I should develop a better system. I buy a pouch of Carter Hall or Prince Albert and run the whole thing through it. It's more of a ceremonial thing at this point, like bringing the fancy new pipe down to its roots.
How I Break In A New Pipe
- Thread starter bent1
- Start date
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
Site Sponsors
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
I don't ritualise the breaking in process, I just pack it and smoke it 
You need to writ a howto on the subject, such wisdom needs to be shared.
Black powder in a pipe could be fun thing to watch
Video please!
I break em in like I break in my cars and trucks, full speed ahead, damn the torpedos!
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.
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.
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.
Maybe that's why MM discontinued their Hardwood Pipes line? ? They were all varnished inside and out. First bowls did taste like paint.
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”.
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.
So, you were the guy who answered the hotline phone with "Suicide hotline; please hold".
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.
Yeah. I'm retrospect, "Don't Fear The Reaper" by Blue Öyster Cult probably wasn't the best hold music...
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 ☺
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.