I don't have a method of breaking in either. I just smoke the pipe. Some pipes smoke nice right away. Some seem to only deliver optimally after a number bowls. That's what I mean by breaking in.
Breaking In. Estate Vs. New
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I don't remember any smoke tasting bad right away. Just different, with the charred wood. I kind of like that flavour and smell.
I assumed most of the talk of "breaking in" was down to not damaging the pipe.
People recommending concoctions of honey and ash and who knows what else to help build the cake seemed focused on building a layer of protection. Maybe that was also protection from a certain kind of taste.
Here, the "breaking in" does seem more aligned with taste, I suppose. But this is a group of very particular pipe smokers.
I remember some of my first pipes bought from a shop and being told some things about the first smokes. Smoke 1/4 of a bowl for awhile, then 1/2, etc. to build this nice even cake.
In the end, I just filled the pipe and smoked it to great effect.
I assumed most of the talk of "breaking in" was down to not damaging the pipe.
People recommending concoctions of honey and ash and who knows what else to help build the cake seemed focused on building a layer of protection. Maybe that was also protection from a certain kind of taste.
Here, the "breaking in" does seem more aligned with taste, I suppose. But this is a group of very particular pipe smokers.
I remember some of my first pipes bought from a shop and being told some things about the first smokes. Smoke 1/4 of a bowl for awhile, then 1/2, etc. to build this nice even cake.
In the end, I just filled the pipe and smoked it to great effect.
My experience on this score is like sable's. I don't experience much of a defined breaking in process. In fact, most of my pipes have smoked quite well from the start, new or estate. I do have one or two out of more than ninety that have smoked sufficiently and then improved markedly at some point in a year or so. I attribute breaking in a pipe more in terms of my learning its distinct characteristics, but I don't associate that with it tasting odd or otherwise performing poorly. I associate all the to-do about breaking in pipes, like putting honey in the bowl or smoking standard burley brands only, as excitement over the purchase and wanting to make a special ceremony out of it, emotional rather than objective.
Quite a variety of ideas. For me, a new pipe is broken in when it provides just the taste of the tobacco, and doesn't gurgle.
For an estate, depends on who prepares it. In any event, a cleaning and drying before the first bowl, and so far I have been lucky. No big ghost, no gurgle.
For an estate, depends on who prepares it. In any event, a cleaning and drying before the first bowl, and so far I have been lucky. No big ghost, no gurgle.
I have purchased a few estates and breaking in was a breeze. Load and smoke. I will say most of my estates came with the ghost of Captain Black. Heck of a spirit to exorcise, so most of my estates are relegated to English blends. I start with flanking yea old Captain with me trusty Pirate Kake.
I know I'm in the minority but I've always had the best smoke, in a new, unsmoked pipe. The first 10 or so bowls are great, then it gets a little weird for about 10 or so bowls and finally it gets to the "broken in" stage. Of course it depends on what I'm smoking in the pipe but new pipes have always treated me well. I've never had a complaint about an estate pipe. I find that getting a pipe to behave the way I like is part of the fun of being a pipe smoker.
