Breaking in a Missouri Meerschaum hardwood pipe

[fuelpump]

Just picked up one of these great feeling light weight pipes at a little smoke shop and wondered...is there a special way to break-in a maple hardwood. I know that a cob really does not require break-in and I understand how the break-in a briar but it seems that little is said about these pipes. For the price I thought it might make a good pipe to have around at the shop or when I ride my motorcycle.

 

[mso489]

No experience with hardwood pipes unless you count two Mountain Laurel handmade pipes from a carver, but

I'd suggest sticking to the old formula of smoking half bowls and two-third bowls for the first six or eight smokes,

to built up some carbon. But scrape them with a pipe tool, blow them clear, wipe them out with a paper towel, and

clear them with a pipe cleaner every time, to keep from having to ream them, perhaps ever. Once you get a sturdy

coat of carbon, I don't think you'll have to worry about it. Just keep up the cleaning routine.

 

[Perique]

I would break it in just like briar. Shouldn't be much noticeable difference. There isn't with pear wood.
mso, can you put up some pics of those mountain laurel pipes? Really interest me since, as a rancher, mountain laurel is a something to be feared and eradicated (highly toxic to livestock). Never occurred to me that the wood would be a pipe material.

 

[fuelpump]

Thanks Guys,

Started the process today smoked half a bowlful. Enjoyed the first char and the top of the smoke but as it went down it left an odd flavor. Kind of reminded me of wood shop when someone would use a sanding disk too hard and it would burn the wood. I know it is part of the process but makes me enjoy the pipes with a pre-carbon layer. Once I go through a few more smokes and burn off all of the varnish over-spray it will most likely be a decent pipe.

Brian

 

[captainsousie]

It'll taste like poo for about the first 5-6 smokes but after that it should be broken in.

 

[mso489]

perique, if I can summon the gumption, I will try the photo posting. I can make a computer crash at fifty

miles by thinking an impure thought, but I may give it a go. In the meantime, ref Mountain Laurel pipes,

pipe makers turned to Mountain Laurel when briar became unavailable because of World War II. There was

considerable concern, as time went on, about the toxicity you mentioned. It is my understanding that

eventually it was established that it was the upper parts of the plant that have the toxicity, but the root

stock is okay for tobacco pipes. But by then, the discussion had turned off people to using the root stock

of Mountain Laurel for pipes, and this is why pipes made in the U.S. have forever after been stamped

"Made of Imported Briar," to emphasize their safety. My two are a poker/pot/sitter, a large Group 4,

and a bent ball with line etchings of a Mountain Laurel and birds overhead. (You have to look closely.)

These were carved by Jerry Perry of Colfax, N.C., west of Greensboro. I believe he sells only at the N.C.

State Fair, in the Village of Yesteryear, in October, and at the TAPS pipe show at the Fairgrounds in April.

I asked him if he ever sold pipes online, and he said if he did that, all he'd ever do is take pictures. He also

does pipe repair.

 

[fuelpump]

Captainsousie at least I have that to look forward to for the next 5 smokes... Oh boy. The general flavor of manure to make it all worth wile.
Honestly thanks for the feedback.

Brian

 

[jgriff]

I'd say 5-6 smokes is about right. My suggestion is Prince Albert and Carter Hall. They burn quickly to get through those smokes quickly. It's quite pleasant afterwards but I found my Hardwood Diplomat to be a little heavy and unbalanced so it's a knock-around pipe as a result.

 

[msandoval858]

I have one MM hardwood that I was surprised how enjoyable it has turned out to be. The break in for it did take a couple of smokes to burn cool and not have any off flavors but now it smokes great. I'd say it took me 4 smokes to really settle in. I burn Lakeland stuff exclusively in that pipe and have since quit bothering with the Medico filters as well.
As for the smoking process, I just approached it the way I do any other pipe. Smoke slowly, careful not to let it get to hot and always burn a full bowl top to bottom.

 

[cortezattic]

I got an MM Hard Maple Diplomat from Aristocob last Fall. I enlarged the chamber diameter by a couple of millimeters with sandpaper.

I then coated the bowl with honey and let it dry. There were no foul tastes during the break-in, and it smokes just fine.

IMO it isn't as nice a smoker as briar, but for under $13 it makes a nice knock-around pipe as well as a blend testing pipe.

 

[fuelpump]

I only paid $4.99. So if it takes a few bowls to make it into a very enjoyable pipe it will be worth the effort. After reeading the above post I am now anxious to get a few more bowls through because I may buy a few more to keep "stashed" around.

 

[seagullplayer]

I like mine, it is planned as a take to the woods pipe during mushroom season. I am pretty sure it will see duty in the tackle box later this year as well.
I may now get another and try that honey trick.

 

[Rincewind]

I agree with the other posters on the 4-6 bowl break-in period and using Carter Hall or Prince Albert to do it with. I also use those two tobaccos for the first few bowls on new cobs as well. My experience was also that the wood shop taste will go away and you will have a good cool smoking pipe for a small investment. I have several of them and love the amber danish stems that come on the straight maple pipes. They look great and I am going to purchase some of the amber stems in my next Aristocob order for some of my straight cobs. I think they go for 49 cents.

 

[mrmotoyoshi]

I love the Ozark pipes. I was gifted one and use it mostly for aromatics. I then bought two more from aristocob, 1 straight and 1 bent for VAs and Latakia blends respectively.
The idea of breaking it in really comes down to smoking it until that flavor of birch wood goes away. Similar to a MM corn cob and how it has taht flavor for the first couple of smokes. But once there is a little bit of char/cake around the inside of the bowl, they become great smokers! I love my Ozarks as they are great for a quick smoke, very durable and they even change colors a little bit the more you smoke them. Very underrated pipe IMO.