Defective General Cob

[SunriseBoy]

Gents, I was wondering if someone could give me some direction with this defective General cob. It is starting to split horizontally around the bowl.
It has only been smoked about ten times. Gets a rest in between smokes.
I emailed Marilyn at MM, and she said it's probably because I'm smoking moist leaf.
None of my other generals have ever done this.
I'll probably simply have to buy another couple of them because this one has deteriorated even further since I took the photo some ten days ago.

Please advise.

 

[verporchting]

I’m surprised MM didn’t just replace it, they have a good reputation for taking care of such things.

In the event they don’t I guess you could just buy another one. Meh, out of the thousands and millions of them made I suppose a defective one every now and then is inevitable. At least it wasn’t an expensive high dollar pipe!!! I wouldn’t invest too much of your energy into fretting over it.

 

[anotherbob]

Honestly had a cob do this and despite all logic it keeps going just fine. It's been doing that for over a year.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Cobs will swell as they are smoked and will sometimes bust the plaster as they do. It's why when I still smoked them I preferred the natural cobs. Fill the cracks with Elmer's glue and it'll be right as rain as the pipe itself isn't cracked, it's just the filler.

 

[spicy_boiii]

I use beeswax and melt it into the voids with a lighter.

As has already been said, there is plaster on smooth cobs which can be sensitive to moisture/humidity.

I've experienced your same issue over time. Smoking also fills in any cracks as they form.

 

[SunriseBoy]

Thanks for that gents. Yeah, on looking at it again it is probably only the plaster cracking. And I'm not losing sleep over it, it is just that I couldn't figure it out.
It was bought from Smokingpipes, they refunded the purchase price.
And I'll take it on notice that it will keep smoking OK, and will gump up some kind of filler for it. Probably some PVA glue.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Thanks for that gents. Yeah, on looking at it again it is probably only the plaster cracking. And I'm not losing sleep over it, it is just that I couldn't figure it out.
It was bought from Smokingpipes, they refunded the purchase price.
And I'll take it on notice that it will keep smoking OK, and will gump up some kind of filler for it. Probably some PVA glue.

Elmer's clear school glue goes on invisibly and colors with the pipe as it ages.

 

[SunriseBoy]

Thanks for that. I'll give it a go.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Thanks for that. I'll give it a go.

Very welcome. ?

 

[SmokeClouds]

I second the Elmer’s glue recommendation. Hav a cob that developed a crack and I just filled it with glue. Pipe still going strong.

 

[FALaholic]

Had a MM Mark Twain that developed a crack a little more substantial than that. I figured it was because I left it on our covered porch (no sun or rain hit it), but figured the humidity did it in. I pitched it.

I did have a Cobbit that had a stem hole that was drilled way off which I could live with if the stem would have stayed in. Literally would fall out if turned 90 degrees towards the deck. I sent it back to MM and it came back from them same way I sent it. I thought I would get a replacement, but ended up fixing it myself.