Odd Tasting Pipes?

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mrbigglesworth

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 1, 2015
196
1
Winston Salem, NC
Okay. This is a little lengthy, but I don't know how to explain this any shorter. So bear with me if you can. (Disclaimer: I'm not a new pipe smoker and I own about 8 briars.)
Recently, I bought a used Savinelli One off a guy for $20. The pipe had hardly been smoked. It looked and smelled clean. However, when I smoke it, there seemed to be an odd taste of some sort. Not really bad, mind you, just off and partially obstructing the taste I usually get from a bowl of 1Q. Yes, it's a "beginner" pipe. It smokes a little wet, and I've discovered quite a few hidden pits in the bowl (is this the cause?). But it draws very nicely. (This is actually the pipe in my avatar.)
Then I bought a new Brebbia. I love Brebbias. Lit it up and it smoked 40 min without going out and tasted great... until. Near the bottom of the bowl something began muting the taste, and then seemed to coat my mouth with an odd film. When I dumped out the ash I found a ball of goop at the bottom. Not tobacco, but left-over bowl coating that had run to the bottom. It was coating my mouth and muting everything.
For both pipes, I scraped out the inside, cleaned with pipe sweetener (letting it sit for 30 min), let the pipe dry for a day, then sanded the inside carefully to remove much of the bowl coating.
The Brebbia is now a normal, healthy pipe. The Savinelli is tasting better, but still has a dull, odd flavor in the background even after three bowls. I can't figure it out.
Why am I addicted to the Savinelli? Because it was so cheap, nearly new, and I can take it fishing, camping, etc, etc without worrying about losing one of my best pipes. I also have a few cobs for this purpose. I love the way a cob tastes.
But I am truly baffeled by this Savinelli and it's driving me crazy. Is it the poor pipe construction? The bowl coating? Did the previous owner spill his cologne into it? After this experience I'd never recommend one of these to a new pipe smoker.
Has anyone had a similar experience?

 

peteguy

Lifer
Jan 19, 2012
1,530
906
Never trust an estate pipe unless you know the pipe has been properly sanitized by a professional. I would give the stem a good going thru with everclear soaked pipe cleaners, or the like. Those little brushes are really nice for stems,shanks and mortises. BE CAREFUL NOT TO GET ANY ON THE STAIN. I would do a retort on the pipe or at least a salt treatment. Make sure you clean the heck out of the mortise and shank.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
I'm not being a smartass, but have you checked out the filter? Many but not all Savenellis have balsa filters and they get moist fast. So make sure that's not your problem. You can smoke Savs without filters, without filters with adapters, or with the balsa filters that need to be changed every smoke or two. Likely not the problem, unless you don't know about filters.

 

bigpond

Lifer
Oct 14, 2014
2,019
13
Could be any number of things but what immediately jumps out is the bowl coating. If there is no cake it becomes more likely that you're tasting the coating which can mute tobacco flavors for early bowls. I experienced something very similar with a coated Peterson and it took about 8-10 bowls to dissipate. If it smells clean, as you mentioned, it's probably not a ghost although it would be wise to check the mortise and shank for residue.

 

bigpond

Lifer
Oct 14, 2014
2,019
13
Dunno exactly but its been years at this point. They aren't super consistent with it though and if you look through the lines you'll see coated and uncoated bowls popping up in the same line with the same finish. Generally though, pipes with a light stain are more likely to be uncoated.

 
Jan 4, 2015
1,858
11
Massachusetts
I would hold off doing anything else until you have built up a little cake. That will allow two things to happen. First if it's the bowl coating it will be covered and you will no longer get that taste or secondly if it continues you'll know it's ghosting from whatever the guy you bought it from smoked in it. If that proves to be the case a good salt/alcohol treatment is in order.

 

mrbigglesworth

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 1, 2015
196
1
Winston Salem, NC
After reading some of the recommendations, I did a 24hr salt treatment, then cleaned the stem and shank good (they were still rank). First salt treatment I've ever done. I let the pipe dry for another 24hrs and smoked a bowl tonight. What a difference! It's like a whole new pipe. Now to build up a good cake. Thanks for the help, folks!

 
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