Bowl Coatings….Why!?

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kola

Lifer
Apr 1, 2014
1,483
2,334
Colorado Rockies, Cripple Creek region
I hate them all. Leave the summabich' bare. The only exception is/was a Blakemar (sp?) pipe in which he made perfect sense to me. He briefly held the newly finished bowl chamber over a propane torch. Thus creating a light char of sort. But these secret sauces and recipes that they slather into a new pipe are a joke. IMO of course. Yogurt, glass fibers, donkey dung, eye of newt, etcetera...Enough dang it!
 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,427
I always feel an uncoated chamber appeals to a more experienced and sophisticated pipe buyer and thus accords a certain amount of prestige to those who buy the uncoated pipes. However, usually I don't know if a bowl is uncoated when I buy online. It gives me great pleasure to find a pipe isn't coated. I repeat myself, but it is a plus to me.
 

kola

Lifer
Apr 1, 2014
1,483
2,334
Colorado Rockies, Cripple Creek region
I always feel an uncoated chamber appeals to a more experienced and sophisticated pipe buyer and thus accords a certain amount of prestige to those who buy the uncoated pipes. However, usually I don't know if a bowl is uncoated when I buy online. It gives me great pleasure to find a pipe isn't coated. I repeat myself, but it is a plus to me.

I have to ask before purchasing. It's a deal breaker for me....unless I REALLY like the pipe.
 

EA-6B

Starting to Get Obsessed
Feb 22, 2020
178
564
Usually you actually do. You can even request one or the other to be ordered by retailers. It doesn't matter either way to me.

Two Giubileo d'Oros currently at SPC.

View attachment 161369View attachment 161370
Looks stained. Just as bad. Maybe worse. I try to avoid either. Probably stained under the coated one, too. Double-whammy. I don't want to see stain, wax, coating, anything at all in there.
 

Hillcrest

Lifer
Dec 3, 2021
2,623
12,709
Bagshot Row, Hobbiton
Many years ago I was taught various methods of starting your own bowl coating based on your preference; but that was in the day of tobacconists and local tobacco, pipe, cigar stores. Now you don't get that individualized instruction so they start a coat for you. I have only had two pipes where the coating was a problem ...a 1970s Peterson with the famous untasty bowl coating and my recent Vauen that tasted and smelled like petroleum or burned diesel. I wiped, reamed and sanded, salt-cleaned them out then did my own whiskey, honey, maple coating then wiped it out and smoked them ... they're fine now unless the tobacco is iffy. If I ever buy a coated pipe again I will definitely wash out the coating first.
 
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Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,170
107,869
Many years ago I was taught various methods of starting your own bowl coating based on your preference; but that was in the day of tobacconists and local tobacco, pipe, cigar stores. Now you don't get that individualized instruction so they start a coat for you. I have only had two pipes where the coating was a problem ...a 1970s Peterson with the famous untasty bowl coating and my recent Vauen that tasted and smelled like petroleum or burned diesel. I wiped, reamed and sanded, salt-cleaned them out then did my own whiskey, honey, maple coating then wiped it out and smoked them ... they're fine now unless the tobacco is iffy. If I ever buy a coated pipe again I will definitely wash out the coating first.
When I was still carving, mine was water, sour cream, and briar ash made from the dust of the pipe carved.
 
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Hillcrest

Lifer
Dec 3, 2021
2,623
12,709
Bagshot Row, Hobbiton
When I was still carving, mine was water, sour cream, and briar ash made from the dust of the pipe carved.
I'm not allowed too much sour cream anymore !! :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO: (But I can see why you would use that for fats and oils and acids and it burns off. It also acts to protect in heat ... like mayonnaise on grilled fish that melts off in flame but protects fish from burning. - That's my guess anyway - don't ask me for a scientific source like some !:rolleyes::ROFLMAO:)
 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,170
107,869
I'm not allowed too much sour cream anymore !! :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO: (But I can see why you would use that for fats and oils and acids and it burns off. It also acts to protect in heat ... like mayonnaise on grilled fish that melts off in flame but protects fish from burning. - That's my guess anyway - don't ask me for a scientific source like some !:rolleyes::ROFLMAO:)
I mainly used it very thinned with water for a cohesive and organic adhesive for the ash.
 

FurCoat

Lifer
Sep 21, 2020
8,702
77,866
North Carolina
I hate bowl coatings. My experience is the same as yours in that some coatings produce a weird, unpleasant taste.

I don't buy pipes with bowl coatings. When I first began buying pipes, I bought a few with coatings and removed the coating prior to smoking but I would rather avoid the work.

For new pipes without coating, I've also learned that it is important to avoid strong flavored blends (like heavy Latakia or aromatic) because the flavor stays with the pipe. I usually smoke a Virginia blend in new pipe until it is broken in.
My experience also.