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MrWillow11

Lurker
Jan 30, 2024
21
78
Hey I was just smoking some kbv uzumaki and it was I believe way more moist than I realized and my pipe got really hot about halfway through the bowl . I see her down and let her cool for almost an hour and just finished as I was wiping the bowl I saw this !! Does anyone know if this is a crack ? Or maybe (hopefully) cake forming oddly?? I’m relatively new and this is bowl 8-10 out of this pipe I just got about a week ago😢 it’s becoming my favorite so far and my go too regular smoker.
 

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MrWillow11

Lurker
Jan 30, 2024
21
78
I’m thinking a crack 😢😢 just got this in and it definitely hangs up on it …. Any thoughts?
 

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MrWillow11

Lurker
Jan 30, 2024
21
78
No idea. Looks like cake that got pretty hot, but you tell us. What does the outside of the bowl look like? I've had pipes that looked like that and it wasn't anything. Take it down to bare wood if you're curious.
Outside looks completely fine I might just be paranoid lol I hope/ will call it cake that got hot lol and continue if it’s a real problem I’m sure it’ll let itself be known eventually! Thanks for the reply
 
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MrWillow11

Lurker
Jan 30, 2024
21
78
cake but not yummy cake. Burnout smells horrible and tastes worse. Only had it one time with a cheap souvenir pipe.
Ok thanks for the reply 🙏🏻 should I take it down back to the briar? Or you think just keep smoking and it’ll fill in units own? Again sorry if it’s a stupid question
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
16,660
31,229
46
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
Ok thanks for the reply 🙏🏻 should I take it down back to the briar? Or you think just keep smoking and it’ll fill in units own? Again sorry if it’s a stupid question
I would ream it because when cake is cracked and soft it falls off in chunks and the uneven cake can get more dramatically uneven after many many smokes. Personally if I see something like that I see if I can break it with a finger nail easily. If I can I chip off as much as will easily go and then ream down to the harder cake underneath. But if you let it go I doubt it will cause any issues. Pipes are funny a lot of the "rules" equal an abundance of caution. While other "rules" will improve your smoking experience.
 
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Briar Lee

Lifer
Sep 4, 2021
4,960
14,330
Humansville Missouri
It seldom happens, but in 12 smokes this Marxman that cost ten dollars and was the most expensive factory pipe in the world in 1934-6 had a hot spot and cracked cake in six smokes.

IMG_7284.jpeg

I reamed it and six smokes later it’s fine, no problems.

I can’t explain why, but sometimes they do that.

I’ve only burned one pipe out, and you’ll know it, I promise, if one doesn’t stop burning.:)
 

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
26,253
30,252
Carmel Valley, CA
It seldom happens, but in 12 smokes this Marxman that cost ten dollars and was the most expensive factory pipe in the world in 1934-6 had a hot spot and cracked cake in six smokes.

View attachment 292634

I reamed it and six smokes later it’s fine, no problems.

I can’t explain why, but sometimes they do that.

I’ve only burned one pipe out, and you’ll know it, I promise, if one doesn’t stop burning.:)
I've asked you to please never again post photos of that small pile of excrement.
 

Briar Lee

Lifer
Sep 4, 2021
4,960
14,330
Humansville Missouri
With the other gents about getting to the bottom of the mystery via reaming/sanding. Seems like a lot of cake for just 8-10 bowls.

That ugly Marxman caked quicker than any pipe I remember, bar none.

I was smoking Carter Hall and other codger blends.

It got so hot on one side I worried about it, and there was a big, cracked, nasty looking spot there, that all reamed out and under it was bare briar again.

Six smokes later it’s good.

I had an expensive hand made custom burn a hole once, in a hot spot.

That smelled like the house was on fire.:)

My best guess why a few pipes do that is improper curing, or maybe by bad luck the briar doesn’t cure there in one spot.

Usually the heat cures it out, sonetimes it burns through.
 

OzPiper

Lifer
Nov 30, 2020
6,743
36,383
72
Sydney, Australia
Burnout smells horrible and tastes worse.
Only had that happen with 1 pipe.
The “burning wood“ smell as distinct from “burning tobacco” was the alert
THe only way to tell if it's burnout is to ream (sand) it back to bare briar. If it is burnout it can be fixed with waterglass/carbon by a competent repairman.
^^^^^ This is good advice
I fixed my pipe with a couple layers of cigar ash and water mud.
And left to dry for a couple of weeks
Absolutely no problems since
 
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Briar Lee

Lifer
Sep 4, 2021
4,960
14,330
Humansville Missouri
He’s obviously besotted with it
Like objects of desire, can’t or unwilling to keep his hands or lips off it for long rotf

It has the worst oxidized stem I can remember.

Once or twice a day I’ll rub the stem with 4/0 steel wool and smoke it.

At the same time, I take a flame from a butane lighter to the tenon.

I’ve got the stem black again and the stem mates with the shank perfectly now.

When I’m done loving on it nobody will know what an ugly life it led for about 90 years.:)

And for whatever cause the temporary hot spot is at the same spot it’s coloring fastest on the outside.

Never judge a pipe until it’s smoked a dozen times, is my rule.
 
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OzPiper

Lifer
Nov 30, 2020
6,743
36,383
72
Sydney, Australia
It has the worst oxidized stem I can remember.

Once or twice a day I’ll rub the stem with 4/0 steel wool and smoke it.

At the same time, I take a flame from a butane lighter to the tenon.

I’ve got the stem black again and the stem mates with the shank perfectly now.

When I’m done loving on it nobody will know what an ugly life it led for about 90 years.:)
@Briar Lee

I’m pleased you are doing your Christian duty and showing love for those ugly as sin pieces of wood

Otherwise most would be just binned
 

Hillcrest

Lifer
Dec 3, 2021
3,691
18,860
Connecticut, USA
@MrWillow11

Looks to me like the cake got hot and started to flake out. Sand it down or ream it. A burn out usually causes a hot spot and discoloration on the outside of the pipe as well as inside. I have several pipes I smoked to hot and caused the cake to flake like that. Sand it or ream it until smooth. Slow down your drawing cadence when smoking. Sip like fine wine don't guzzle. Pack a little lighter too.

Read this thread:

 
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Briar Lee

Lifer
Sep 4, 2021
4,960
14,330
Humansville Missouri
@Briar Lee

I’m pleased you are doing your Christian duty and showing love for those ugly as sin pieces of wood

Otherwise most would be just binned

It’s not all altruism or obsession.

A “C” size is not rare, but it’s scarce.

Marx sold pipes at $2.50, $3.50, $5, $7,50, $10, $15 and the top dog $25 400.

The overwhelming majority of those I see for sale are $5 or $15 size.

Marx made beautiful, polished conventional Super Grain pipes at $5-$7.50-$10 and those are sort of, kinda scarce.

I have two other “C” stamped pipes, both later pipes, one is I think a 400 attempt.

This early one is as big as a smaller $15 “Big Boy” and his pipe makers hadn’t learned their trade yet.

If ever there’s a collector market this “C” is going to be collectible.