Clay pipes and bitter cold weather

[winton]

Now that it is single digits in Chicagoland, should I avoid my clay pipes until it is warmer? Any danger of them cracking?
If I carried it indoors at my next pipe club meeting, should it be OK if I waited 30 minutes for it to warm up?

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

I have to imagine that in 1777 while encamped at Valley Forge in terrible cold, many of George Washington's soldiers enjoyed a pipe or two to help ease what had to be great discomfort. But that is just a guess as I have no experience with my clay in extreme cold or extreme fluctuations of temperature. My clay stays inside, nice and cozy.

 

[ophiuchus]

Well, I was about to post some bullshit about the wide gradient of quality of clay pipes ... probably inapplicable. I can't imagine any smokable pipe cracking apart after warming up for a few minutes, unless was really cheap and/or damaged already.

 

[jpmcwjr]

The only thing I wouldn't do is light up a clay or meer that was very cold, as in being outdoors for a few hours then lighting a pipe that's been in an outer pocket. Going inside and hand warming it for five or ten minutes should do the trick.

 

[blueeyedogre]

I load mine up inside when warm and smoke it outside in -30. So long as it doesn't get overly cold I'll relight it after it's been sitting in my truck for a bit with no issues.

 

[fitzy]

How do you get past that weird taste/feeling of clay pipes? I've got one and never smoke it.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Rub beeswax around the mouthpiece.

 

[blueeyedogre]

I put some shrink tubing around the mouth piece.

 

[fitzy]

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[lestrout]

Yo fit
Another approach to making the stem less sticky to the lips is coating the end with fingernail polish or fly tying lacquer.
hp

les

 

[jndyer]

I am thinking I need to get a clay pipe after the Christmas season. I at least am intrigued by the theory of a clay pipe.

 

[bluegrassbrian]

I've never seriously considered buying a clay, though the idea of having a neutral tobacco tester pipe is attractive. I don't care for the look of many meers either. The closest I've come is a Meer-lined briar.