I use these. No problems and cheap. Also refillable. Soft flame.
Breaking in an Uncoated New Pipe
- Thread starter t1m3kn1ght
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I just finished a pipeful of Savinelli Brunelle Flake in my Billiard straight stem. Still trying to break it in and the Savinelli smoked pretty hot. But it lasted 44 minutes, which is a long smoke for me. I almost got the entire bowl with no relights but there was no way to get an ash covering the bottom 1/3 of the bowl so I can't cheat and start a cake easily. Back to the Captain Black, I guess. Used the Manuka honey on my tongue so all is well.
I have a new bulldog bent stem coming, hopefully, today from Peretti. Looking forward to another fav pipe. Keeping my hopes up, here.
The pipe came. Was a bit small but that may not be a serious issue. I think it was coated, so I lightly sanded the upper bowl. The only problem is I could not get a pipecleaner all the way in. I tried lightly altering the entrance with a handheld drill bit but no luck. Then I noticed I could just see the tip almost entering the bowl and the airhole was low, running into a small ledge. I shall try to smooth that down with a smaller bit--handheld so not to damage anything.
I used to have a break in method. I’ve forgotten it. Now, in those rare occasions, I stuff tobacco in it — whatever I’ve got open — and light it up. I really do prefer a raw briar bowl to any coating.
So you don't go through all the partial bowl smokes building up to full bowls. I've found that one of my pipes has started to build cake at the bottom while I have been smoking full bowls. Others that I have dmoked partial bowls seem to resist building that carbon layer.
No, I don't. I'm not such a frequent smoker that carbon happens anytime soon. Just pack and enjoy.
I have been smoking some full bowls in the 2 new Peretti virgin briar pipes I have. They are small pipes that carry maybe 2/3 the capacity of my regular pipes. They smoke at the most about 30 minutes but they are nice and are breaking in well. Just more time, a few 1/2 bowls and they may start to come around.
I am smoking them slower and though they get somewhat hot they seem to be OK. Slow is good. My tongue is feeling better.
I am smoking them slower and though they get somewhat hot they seem to be OK. Slow is good. My tongue is feeling better.
I have a problem with a badly cut airway on a briar pipe. All it will take is a small amount of mud used to fill voids in briar
But I don't know the recipe for mud. Can anyone help? Thank you.
But I don't know the recipe for mud. Can anyone help? Thank you.
The standard recipe for pipe mud is cigar ash and water.
The plaster fix seems to have worked and I am back to breaking in the pipe.i am not sure I would undertake such a project again, though. Too many opportunities to ruin a pipe.
@JohnnyBeach
I have never worried about the crust on the bottom of the chamber; over the years I have learned that it is not worth ruining a great smoke by insisting on smoking the dregs of the tobacco; therefore the crust in that area does not interest me.
If it can console you, I will tell you that 90% of my pipes were second hand (used) when I bought them: only two of them had the crust on the bottom of the chamber.
So we are not the only ones
I have never worried about the crust on the bottom of the chamber; over the years I have learned that it is not worth ruining a great smoke by insisting on smoking the dregs of the tobacco; therefore the crust in that area does not interest me.
If it can console you, I will tell you that 90% of my pipes were second hand (used) when I bought them: only two of them had the crust on the bottom of the chamber.
So we are not the only ones
Thank you. It seems almost impossible to build cake on the bottom, although I have succeeded with one pipe. Just determination, I guess.@JohnnyBeach
I have never worried about the crust on the bottom of the chamber; over the years I have learned that it is not worth ruining a great smoke by insisting on smoking the dregs of the tobacco; therefore the crust in that area does not interest me.
If it can console you, I will tell you that 90% of my pipes were second hand (used) when I bought them: only two of them had the crust on the bottom of the chamber.
So we are not the only ones
Quarter bowls, or one third bowls for smaller chambers should put you right,
Thanks. I have been doing 1/3 to 1/2 bowls in two pipes. Not much happening, though.
The progress in cake formation needs to be measured in weeks of smoking the pipe, not in bowls. It seems like it takes forever if you think of it in terms of bowls. Smoke it a lot - in 6 weeks you can look at how much cake there is
I got some pipes through EBay the other day. Of the 12 in 2 batches, 6 were all right, including an unsmoked cob, a very nice, hardly used bent stem with a generous bowl size, and 2 bent stem pipes that I am removing cake from. I am more happy with bent stem pipes, these days. Can't explain it. One of the pipes has a chunk bitten from the stem where someone used his teeth exclusively to hold the pipe. I don't think I'll be using that one. Another is an Italian bulldog with a gouge in the exterior that I think I can patch with little trouble. It is a smaller pipe, not unlike one of Peretti's virgin briars.
Anyway, wish me luck.
Anyway, wish me luck.
I cleaned the two bent stem pipes. What a job! They both had obstructions of some sort and after forcing a whole pack of cleaners soaked in alcohol through them I unblocked them. The black crud that came out was unbelievable. I don't think whoever owned these had ever used a pipe cleaner on them. Even the stems produced dark stains before I was done. But the air holes were filled with foul-smelling gunk that took forever to unclog. By comparison, any if my own pipes seem pristine.
