Question for pipe makers- pre carb vs naked

Haha, Harris you didnt open up enough controversy with briar vs. cobs ? :nana:

It makes you wonder why the majority of very high end pipemakers coat their bowls. I don't have a perfect answer for you, but I can give you several of the answers from those high end guys.

First, it pretty much eliminates the break in period of a new pipe. The argument against coating says that a natural cake is going to build up in the first 15 or 20 bowls anyway, so whats the point? The truth is after 20 or so bowls there wont be much difference in the smoke between a coated and uncoated bowl. But, it gives the natural cake a perfect surface to form on.

Another argument, it gives the pipe a finished look as it sits in display for sale. It just gives the pipe a nicer finished look.

Third is no matter who you get your briar from, or how old the wood is, an individual pipe always runs the risk of hot spots and burnout that starts when the bowl is naked. Adding a coating to the pipe is an extra level of protection for the pipe and that pipemakers reputation. Saves a lot of work to replace a pipe a year down the road because of burnout.

Of course I'm new to all of this, but my pipes are gauranteed so if theres ever an issue I replace the pipe at no cost whether there is a coating or not. I have begun using a coating and for now all of my pipes will be coated and only removed by request.

I am using the recipe most of the big names use. I've found it smokes wonderfully on the pipes I've added it to.

I wont name who it is, but I'll add one more thing and its a quote from one of the most respected pipemakers (and teacher to pipemakers) in the US.

"I know everyone has an opinion about this, but if you end up selling pipes for a hobby or a living, it only makes sense to coat every bowl that leaves your shop. And personally, I think it gives the pipe a very nice finished look."

Back when Kirk Bosi was still making pipes, he left it up to the buyer. If you wanted it, he'd add it. If you didn't, he wouldn't.

Coating pipes is evil, bad, and in all ways wrong. I don't care who does it, and I don't care why. Give me briar that's good enough. That's all I ask.

Sasquatch, I have seen you on the pipemakers forum, so I know you do serious work. Are you exagerating or do you have something beyond a personal preference?
Winton

No, thats just the Sasquatch way !

I've had pipes both ways and tried home-made coatings and now just break the pipe in by smoking it. I know Boswell's used to use a coating on their bowls and I had 3, all which smoked great. One famous pipemaker (whose name escapes me now) advised a light coating of grape jelly on his bowl interiors. A lot of the old-timers believed in honey or a honey-water mix.
I also start my pipes with full bowls. I know a lot of smokers use partial bowls at first but I just watch to see that the bowl's not overheating. If it does, I let the bowl go out for a few minutes to cool. I know that Mark Tinsky also advises this method. He makes superb pipes; I have had 3 of them.

Smokey

Great post lonestar, you summed it up pretty nicely, and Smokey, I don't bother doing partial bowls either, they are for those who are trying to get an even cake, since it seems to take longer to coat the bottom of the bowl than the top. I just smoke slowly until a real cake is formed precarbed or not. I do prefer the precarbed bowls though, it adds a little extra security.

Greetings,
I have never coated the bowls of the pipes I make simply because I don't know the "formula" for a coating. The natural wood surface will cake up eventually with careful, slow, complete smoking for the first dozen bowls or so. I do recommend dipping a finger in water and lightly moistening the bowl walls prior to the first smoke. This adds a little moisture to the dry wood and aids in cooling the pipe.
The "sins" referred to are probably small sand pits that show up inside the bowl after drilling. Small pits usually never burn through, they just look bad, and are covered over with char during the first smoke. Pits inside the bowl can detract from an otherwise flawless pipe. The bowl coating covers these pits and the buyer is none the wiser.
Some pipe makers use the coating to aid break-in and as a little added insurance against burnout. The coating insulates the wood during the initial smoke, especially for a vigorous puffer. Te results are fewer warranty claims and a satisfied customer, which is what all pipe makers desire.
CACooper

I prefer the raw bowl , roughed up like Moretti does, I like the taste of the briar down at the last of the bowl, with a new pipe a lot of care should be excerised during the first smoke, I ran a ethylene plant for over 30 yrs, so pressures and temps are second nature to me, that is why I use a thermal gun on every new pipe I light up, every briar has a hot spot and the gun narrows it down, you might not believe how quick you can go from 145 to 175*, when you have to pull your hand away it is over 150*, too hot, I believe that is why some pipe smokers make a good pipe a bad pipe, again every briar has a weak spot, learn where it is, slowly coke it up and you will have a trouble free pipe. IMHO. The old cajun

My post was about 1/2 serious. I don't coat my bowls, and most of my customers are happy that way. A few guys ask for a coating, one even asks that I smoke the pipe a few times and break it for him.
There are legitimate reasons for coating, most of them aesthetic - sometimes a tiny bit of stain penetrates to the chamber and leaves some spotting, for example. And you can't "unstain". It looks nice in photographs. And it probably does add a level of protection to the new wood. If I had no control over who bought my pipes and no communication channel with them, I'd probably coat my bowls with a honey/charcoal mix. But that's not the case, so I leave 'em.
At best, a coating doesn't add any flavor. At worst, they are putrid and retain both aromatic flavors and tars, and make a pipe taste like garbage. I've had to sand out a few. One Stanwell was especially awful.
But.... this is my opinion, and anyone who disagrees with it is free to do so. Why should I care if someone wants to be wrong? :lol:

this is my opinion, and anyone who disagrees with it is free to do so.

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I was starting to wonder if this was the right Sasquatch ??
Then this cleared things up

Why should I care if someone wants to be wrong?

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I haven't smoked enough new pipes of either to be able to lean one way or another. I just recently had my first smoke in a new pipe that was pre-carbed and I felt I enjoyed it much more then I usually enjoy my first smoke from a pipe, but not sure if it was because of the pre-carb.
@ tbradsim1 I read a few places where when you get an estate pipe you like to ream it down to the bare wood. I buy mostly estate pipes. Do you see difference with your heat gun from a new pipe with bare wood to an estate pipe with bare wood?

I am not an expert by all means, but I have seen if the estate pipe was not abused it does not heat up as fast as a new pipe, I guess because the briar has been tempered, I take all my estates down to bare wood then sand it a bit to rough it up, I cannot say it enough you need a retort or have the means for someone to do it for you, only way to get an estate clean, Harris if you want a thermal gun go to Harbor Freight and you buy one very cheap, auto parts carry them, takes the guess work out of breaking in a new pipe. The old cajun