Breaking in a New Pipe

[Gabby Hayes]

There’s a lot of opinions on the topic as I found out when I first took up pipe smoking. But I’ve pretty much just followed the advice of Muttonchop pipe smoker who recommended just filling it to the top and smoking all the way down slowly every bowl. Builds a nice cake and renders the stages method unnecessary. If I ever get a $500+ Dunhill I might have to rethink the method though lol.

 

[bullet08]

Even if you break in, it's still too small to enter.

 

[elvishrunes]

Newer pipes have a bowl coating, I believe it is usually a wood ash paste. But even with older pipes I often just smoked until I discovered oil. A thin coating of olive oil (likely any oil, even butter) works really well. Just coat it and wipe off the access with paper towel. I learned this by coating my food before it gets grilled, much better sear. I could see honey working too…

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Departure from local advice, my dealer said fill to half and smoke keeping the pipe cool. Then fill to 3/4 and precede to full.

 

[instymp]

I am old school and I am not ashamed.
I have always found my method especially effective for how I like to break in a new/estate pipe.
First: I coat the bowl with a very lite coating of honey.
Second: I find a particular piece of music that helps me slow down.
I fill my new acquisition with my favorite Cavendish.
Third: false light light tamping moderate exhale(to keep it lit)
Forth: Tamp town excess tobacco.
Fifth : Relight (true light)
Fifth: Enjoy
Everyone has their own ritual/method.

This is mine.

Anyone else?

50 years ago, I did the honey, grape jelly, half full etc.
Now I load it & smoke it.

 

[anotherbob]

I used to do the 1/2 fill slowly building to the top. But found out just doing the normal smoke works as well. I bet it has some thing to do with not smoking a lot of goopy tobaccos as well as the increase in quality of briar. I never hear anyone talking about burnout but used to hear it semi-frequently with cheap pipes around the 90's. I think there has to be someway they can make sure the briar is decent that is only really been possible for the last 20 or so years. Or it's aged before getting to the carvers or something. I think if you had a inferior briar doing the half fill would slowly build cake and not directly fry the hidden sand pits (or whatever those easy to burn mostly hollow spots are called). Also I see how a goopy tobacco might be too wet near the bottom to get a good cake started. Either way used to do it one way now I just go.

 

[Grangerous]

Save the honey for your biscuits and the syrup for your pancakes.

 

[Ethan]

In practice I just smoke it. I want to try the honey coating just to see what it is all about.

I have only tried the honey thing a few times. Mostly out of desperation trying to break in a new MM Ozark hardwood....the taste from the wood before any cake is built up is unpleasant at best.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

I don’t really “break in” a new one. Just load up a bowl and smoke it. The pipe doesn’t mind, and it won’t smoke any differently

The whole honey/grape jelly thing as well as the “incrementally increasing bowl method” are intended to build up an even layer of cake.
I hate cake in my pipes, and clean the chamber after every smoke to prevent cake.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

I don’t really “break in” a new one. Just load up a bowl and smoke it. The pipe doesn’t mind, and it won’t smoke any differently

The whole honey/grape jelly thing as well as the “incrementally increasing bowl method” are intended to build up an even layer of cake.
I hate cake in my pipes, and clean the chamber after every smoke to prevent cake.

My dealer said the coating Peterson applies is to protect the briar initially. If cake is for same reason, it makes sense to have some.

 

[Dublin Old Man]

I avoid buying pipes with coatings. If a new pipe has a coating, I remove it.

I like to break-in a pipe with a Virginia blend. I fill it up an smoke it like my other pipes.

One time, I smoked a heavy latakia blend in a new pipe and the flavor remained in the pipe. I will not do that again.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

I avoid buying pipes with coatings. If a new pipe has a coating, I remove it.

I like to break-in a pipe with a Virginia blend. I fill it up an smoke it like my other pipes.

One time, I smoked a heavy latakia blend in a new pipe and the flavor remained in the pipe. I will not do that again.

Should have left the coating….lol! ?

 

[Country Bladesmith]

My dealer said the coating Peterson applies is to protect the briar initially. If cake is for same reason, it makes sense to have some.

Coatings are 100% unnecessary for anyone that doesn’t abuse their pipes by smoking fast/hot. It’s there for protection against the idiot. The briar itself is very much resistant to the temperature of a gentle ember, but will char and scorch when someone zealously chugs and creates a little inferno in the chamber. Something new smokers sometimes do in order to keep it lit. It’s a business move to reduce warranty claims and bad reviews from people that destroy their pipe and then blame the manufacturer/carver.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

I avoid buying pipes with coatings. If a new pipe has a coating, I remove it.

I like to break-in a pipe with a Virginia blend. I fill it up an smoke it like my other pipes.

One time, I smoked a heavy latakia blend in a new pipe and the flavor remained in the pipe. I will not do that again.

Do some researching here. There are ways to remove a ghost.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Coatings are 100% unnecessary for anyone that doesn’t abuse their pipes by smoking fast/hot. It’s there for protection against the idiot. The briar itself is very much resistant to the temperature of a gentle ember, but will char and scorch when someone zealously chugs and creates a little inferno in the chamber. Something new smokers sometimes do in order to keep it lit. It’s a business move to reduce warranty claims and bad reviews from people that destroy their pipe and then blame the manufacturer/carver.

Would you mind to contact Peterson and explain their folly? Thank you ?

 

[Country Bladesmith]

Would you mind to contact Peterson and explain their folly? Thank you ?

It’s not folly in the business sense. But a lot of people just sand that coating out before smoking. It’s never bothered me one way or the other, but some people claim it gives a taste for the first few bowls.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

It’s not folly in the business sense. But a lot of people just sand that coating out before smoking. It’s never bothered me one way or the other, but some people claim it gives a taste for the first few bowls.

I didn’t notice a taste problem. I asked the dealer about sanding and they suggested not doing it or applying honey

 

[coming to_falling too]

I think the coating definitely imparts a very noticeable taste. Unless, maybe latakia would be strong enough to cover the taste up. Anyway, I don't think a coating is necessary at all if you take it easy with the first several smokes, being careful not to get the pipe too hot and such. Actually I think that's how a pipe should be smoked all the time regardless if new or old.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Ask 10 people, get ten opinions.

 

[cigrmaster]

I fill my pipe to the top and smoke it to the bottom. I then wait a day and repeat. I continue this method and then do the same
thing for a couple of weeks or so. Once I get a nice hard thin cake I, I stop smoothing it for a couple of days a few weeks.I check my inside bowl and see how my cake is doing.
When I get a pipe that has a coated bowl, I change my system. I sand my bowl quite a few times and then sand the piss out of the pipe.