Cursed Pipe Won't Smoke

[walkingpipeguy]

I had been having some success with English blends recently, so a couple weeks ago I bought a few new ones to try out. I also got a new pipe, an Old German Clay "Basic Briar" large billiard. I chose it because of it's close similarity to my favorite pipe for latakia blends, which is also a large sandblasted billiard with a nearly identically sized chamber. I wanted another one like it to have in the rotation.

Unfortunately, I haven't gotten it to smoke well even once, out of at least half a dozen attempts. It's very difficult to light, and impossible to keep lit. Once I get it going, to the extent that I have, it stays lit for a minute or two at best. I have to dump the ash almost as soon as it builds up to get it to take a light at all. The smoke seems thin and watered down. The wood flavor of the pipe predominates, not because the wood flavor is very strong, but because the tobacco flavor is weak. It almost seems like it smokes too cool, and never builds up enough of an ember. I don't think I could get it smoking too hot if I tried.

One would think that these issues would be dependent on the tobacco and/or the way it's packed, but it seems to be the pipe. Tobaccos that I enjoy in other pipes will not smoke in this one. I've tried it with Arango Balkan Supreme, Sutliff 965 match, Stokkebye Proper English, and maybe one other that I forget. All pretty dry and loosely packed. Also tried tamping it tighter in case the problem was too loose of a pack, to no avail. I've managed to smoke it close to the bottom once, but I usually end up dumping it half way because it's just terrible.

Yesterday I smoked some of the Proper English in a Dr. Grabow, and it was fine. Packed a little too tight in fact, but still enjoyable. Today, I gave it a little more drying time and packed looser, in the new pipe. Still awful. Am I going crazy, or did I get a bad pipe?

 

[BingBong]

Some pipes, like horses, need a lot of breaking in. Chances are, if you conquer it, it will become a favourite - but it might take a year.

 

[anotherbob]

it can happen and sometimes a pipe is fine but needs a different style of smoking then another. I had a pipe that did the same thing and the airway had an intrusive obstruction. It was part of a pipe cleaner some idiot got stuck in it somehow. Smokes like a dream now. To me that sounds like an obstruction of the airflow maybe...

 

[walkingpipeguy]

Some pipes, like horses, need a lot of breaking in. Chances are, if you conquer it, it will become a favourite - but it might take a year.

I hope so. My favorite pipe of similar shape and size was a well used estate find from ebay. It just occurred to me that maybe the new one is absorbing and dispersing too much heat, because it doesn't have any cake yet.

 

[walkingpipeguy]

it can happen and sometimes a pipe is fine but needs a different style of smoking then another. I had a pipe that did the same thing and the airway had an intrusive obstruction. It was part of a pipe cleaner some idiot got stuck in it somehow. Smokes like a dream now. To me that sounds like an obstruction of the airflow maybe...

It does have a relatively small draft hole.

 

[anotherbob]

It does have a relatively small draft hole.

I have one like that. It smokes amazing but it seems to get mad if you try to smoke fast. It also takes a much looser pack and is not against wet tobacco but certainly really prefers dry. It's one of my favorite pipes and I actually generally prefer the narrow draft.

 

[Brad H]

I had been having some success with English blends recently, so a couple weeks ago I bought a few new ones to try out. I also got a new pipe, an Old German Clay "Basic Briar" large billiard. I chose it because of it's close similarity to my favorite pipe for latakia blends, which is also a large sandblasted billiard with a nearly identically sized chamber. I wanted another one like it to have in the rotation.

Unfortunately, I haven't gotten it to smoke well even once, out of at least half a dozen attempts. It's very difficult to light, and impossible to keep lit. Once I get it going, to the extent that I have, it stays lit for a minute or two at best. I have to dump the ash almost as soon as it builds up to get it to take a light at all. The smoke seems thin and watered down. The wood flavor of the pipe predominates, not because the wood flavor is very strong, but because the tobacco flavor is weak. It almost seems like it smokes too cool, and never builds up enough of an ember. I don't think I could get it smoking too hot if I tried.

