The only break in to a cob is to coat the bowl so it taste of only the tobacco. You don't beed to build up carbon. I scrub the side of mine with a pipe cleaner pretty aggressive to push it back.
Hello Pipers! Just like myself, and for those that wondered about the shank at the bottom of the bowl you might see in a Missouri Meerschaum, they explained it to me, because I know some people like to burn it out over time. ——————————— We assemble our pipes so the spoon on the shank goes all...