipe all day every day for a period of time. The worst thing reported is that the pipe will smell rank after a while, cake heavily quickly, and flavor deminishes. But, there was a time when most pipe men just had one pipe at a time and smoked it all day every day.

I don't think there's a clear "rule." Actually there at no rules at all with pipes. But, I would suggest that if you do smoke a pipe heavily, you may want to clean it well very frequently. But, I've never heard of a pipe being ruined by heavy smoking.

sablebrush52 · Sep 29, 2014

I've smoked 5-6 bowls a day with no ill effects. But I also thoroughly clean the pipe at the end of the day and let it rest at least a week before reuse, regardless of the number of bowls.

jokerlovesqm · Sep 29, 2014

I'd actually say it's fine to smoke as many time as you want as long as you give it 2 or more hours of rest. Of course, you should clean the pipe using brushes after each smoke.

tppytel · Sep 29, 2014

Any answer is going to depend on several factors, especially the tobacco smoked and how often the pipe has been smoked on previous days. I have about 6 pipes that are the workhorses of my rotation and get smoked once nearly every day (let's say 5 times per week). With those pipes, I can easily taste a difference if I smoke it again the same day. But the lesser-smoked pipes might sit untouched all week and can handle two or three smokes on a weekend day when I'm spending more time around the house.
Overall, I lean towards the "rest a number of days equal to bowls smoked" formula, preferably with an extra rest day thrown in now and then for good measure.

topd · Sep 29, 2014

If I'm out for the day I may smoke 3 -5 bowls in a brier. Clean real well and rest for a week or more....

philobeddoe · Sep 30, 2014

The less often you smoke them, the longer they will last. More bowls per day puts more stress on the wood and wears out your pipes quicker. Many others have said that they can smoke a pipe all day with no ill affects, I am not of this belief, to me, a pipe has to obey the same laws of physics as every other piece of matter in existence... more use = more heating and cooling cycles = more wear and tear! However, they are your pipes and you may treat them as you like, my pipes do not get smoked more than once per week, usually once every couple of weeks. This is a very good reason to buy lots of pipes!
Happy puffing!

mcitinner1 · Sep 30, 2014

"Pig let your pipe cleaner be the test rod, after a smoke if cleaner is rather dry, load it up again, wet cleaner, not advised"
What Brad said.
tinner :clap:

natibo · Sep 30, 2014

+1 sablebrush
I smoke one pipe all day long, sometimes 5-8 bowls. I thoroughly clean it at the end of the day and let it sit at least a week. I've had no problems.

derfargin · Sep 30, 2014

I've smoked one of my pipes everyday(multiple bowls) for the last few weeks, and haven't had a problem. I think the individuals that live by the rule that "no pipe should be smoked more than once a day/week" are just justifying reasons to buy more pipes. I'm not saying that what they're doing is wrong. I just think it's a little "overkill."
Do what YOU feel seems resonable, buy as many or as few as you like. I would, and do smoke them until until they no longer taste good, then give them a good cleaning and let it rest for a few days. It doesn't have to be that complicated.

admin · Sep 30, 2014

Thanks for being a member and participating.
Thread title fixed.
Please see rule 9 here along with the rest of the forum rules

layinpipe · Sep 30, 2014

I have a confession to make; that old beaten-like-a-red-headed-stepchild dunhill i posted about the other day was really mine...and that is what happens when you smoke the same pipe all day long. Take heed my young padawan, follow "the code" and adhere strictly to its contents. Never stray from the iron clad rules of pipe smoking, else pay with two briar sacrifices of your most expensive examples to the pipe goddess, "Cadence McSlowsip" and her brother, the pipe god "Smokey Wonbole-Kenobi".
Tread carefully and safely.

mso489 · Sep 30, 2014

Pipes can take a lot of use. It is more that resting a pipe keeps it smoking sweeter and dryer. If you run tobaccos through a bowl

all day, give it a rest of several days or more, for best results. My dad was one of those old pipe men who smoked one pipe all day,

every day. They'd often last for a year or more. He smoked only Granger. No rotation, no extra pipes.

brass · Oct 1, 2014

What Brad said.
I've followed the "rest a number of days equal to bowls smoked" and I've smoked the same pipe everyday for weeks on end. I currently pick one pipe, smoke it for a day all day, and once in a while, two days, then put it last in line for my rotation, meaning it rests for one to two weeks.
IMHO, I think the pipe tells you when enough is enough. The most important principle is to keep it clean. Some pipes need to be cleaned during and after each smoke. Others same to do just fine, with just running a couple of pipe cleaners through them at the end of the day.
I'll usually clean them all with brush, liquor and pipes once a month. I tried isopropyl alcohol but for me, it leaves an aftertaste. Maybe I'm not letting them dry long enough.

foggymountain · Oct 5, 2014

One pipe a day is too many with the same briar. You can gauge how dry it is by putting a finger against the inside of the bowl. If not very dry don't smoke it yet.

wyfbane · Oct 6, 2014

I don't usually do more than 2 bowls in a pipe a day. I usually don't have time to smoke more than 2 bowls in a day. lol.
I rest them at least a day before I resmoke them. My rotation is small in relation to the amount of pipes i have as i don't have time to clean 20 pipes at a whack either.

judcole · Oct 6, 2014

I'm a one bowl per day guy - very, very rarely, two. Then it rests for a week. Cobs - one bowl, one day off. YMMV.

How Many Bowls is Too Much for a Pipe Everyday?

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