One would think that these issues would be dependent on the tobacco and/or the way it's packed, but it seems to be the pipe. Tobaccos that I enjoy in other pipes will not smoke in this one. I've tried it with Arango Balkan Supreme, Sutliff 965 match, Stokkebye Proper English, and maybe one other that I forget. All pretty dry and loosely packed. Also tried tamping it tighter in case the problem was too loose of a pack, to no avail. I've managed to smoke it close to the bottom once, but I usually end up dumping it half way because it's just terrible.

Yesterday I smoked some of the Proper English in a Dr. Grabow, and it was fine. Packed a little too tight in fact, but still enjoyable. Today, I gave it a little more drying time and packed looser, in the new pipe. Still awful. Am I going crazy, or did I get a bad pipe?

Will a pipe cleaner run through it easily?
I had a Peterson arrive once that wasn’t even drilled….

 

[tbradsim1]

Pipes like that need a drill bit to open it up, go for it!

 

[walkingpipeguy]

Will a pipe cleaner run through it easily?
I had a Peterson arrive once that wasn’t even drilled….

A pipe cleaner passes through easily enough, but a doubled up pipe cleaner will barely fit. Most of my pipes will fit a folded in half pipe cleaner relatively easily.

 

[Doctor Chopper]

I also will postulate that the draft hole is too small. I solved the same problem on several pipes by drilling them out, and now they smoke great.

 

[xrundog]

I would also be looking closely at the airway. Use drill bits to compare sizes with your good smoking pipe.

 

[Nonesuch]

Do you have any issues passing a pipe cleaner through the shank and into the bowl?

You could try packing the pipe halfway and smoking it from there. Increase the amount with each smoke until you're able to keep a full bowl lit.

And most importantly, with each smoke gently caress the pipe and say, "There there now, that's a good briar."

 

[anotherbob]

everyone thinks it's the hole. try loading the pipe with a pipe cleaner the whole way through. The inner chamber hole will get blocked easier if the draw is narrow.

 

[Briarcutter]

Get a pipe that smokes well for you. With both pipes empty, compare the draw. Draw on them harder than you would smoking. See how they compare. Then take out the mouthpiece on both pipes and draw again through only the mouthpiece and compare. Than you may find out at least where the trouble is.

 

[Lumbridge]

The comments about the draft hole are spot on. I have one of these briars made by Old German Clay, and the first thing I noticed when I got it is that the draw is very restricted because the draft hole is TINY. With a more restricted draw, you need to pack more loosely, and the opposite is also true. I ended up opening mine up to free up the draw some, and now it's a champ.

 

[OzPiper]

I had a Peterson arrive once that wasn’t even drilled….

Irish !

 

[LeafErikson]

For me, it would end up in the trash (or given away with the disclosure that I didn’t like it).

There are way too many great pipes I’ve smoked that required absolutely no break-in or alterations.

 

[spike]

Irish !

I know this is apostasy among our brothers on this forum, but the last Peterson I bought was 35 years ago and was poorly constructed. I cannot try them anymore.

 

[OzPiper]

I know this is apostasy among our brothers on this forum, but the last Peterson I bought was 35 years ago and was poorly constructed. I cannot try them anymore.

I love the Bulldog Shape.
And Peterson (in my opinion) makes some of the most iconic Bulldogs.
When I first started out smoking pipes in the 1970s, I had more Petersons than any other make.

Getting back to pipes a few years back the derogatory comments about Peterson quality control stopped me from adding more Petes.
Until a couple of years ago.
Laudisi have really done a great job improving quality control.

I have been more than happy with my recent Pete purchases.
Except that the bents will not pass a cleaner. Still.

 

[anotherbob]

Get a pipe that smokes well for you. With both pipes empty, compare the draw. Draw on them harder than you would smoking. See how they compare. Then take out the mouthpiece on both pipes and draw again through only the mouthpiece and compare. Than you may find out at least where the trouble is.

clever
seriously is.