Got My First Cob and Have Two Questions

[jason64]

Hi folks,
Finally I got my first cobs. These seem quite different from briar. What is that thing at the bottom of the bow? should I leave it there? Any recommendation for how to break in them?
Thanks

 

[warren]

http://corncobpipe.com
They manufacturer the pipe.

 

[ray47]

That's the shank extension extending into the bowl. Don't worry about it, it will burn away in time or you can use an exacto knife to cut it away. So far as break-in, just smoke it. I don't like to build cake in my cobs, but there are some who do. I use a 40 caliber bore brush to clean out the bowl after each use. Here a link that will help: https://pipedia.org/index.php?title=The_Complete_Corncob_primer

 

[carolinachurchwarden]

Leave it there, is my opinion. Some guys cut it out, but I think it helps establish the bottom of the bowl better. That's the inside portion of the shank that's pushed through from the outside.
To break her in, buy a pouch of Carter Hall and smoke the heck out of it! Congratulations on your first cobs.

 

[jason64]

thanks guys ::

 

[acidpox]

Another vote for leaving in it, as you continue to use use it the side around the inside shank will fill with ash and other stuff and round out the bottom as CCW said.

 

[seanv]

There is a slight break in period for cobs, some say they taste different. I have never noticed. Pack a bowl and enjoy

 

[jason64]

I had my first smoke and almost fried my tongue! its totally different from briar, loose air flow and tobacco burn hotter, I guess because of thinner walls, right?

 

[olkofri]

More likely the more open draw. What cob is it?

 

[jason64]

MM Cobbit dwarf

 

[bent1]

Haven’t had that experience, though the cobs that are varnished on the outside I smoke the first 3-4 bowls slowly as I do new briars. The un-coated cobs seem ready to go right away. Just my experience.

 

[carolinachurchwarden]

Yeah, gotta watch that open draw they have. I love it, but it's a lot quicker to get that smoke through the stem in a cob. Just go easy on her til you get her figured out.

 

[olkofri]

Oh, it's a non-filtered pipe. Yes, pack tighter and sip very gently.

 

[rdavid]

I use a 40 caliber bore brush to clean

This is one of the best ideas ever. Saw this in another post from ray47 a few weeks ago and have been doing this ever since. I use the nylon bristled ones and they work very well.

 

[jason64]

what do you mean by non filtered?? Do some of them have filter??

 

[aldecaker]

Yeah, a lot of MM's are set up to take a 6mm filter. I never use a filter with cobs, though; that open draw is perfect for me.

 

[olkofri]

MM Filtered Cobs galore
I have two that take a filter, and I always smoke them with filter, either the Medico or balsa.

 

[rdavid]

I do like the 6mm balsa filters in my cobs as they increase the draw slightly but don't change the flavor of the tobacco. Also helps with tongue bite by removing some of the moisture from the smoke.

 

[trouttimes]

I love cobs, I would leave the extra stem in the bottom to prevent burnout. They can be great smokes but I agree you should smoke them slow. Enjoy. You will get more I bet.

 

[davek]

I had my first smoke and almost fried my tongue! its totally different from briar, loose air flow and tobacco burn hotter, I guess because of thinner walls, right?

Mark Twain

"Oh, no," he answered, "I never smoke a new corn-cob pipe. A new pipe irritates the throat. No corn-cob pipe is fit for anything until it has been used at least a fortnight."
"How do you manage then?" I asked. "Do you follow the example of the man with the tight boots;--wear them a couple of weeks before they can be put on?"
"No," said Mark Twain, "I always hire a cheap man--a man who doesn't amount to much, anyhow--who would be as well--or better--dead, and let him break in the pipe for me. I get him to smoke the pipe for a couple of weeks, then put in a new stem, and continue operations as long as the pipe holds together."

http://www.twainquotes.com/interviews/Idler1892.html
I don't know about all that, but it does take a few smokes for cobs to break in. The first smoke is actually kinda nasty. On a varnished cob there is often even some varnish in there to burn off. You can alleviate this a little by sanding the inside. You can also help build up the bottom of the bowl by putting a little honey on both side of the shank that sticks out into the bottom.
Any more though, I just smoke them. I do figure that the very first smoke is going to be not so good.
Once a cob chars inside, the combination of that charring and the cob itself being absorbent is what makes it a Missouri *Meerschaum* IMO.