Just Bought My First Briar

[hymnchimney]

It's new/unsmoked. My first pipe was a Missouri Meerschaum, which being a $6 pipe, I am not to concerned about having possibly ruined, but since I actually spent money on this one, I want to make sure I break it in well and don't do some sort of irreversible damage on it. Also, should I save my aromatics and cased tobaccos for my Meerschaum and leave my briar for the more traditional blends, or is it likely to not make a difference? I've only been piping about 2 months now and would like to be sure I don't inadvertently ruin a pipe.

 

[olkofri]

Pics? Brand? Shape?

Just pack it and smoke it. Don't fret about silliness like building a cake, ghosting, or anything of the sort. As long as you clean it after your smokes (just make sure it's cooled), and are gentle when taking off the mouthpiece for said cleaning, you're unlikely to break anything.

Nothing mystical about it. Just smoke it. Smoke whatever you want: aros, Englishes, VAs, and even Lakelands. If you only have two pipes you're not in a position to be 'dedicating' pipes to anything. Just enjoy it.

 

[hymnchimney]

Pics? Brand? Shape?

Just pack it and smoke it. Don't fret about silliness like building a cake, ghosting, or anything of the sort. As long as you clean it after your smokes (just make sure it's cooled), and are gentle when taking off the mouthpiece for said cleaning, you're unlikely to break anything.

Nothing mystical about it. Just smoke it. Smoke whatever you want: aros, Englishes, VAs, and even Lakelands. If you only have two pipes you're not in a position to be 'dedicating' pipes to anything. Just enjoy it.

It's a Kaywoodie Birkshire, bent apple. I've just ordered it, so I'm still waiting for it to arrive. I'll be sure to post some pictures of it as soon as it gets here, though.

Thanks for the advice! I've been told conflicting things about it, so I actually haven't been too sure about what sorts of precautions are necessary and what aren't.

 

[olkofri]

I hear you. When I started out I heard and read all kinds of things too, some even from the manufacturers themselves. Meh. Just be gentle with it: don't forcefully scrape the inside of the chamber with the spoon from the Czech tool, wait till it's cooled down to do the cleaning so that you can remove the mouthpiece without risk of cracking the mortise, don't smoke it too hot that you risk a burn out (touch the pipe to your cheek: if your cheek can't stand it, you're smoking too hot: put the pipe down and let it cool down), and don't knock it on a hard surface to dislodge ash and/or tobacco pieces stuck to the chamber walls: use a cork knocker. Don't hold it from the stem like a club when tapping it against the knocker either.

 

[augiebd]

@olkofri has provided good advice. I would add dry your tobacco well, pack light and smoke slow. You’ll enjoy your new pipe and it will serve you a long time.

 

[magicpiper]

I hear you. When I started out I heard and read all kinds of things too, some even from the manufacturers themselves. Meh. Just be gentle with it: don't forcefully scrape the inside of the chamber with the spoon from the Czech tool, wait till it's cooled down to do the cleaning so that you can remove the mouthpiece without risk of cracking the mortise, don't smoke it too hot that you risk a burn out (touch the pipe to your cheek: if your cheek can't stand it, you're smoking too hot: put the pipe down and let it cool down), and don't knock it on a hard surface to dislodge ash and/or tobacco pieces stuck to the chamber walls: use a cork knocker. Don't hold it from the stem like a club when tapping it against the knocker either.

That's the best advice you'll find...or need.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I'd suggest not removing the stem unless the pipe gets really funky.
You can clean it as soon as you're finished with a bowl, no need to wait for cooling- unless you remove the stem.

If a forward thinker, you can dive right in to the hot water flush, but that's pretty advanced stuff for some!

Enjoy your new find!

 

[dcon]

For nostaglia sake, I will mention that, the recommended way to break in a new pipe was to fill the pipe only 1/3 full and smoke it several times. That was to be followed by smoking the pipe several times 2/3 full This, of course, was followed by smoking the full bowl. For many years I followed this method. The pipes “broke in” just fine. Somewhere along the line I decided to forego this process and just fill the pipe and smoke. I have never discerned a difference.
‘

 

[jpmcwjr]

Yep. Sometimes for the sake of nostalgia, I use 'the old method'. If I were really really very old school, I'd hire someone to break in my pipes, as was done in London and Paris a hundred years ago.

 

[danimalia]

I'm with Olkofri. I was really paranoid with my first briar. I expected it would be really easy to mess things up. Sometimes I think there's just too much information out there. My only real rule for breaking in a new pipe is to set it down for a couple of minutes if it gets too hot.. After the first couple of bowls, I just smoke it normally.

 

[olkofri]

For nostaglia sake, I will mention that, the recommended way to break in a new pipe was to fill the pipe only 1/3 full and smoke it several times. That was to be followed by smoking the pipe several times 2/3 full This, of course, was followed by smoking the full bowl. For many years I followed this method. The pipes “broke in” just fine. Somewhere along the line I decided to forego this process and just fill the pipe and smoke. I have never discerned a difference.
‘

In their Pipe Care 101 page (now gone with their site redesign—good thing), Brigham suggested this method in order to build the (in)famous cake. The reason being that if filled up to the top from the get-go the cake would be built unevenly—too thick in the top, too thin in the heel. Since I'm anti-cake, I don't bother.

 

[mso489]

Pipes tend to last a lifetime unless lost or crushed or something else overt. Go ahead and pack it and smoke it and enjoy it. Smoke the blends you find you like. Leave the anxiety behind. This is a simple pleasure. I have the first pipe I bought new at Tinder box around 1978, and it is looking and smoking just fine thank you, probably made by Chacom and stamped as a Tinder Box St. Ives. Buy your pipes carefully; they'll mostly be around a long, long time.

 

[whsergent]

Briar is pretty tough stuff. As far as the cake thing goes a lot of people think that a pipe smokes better with a thin layer of cake. Congrats on the new pipe.

 

[anotherbob]

It's new/unsmoked. My first pipe was a Missouri Meerschaum, which being a $6 pipe, I am not to concerned about having possibly ruined, but since I actually spent money on this one, I want to make sure I break it in well and don't do some sort of irreversible damage on it. Also, should I save my aromatics and cased tobaccos for my Meerschaum and leave my briar for the more traditional blends, or is it likely to not make a difference? I've only been piping about 2 months now and would like to be sure I don't inadvertently ruin a pipe.

every pipe I've seen break either was abused terribly or was defective from day one. You can't really ruin a pipe. Ghosting isn't as big a deal as people seem to think. And as long as you're not smoking like you're playing a coal fired freight train or smoking it while it's still wet with the last bowl you shouldn't have any ruining going on.

 

[maulragoth]

Congratulations! Feel for you, I read for weeks on this when in the same position, and have evolved to the following over the last couple years. I use something like 5 brothers or Chatham Manor and do the bottom, then half, and full loads. If I was going for an English dedication I'd use Presbyterian Match in the same manner. To each his own of course, and I just tend to error on overthinking.

I suspect your going to get one more briar at some point. If I had to choose, I'd go with a dedicated Virginia/Burley based, and English/Latakia based briar set. The cob for any an and all, excluding Lakeland keep a cob for that too. Then you can have a dedicated Virginia/Burley based, and English/Latakia based set. Meerschaums a fun too, and i put anything in those except any Lakeland blends, but that's taking you into another pipe

Enjoy the journey brother!
p.s. post a pic of the pipe?