Cob Drilled to deep

[Grimlineman]

I ordered a new pipe from Missouri meerschaum and it came in today and to my disappointment I think it may be flawed, it’s drilled too deep. I wanted one with the acrylic bit as I’m new to the hobby and previously had bought two cheaper pipes from them with the plastic bits which I have enjoyed but decided to try a Cobbler out. The hole is drilled into the hard wood bottom past the stem pretty deep.The other two pipes I have the stems sit flush on the bottom.

Being new to the hobby I don’t know how big of an issue this is or if it’s worth trying to fix it myself or return it to them. If I smoke it as is a pinch of tobacco would be wasted each time sitting below the stem on the bottom.

I have 1/2 a mind to stick the new acrylic stem in my Legend (it fits) which I like any ways and just cut my losses with the Cobbler bowl.

What is your advice? Thanks!

 

[FLDRD]

I think with a little bit of time, that area will fill up with ash that becomes rather "caked" in, and it shouldn't be a big deal. I've got a little extra space around a couple of mine but they work just fine. I like my Charles Towne Cobbler, but I enjoy my old basic with the soft plastic stem as well.
Use the stem in both if you like but I really don't see any "loss" here.
Cheers

 

[bullet08]

Picture would help.

 

[Grimlineman]

 

[Grimlineman]

It’s hard to get a sense of how deep it is from the photo that’s the best I could get but it’s probably 1/4 to 3/8s an inch or more past the stem going down

If that will fill in that’s great but I don’t know how bad that is.

 

[OzPiper]

For a quick fix

Just fill it up with pipe mud
- cigar ash and water or sieved pipe ash (to remove unburnt tobacco) and water

 

[FLDRD]

If you're impatient you can make some "pipe mud" from ash and moisture...

 

[ThermionicScott]

If the "spoon" (technical term for the portion of the stem inside a cob's chamber) is resting at the bottom of that "well" caused by the deep drilling, I would rejoice! Your pipe has a better start to a rounded bottom than most cobs, and you should have a slightly deeper-than-spec chamber as a result. I bet it'll smoke great.

 

[Bbailey324]

Looking at three I have close at hand it seems that is in the normal distribution. One looks about identical with the other two some less extreme variation. Stem is at the bottom and it looks good to me.

 

[Grimlineman]

If the "spoon" (technical term for the portion of the stem inside a cob's chamber) is resting at the bottom of that "well" caused by the deep drilling, I would rejoice! Your pipe has a better start to a rounded bottom than most cobs, and you should have a slightly deeper-than-spec chamber as a result. I bet it'll smoke great.

No it’s not touching the bottom unfortunately. It is barely past the hard wood and there is the gap/hole bellow it. Unless you mean the original cob bottom not the drilled hole bottom? Then it is I guess.

Sounds like it’s not that big of a deal though I’ll just be careful not to scrape the bottom of the bowl out and and smoke it
Thanks all.

 

[ThermionicScott]

Some see the air space around and below the spoon on most cobs as a feature, helping to give excess moisture a place to go. I'm somewhere in between, and usually end up using mud or allowing crud to build up in the gaps so that it will eventually resemble a regular pipe.

 

[VDL_Piper]

She’s right mate, lay your ears back and smoke the hell out of it.

 

[Lumbridge]

A gap below the part of the stem that protrudes into the bowl doesn't matter. As you smoke it, it will gradually fill itself in with semi-petrified ash and dottle. If it really bothers you, it could be filled in with pipe mud or plaster of paris.

That pipe is drilled way off-center, though. If the stem is a little off-center in the bowl, it isn't a big deal and will still smoke fine, but the pipe won't smoke right if it's too far off. If I got one as far off as yours is, I'd send it back. I've noticed that the drilling has gotten somewhat sloppy in the past couple of years, as I've gotten several cobs and hardwoods with stems driven into the side edge of the chamber like this one. None of my older ones are like that. I hope MM will iron out these issues.

 

[Lumbridge]

I’ll just be careful not to scrape the bottom of the bowl out

That one has a hardwood plug, so you don't have to worry about damaging the bottom of the chamber.

 

[Grimlineman]

I put a little pipe mud in the bottom last night and just gave it it’s first smoke

I enjoyed it thanks all for the advice!