How I Break In A New Pipe

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whsergent

Can't Leave
Jan 8, 2020
385
1,295
I put an M80 in the middle of the bowl, sprinkle in tobacco all around till the bowl is filled, light it and step back. Boom. Instant break in, instant cake. Once you get the pipe off the roof, 9 times out of 10, a perfect smoker.
You need to writ a howto on the subject, such wisdom needs to be shared.
 
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Reactions: hoosierpipeguy
Jan 28, 2018
12,952
134,596
66
Sarasota, FL
Unless you smoke like a freight train, good briar isn't going to burn out from smoking tobacco in it. If there is a sand pit lurking under the surface, I'd rather find it right away and have the pipe replaced. If you dry your tobacco a reasonable amount and have decent smoking technique, I see no issue smoking to the bottom of the bowl either and building that thin layer of cake there.
 

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,565
27,067
Carmel Valley, CA
Sometimes I'll do the partial bowls, sometimes not.

But two points:

Anyone applying lacquer to the chamber should be drawn and quartered. I've never seen such, and hope I never do.

Alcohol can remove some of the silicates in the briar, which damages the briar. Not instantly, but over time. I haven't used alcohol in the chamber for several years now. I'd use it only if other less destructive methods didn't do the trick, both for breaking in and cleaning.
 

augiebd

Lifer
Jul 6, 2019
1,266
2,563
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
I still don't understand this idea that a pipe has a range of "breaking in" and after that it is static. A pipe is always in flux. Sure, there is the inaugural smoke, but after that, it is just a pipe, getting closer to needing to be cleaned after each smoke.
I agree with this way of thinking and don’t give “breaking in” much of a thought. I do see how your process works effectively to identify how specific blends, pipes and your technique make a good combination. It has its advantages for you, I say keep doing it. For me, the less I think about the variables and the simpler I make things, the better my results. At this point in the journey, I don’t dedicate pipes to types of blends or change the way I smoke during “break in”.
 

hauntedmyst

Lifer
Feb 1, 2010
4,006
20,750
Chicago
You need to writ a howto on the subject, such wisdom needs to be shared.

I ask Kevin for a monthly column but he said some of my methods fall outside of PM's insurance liability coverage range. Disappointing but I understand. PM can't be responsible natural selections misfits just because we live in litigious society. I learned that the hard way when I worked for a suicide hotline and was tasked with setting up the 800 number. It accidentally spelled out 1-800- JUMPNOW if you looked at the numbers just right. I guess I should have checked that. I don't work there anymore.
 

lochinvar

Lifer
Oct 22, 2013
1,687
1,632
I don't have any special technique like half bowls, dunking in water, etc., but I usually follow the progression of different tobacco types like to see what smokes well. I don't start with burleys as I don't smoke burley all that much. I will start with some innocuous Virginia flake, something like Dunhill Flake. Then on to VA/Pers, VA/Orientals, mild English mixtures and Balkans. If none of those stand out, I move to Lakelands and other aromatics. If none of those work, I find someone I hate and give them that pipe.
 
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TinCup

Can't Leave
Nov 14, 2019
341
969
Indian Ocean
Admittedly I have a limited range of pipes and tobaccos but after taking a quick look, none of the packaging contained any 'instructions for use' either as part of a ‘breaking in’ process or for on-going use, so like others I’ve usually just gone with my gut and packed some tobacco in the big hole and fired it up ☺
 

subsalac

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jan 9, 2018
277
1,124
I had the unpleasant experience of smoking a varnished bowl once... never again. I share your desire to strip that stuff. Stained bowls also bug the hell out of me, which I think is something that only benefits the pipe maker-- there is zero functional reason to stain the inside of briar for smoking other than to save time and energy. In fairness, I can sympathize with the maker here, in that huge productions of pipes can't be individually carefully stained only on the outside-- I'm realistic. Just don't expect me to smoke that crap.