Briar Carbonization vs Cake Formation

[dog_park_piper]

I’ve seen estate pipes listed with the description “minor bowl carbonization” and I’ve seen some that look like the briar in the bowl has gotten a little worn down.

I get the process of cake formation. But if a chamber gets a nice coat of cake, how does the briar beneath it wear down? Does this happen only when someone smoke too hot ?

Thanks

 

[proteus]

I believe the cake toward the top is thin so the briar is less protected there and at the rim from lighting and from the cherry. There is also the possibility that the cake toward the bottom had a hole in it allowing heat through to cause a burnout.

 

[xrundog]

You’re essentially right. Lots of hot smoking can burn off some material resulting in a misshapened chamber when the cake is stripped. It can be belled at the bottom, the middle, or in odd spots. I guess it has to do with density variation in the wood. And it might not even look very burnt.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Some oddities could be cause by over reaming. Smoking, building some cake, and then poor reaming again, etc.

 

[sablebrush52]

I'm not sure what the seller is referring to as minor carbonization". Is it discoloration or burnt wood?
Most often, loss of wood at the top is caused by over reaming, clumsy use of a knife, or applying flame when the bowl is at an angle. Burnouts can be caused by defects in the wood, smoking too hot, which creates cracks in the wood at the bottom of the chamber, or stupidly trying to burn every last shred of tobacco. It can also be caused by building up a shitty soft cake. A thin hard carbon layer will protect the wood, combined with slow cool smoking technique.

 

[PipeIT]

SPC always lists this on smoked Estates, and I’ve always assumed, it’s simply describing the amount of carbon/cake inside the chamber, not referring to damage.

Here’s an Eltang listed as ‘Mild Chamber Carbonizing’. I assumed that meant the chamber has a mild buildup of carbon, otherwise the listing would mention damage.

Danish Estate Tom Eltang

I’m not sure what your title means, because cake is the formation of carbon.

When you mentioned worn down pipes, it helps to be more specific as to where this wear is you’ve noticed.

Briar is pretty much impervious to fire, when it’s been properly processed/cured. So if it’s a good grade of wood, good dimensions, meaning not overly thin walled, it shouldn’t be wearing down.

A 1mm carbon layer is all that’s needed inside the chamber. Before the carbon layer is formed on a new uncoated pipe, if smoked to hot, could form small hair line cracks. A thin carbon layer helps protect against cracks and possible burn outs, if smoked to hot.

The carbon layer also create insulation for a cooler smoke.

With a nice, evenly formed 1mm layer throughout the chamber, the briar should not be getting worn out, using good briar and craftsmanship.

As mentioned before, if this is up around the rim, if the briar was thin in this area to begin with, the most likely culprit is bad reaming.

And, you don’t need a reamer, if you always wipe the chamber out, with like a paper towel, when starting out with a new pipe, and maintaining it this way, throughout the life.