MM Corn Cob Quality Issues

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trucha

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jan 26, 2013
106
0
I bought a mm corn cob legend from my b&m and loved it. I decided to get some more and ordered three more from an online retailer about 6months ago. These seemed different than the one I got from my local shop. First of all they had a wooden part in the bottom of the bowl that took up a large part of it. I dont remember having this in my other pipe although I could be wrong. On my first smoke the shank completely detached from the bowl and the bowl fell on the ground. It also revealed the wooden part which revealed that it was charred meaning I smoked the wood which I'd rather avoid. I tried another one of the pipes and after about ten smokes the bowl just fell off as well. I continued to smoke them but now both stems are really loose fitting with the first one being completely loose and unsmokable. I haven't tried the third pipe.
Has anyone else had any quality issues with cobs recently? I ordered these just before the reports of them not having enough material due to the drought so maybe they are just a weird batch. I'd love to get another one since my first smoked so well but is now burnt out.
Edit: Corrected capitalization in title per Rule #9. L.

Number Nine, Number Nine, Number Nine

 

onepyrotec

Lifer
Feb 20, 2013
1,066
6,634
Nevada
Some models have wooden plugs inserted in the bottom to help prevent burn out. I personally like those better than just the natural cob. I have had one shank fall out of a cob as well. It is a simple fix, use some white glue and a rubber mallet to tap it into place...let dry and smoke again. The person in charge of mounting shanks the day your pipes were made may have been daydreaming instead of paying attention to work. :puffy:
Look at the 3:30 mark in this video
http://corncobpipe.com/index.php/history.html

 

taerin

Lifer
May 22, 2012
1,851
1
If your burning out genuine Missouri Meerschaum corn cob pipes, you might be smoking a bit too fast there. Remember that cob is a material that burns easier than briar does and that the wooden plugs are more durable than the cob material is, if your burning the plug, your most certainly burning the cob. There are people who have been smoking these for 30 years without them burning out, I have been for 3, no burnouts.

 

05venturer

Lifer
Nov 25, 2012
1,622
2
Amery,WI
I think I will have to agree with Eric on this.

Personally I smoke MM Cobs 99% of my smokes and have never burned one out yet, I have had 1 stem come loose but a drop of wood glue and back to smoking nirvana.
If you are having a lot of trouble I would suggest contacting MM and let them know, they are very good to deal with and if there is a problem they can't fix it if they don't know about it.
Happy Puffing :puffy:

 

mike73

Starting to Get Obsessed
Aug 20, 2013
168
2
At the moment I would say I smoke a cob 90% of the time. I have ordered a few bags of their seconds and have only had one issue where one of the bottoms was "soggy" and unusable.

 

mike73

Starting to Get Obsessed
Aug 20, 2013
168
2
Kent,
Thanks for the link. I might give it a go. Seems like a cheap and easy fix!

 

werdna

Can't Leave
Jun 6, 2013
360
2
I had three legends that only lasted about four months. I replaced them with a Country Gent and two Diplomats. These pipes are much better in quality than the Legend, though the stem still will come unglued. The bowls are heavier and thicker, and I expect them to last a good many years. I bought replacement bits for them, as the original ones are too soft and I bit right through them. Many online tobacco stores carry the MM cobs, look around for a good price.

 

lqjones

Starting to Get Obsessed
Oct 8, 2013
115
0
I had my MM freehand from a long time ago come to me with a chip about to fall off of the shank. I just glued with with elmers and its no problems since. Love my cob.

 

phred

Lifer
Dec 11, 2012
1,754
4
First of all they had a wooden part in the bottom of the bowl that took up a large part of it. I dont remember having this in my other pipe although I could be wrong.
This sounds more like the other end of the shank than the wooden plug, actually. On all of my MM cobs, the shank extends into the bowl, with the draft hole drilled through and the end in the bowl cut away to expose the draft hole. You wind up with what looks like a U-shaped trough at the bottom - is that what you're seeing, Trucha? If so, it's normal, and it's going to heat up, discolor, and even burn as you smoke.
So far, none of mine have fallen apart even though they're almost all factory seconds. The only stem that's come loose on me is the one on my Country Gentleman, and that was my own fault for not checking the fit on a replacement stem as carefully as I should have. After some judicious sanding, the stem fits fine and after a couple of bowls to expand and contract the joint, the shank seems to be behaving itself.
Sorry to hear you've had such QC issues - with any luck, you just got a bad run. Try the third one and see what happens.

 

taerin

Lifer
May 22, 2012
1,851
1
As Phred states, the stem inside the bowl is there by design. As you smoke your MM cob, that part of the stem will burn off -- nothing to worry about.
Yup! Roth and Phred are right on this one :) Never seen a stem burn out on the inside of the bowl before though after 3 years, starting to wonder if I just smoke extra slow and cool.

 

petes03

Lifer
Jun 23, 2013
6,212
10,653
The Hills of Tennessee
I have 1/2 a dozen or so MM's, and I've never had any such issues. A couple of the I've had for about 4 or 5 years, and they've had many bowls through them!
Nice video, BTW, Pyro!

 

metalmilitia

Starting to Get Obsessed
Aug 14, 2013
128
0
never had one burn out, but I have had some serious cracking. my last one actually developed a soft spot on the bottom that turned green so I tossed it. I think the shank want flush against the heel and it allowed moisture to accumulate and didn't dry properly

 

trucha

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jan 26, 2013
106
0
Ok I ordered another one from the same online place. The bowl is quite different. It is much larger. I havn't smoked it yet but when I do I'll give an update. One other strange thing about the old ones is that when I tried to replace the filter it would not fit. Not even close. Btw. The online retailer gave me a full refund on the first lot.

 
Dec 24, 2012
7,195
456
I have 4 MM cobs with 3 rotating forever stems, and I have had them each for over a year. I use them primarily for new blends, aros, or when I am doing yard work, including shovelling snow. They get smoked a fair bit. The top and inside of the bowl on each is as black as the Ace of Spades, but they still smoke very well. I wasn't crazy about how they tasted the first few times I smoked them, but since then, they smoke like a dream, with no issues whatsoever. I should add that I am completely careless with these pipes. I huff and puff and they get hot, but I have not had a single issue. I had thought that I would have to replace them after a few months, but they are the Timex of the pipe world - they just keep on ticking.

 

shayde

Can't Leave
Oct 4, 2013
387
10
I haven't ever had any problems. My Egg Shaped Great Dane -looks more like an acorn shape, but hey it's supposed to look that way I guess, has a little wood block at the bottom of the bowl as well (it's for burn through like stated above by others). I have however purchased a MM Washington that I thought might have been a second, the top of the bowl has some gouges in it, it doesn't effect the smoke (but I would've like it to be more aesthetically pleasing, yes I realize it's a cob haha). Sounds like they might of got banged around or exposed to ungodly tempatures and it may have caused the bowl or shank to seperate from the other. I'm sure a bit of glue would do fine, just becarful where you put it. I don't know the effects of smoking glue, but I can't imagine them to be positive.

 
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