Breaking In Pipes

[sparrowhawk]

Greetings,

I've been a member for a couple of months now, but only occasionally get a new pipe to break in. I have a couple of questions about this. First, is the purpose of breaking in a pipe to help evaporate any moisture in the briar that would cause the bowl to generate excess heat? It seems to me that broken-in pipes don't burn quite as hot as new pipes. Second, what is the accepted wisdom of how many times a day should a new pipe be smoked to break it in? And how long will the process take? Thanks for reading.

 

[cortezattic]

By what I have read over the years, slowly breaking in a new pipe, by filling it incrementally over the course of many smokes, was recommended to drive off internal moisture and resins which, if present, might split the bowl if the pipe was filled and smoked normally.

It isn't necessary these days because briar is pretty well cured before it ever becomes a pipe.
If the pipe is pre-coated with carbon, you can just load it and go without fear -- though slow, cool smoking is always recommended for both you and the pipe. If the bowl is uncoated -- and some artisans leave it that way to show off the grain -- I normally smoke a couple of bowls at various levels like: ⅓, ½, & ⅔, just to coat the bowl nicely before loading it to the top. But I have also just loaded a nearly full bowl from the get-go without ill effects too. I smoke a new pipe 2 or 3 times a day; and although this sounds like I push them a bit, I've never had any ill effects. I guess a new pipe can take on more work.
After each smoke I usually ream the bowl by stuffing a paper towel in it and twisting. IMO this eventually creates a very hard, thin crust of carbon; but one that develops very slowly. I don't go overboard in cleaning the shank because I think the wood of the shank should be given some time to become exposed to, and seasoned by the juices developed during the smoking. I'll only wash the shank with alcohol when the flavor starts to go bad.
This is probably one area that is thought out too much, since everybody has a different method, yet every method seems to work well for the individual doing it. I never heard anyone claim that they ruined a pipe by improperly breaking it in. :lol:

 

[cortezattic]

Some pipes (many of my Petersons, for example) can take freakin 4EVA to break-in

:lol: I'm so anal, (bless my soul). I have actually kept tick-marks to track the number of bowls I have smoked during the break in. I have a L'Anatra billiard that took over 100 smokes before it "came into season"!! I stopped counting after 100, but some weeks later that pipe suddenly blossomed (and it was worth the wait!)

 

[timely]

I just fill them up and smoke them, some more carefully then others.

I know, my bad!!.

 

[sparrowhawk]

Let me return for a moment about the heat problem: does breaking in clear up the problem, or is the briar already cured enough that the heat generated is what should be expected regardless of development of cake?

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

I'm not a big believer in "breaking in" pipes just as I'm not a big believer in resting pipes either. Some of my pipes I've just loaded up straight away and smoked them, but at a slower pace. On a couple of my pipes I've loaded up half bowls and smoked about 2-3 half bowls before completely filling the pipe.

 

[sfsteves]

two thoughts ... one, I agree with what Cortez has had to say ... two, if the carbon cake builds up to an excess degree, your pipe will smoke hotter than it should and the excess cake will need to be reamed out ... but, by following the advise given by Cortez, I don't think you'll build an excess cake too readily ...

 

[allan]

I've found that pipes with thicker walls ( e.g. Rad Davis') smoke cooler easier than ones with thin walls ( e.g. dunhill )
As far as break in period, the makers I have spoken with tend to lean to full load on the pipe, keep out of windy conditions, smoke slowly during the initial period. No need to partial fill.

 

[waxmojo]

If you want to break in a pipe, smoke the pipe. Third bowl, half bowl, full bowl makes no difference just smoke it. I am not a believer in wiping the inside of the bowl after every smoke on a new pipe. I wait until there is a build up after maybe a half dozen times or so, then ream it out with a paper towel. I want cake to start to form. My cake does end up hard and even.

 

[cmdrmcbragg]

I have a few new pipes (two Petersons and one Savinelli) I have yet to break in, two of which have gone unsmoked (a Pete and the Sav). I hate breaking in a new pipe, one of my least favorite activities when I have a rotation of pipes that are well and broken in. Despite having new, unused additions, I can't put down the ones that are seasoned vets. I did use my Peterson Killarney yesterday during the Broncos game, the only new pipe I have that is being used actively since I gave up on it being an English blend pipe.

 

[cigrmaster]

Here is the proper way to break in a pipe. Coat the bowl with Welch's grape jelly, load it to the top with any OTC that has lots of casings, and then smoke it as hard and hot as you can. If the pipe does not burn out, then it is a keeper, if it does, send it back.
I have always broken in my new pipes by loading them to the top and smoking slowly making sure the bowl does not get too hot. I will then let it rest 1 day and continue this process for 3-4 weeks and by the end of that time, most times my pipe is broken in. I do smoke only Va flakes so they tend to build a nice hard cake fairly quickly.

 

[pitchfork]

I'm with Harris. Just load'em and smoke'em, albeit carefully at first.
The only pipes I've ever needed to "break in" were ones with funky smells - either from the stain or the bowl coating. In those cases, all that really happened was the smelly stuff was smoked away.

 

[instymp]

I load em & smoke em. But... if a cake is inside a pipe of one maker and cakes is inside another maker's, if walls & draw are the same, won't they taste & smoke the same?

Isn't it tobacco in cake, regardless of who built it? As far as taste & not feel to the hand?

 

[drwatson]

I kinda just load and smoke too! But have a strange habit of finding a really goopy tobacco for the first few smokes. For some reason it seems to make my cake building go better. Maybe its like some do honey or syrup?