Do pipes need to be “Broken In”?

[bulletsnbriars]

Friends of the leaf;

Happy to be back after a 10 year hiatus. Still see some familiar names and faces in my past few days lurking- it’s truly nice to see you all again and be amoung you. I fell down the Cigar rabbit hole for a long time; but truly I only left pipes because I never felt I had time for them.

I was decluttering around the house when I found the box that’s mostly been untouched in 10 years with my pipes and some jarred blends. I figured it was time to get back into it and instantly wondered why I left. I’m hooked again.

Amoung my pipe collection are several new and unsmoked pieces- it seems really silly now in hindsight; but I’d bought some beautiful pipes and was afraid to smoke them. I felt like I’d mess them up and I should wait until I was a better pipesmoker. After all this time however; I realize there is no glory in an unsmoked pipe.

I have two trusty Petersons that are my go-to puffers and I’ve been rotating them over the past week to get myself back into the rhythm of pipin’. After I felt I had recovered my faculties to my satisfaction; I broke out my prettiest and probably most expensive pipe that had gone unsmoked; a beautiful GBD Diplomat. I loaded it up with a 10 year aged Gawith Scottish Autumn Flake and prepared for a wonderful session- and-

It was awful. Couldn’t get much flavor. I got gurgle despite taking it slow and this blend being straight virginia with no casing. Couldn’t keep it lit. It was really a bummer.

There’s a lot of factors here, obviously, including me still knocking the rust out and getting back in the game- but even before my hiatus, it had been a long time since I smoked a brand new pipe.

I’ve heard some folk swear by several bowls of uncomplicated, non ghosting burley, like Prince Albert, Carter Hall, or even Pegasus to “break in” a pipe before moving on. Is that common practice? Does a pipe need to be broken in? Develop some cake before it’s good to go?

I’m also wondering if the Flake has simply aged too long. I thought Virginias aged like wine but all I got for flavor was lemon rind or ash with almost nothing in between. There was a literal minute of beautiful virginia sweetness; but then the pipe went out again and I couldn’t get it back.

Thoughts? Opinions? Critiques? Banana bread recipes?

 

[didimauw]

I dont enjoy a pipe untill about atleast 12 bowls in. That goes for cobs, meers and briars.

 

[bulletsnbriars]

I dont enjoy a pipe untill about atleast 12 bowls in. That goes for cobs, meers and briars.

Do you tend to run something cheap in the mean time? Do you think is has something to do with the coatings on the bowl that need some heat and smoke run through them to get the flavor out?

 

[FLDRD]

It might take some time to re-develop your palate for the pipe. I wouldn't expect immediate discernment.
Personally, I seem to need to break in my palate to a blend more than I need to break in a pipe.

 

[dottlejockey]

For many years i would do 10 or so bowls of burley ribbon or well rubbed flake to "break in" new pipes. Anymore i just try each pipe with several genres that i enjoy until something clicks and then usually, especially if it's briar, it gets dedicated to said genre. I'd try something else you enjoy in that pipe and rinse and repeat until it works...in the meantime you'll be getting your pipe cadence and related skills on par again and all should be back to rainbows and unicorns in no time.

 

[Sig]

Yes, breaking in a pipe for best flavor is a thing in my experience.
Breaking in a pipe under specific rules as as to not damage the pipe, not so much.
I usually start a pipe on uncomplicated Burley and Virginia blends just to see if that's what the pipe likes. If after a dozen or so bowls im not liking the taste, the pipe becomes a Latakia blend pipe.
Hasn't failed me yet.
In my experience its much more difficult to find a good Virginia pipe than it is a good Latakia pipe.

 

[didimauw]

Do you tend to run something cheap in the mean time? Do you think is has something to do with the coatings on the bowl that need some heat and smoke run through them to get the flavor out?

Nah. I just smoke whatever I'm in the mood for.

 

[andrew]

Yes I'd say breaking in pipes is a thing, I've even gotten instructions with a pipe before on how to break it in

 

[bulletsnbriars]

Thank you for all the feedback gents- exactly what I was looking for. Will probably run a couple of bowls of burley through the GBD to get used to her and try the flake in one I trust already and see if that makes her happier.

I think I’m going to steal the Sig dedication method going forward- it’s a shame my local hardware store no longer sells the Dr. Grabow Pre Smoking Machine.

 

[WerewolfOfLondon]

I give em ten bowls. If after that they are not behaving, I condemn them to back of the cupboard exile. But even the most badly behaved pipe smokes better on the tenth smoke than the first. Breaking in is an absolute necessity.

 

[SmokingInTheWind]

Do you tend to run something cheap in the mean time? Do you think is has something to do with the coatings on the bowl that need some heat and smoke run through them to get the flavor out?

I have only had one pipe with a bowl coating and it tasted really bad for quite a few smokes. I switched to inexpensive D&R Two Timer burley in it until it started tasting good. I think it was about 10 bowls before it settled down.

 

[dublinpiper90]

I dont enjoy a pipe untill about atleast 12 bowls in. That goes for cobs, meers and briars.

I Agree, I just finished up a bowl in my well smoked Peterson 221 and I was thinking dang this is a smoker compared to some of my new pipes that probably have had at least a dozen bowls minimum

 

[warren]

If you think so...Then, yes.

I've had a few pipes which needed a couple of bowls before I got a satisfying smoke.

 

[irishearl]

Nope. Just stuff them with what you like and let er rip.

 

[rotate]

Break them in regardless of if new and unsmoked or an estate/under used pipe that may or may not have been smoked in the last half century or so. It's briar possibly or an alternative and a natural product deserving of the smokers respect.

 

[folkleaf]

Probably depends on your taste buds... I've never seen the need to break in a briar. Tastes great from the get-go. Cobs, though, have a sour taste to me at the beginning. After maybe 10 smokes they're good to go.

 

[Eireprof]

I load and smoke. Then I clean the bowl out well when I’m done. Rinse, repeat.

 

[judcole]

When I get a new pipe, I follow a practice suggested in this forum many years ago.
I smoke one bowl a day, of an uncomplicated blend that I know well, every day for two weeks. This allows me time to get to know the pipe. I of course run cleaners through it, and wipe out the bowl with a paper towel, just as I would with any other pipe. I then place it on the rack and let it sit for a good period of time.
Using a blend I know well removes the variables. If something is "off", i know that it is the pipe, not the tobacco. I use things like Prince Al, Lane Ready Rubbed, and so on.
I have used this on a number of pipes, and find that it works well.
YMMV.

 

[pappymac]

I view the notion that you have to spend weeks breaking in a pipe to be about the same as the myth that you have to spend the equivalent of two months salary when buying an engagement/wedding ring (spoiler: You don't.)

When I buy a new pipe, I just load it and smoke it. Have I have some which "smoke better" after a few smokes? Yes.
Do I have pipes that have smoked great from the first load? Again, Yes!

The question is how do you define "smoke better"?

 

[Christos D. Tsatsaronis]

I load and smoke. Then I clean the bowl out well when I’m done. Rinse, repeat.

+1