I have several Morta pipes that I’ve had for number of years. Other than the look of the material, which I think is quite appealing, I don’t think they offer a distinct advantage over a briar pipe in performance.
First of all, not taking time to break it in is a mistake as far as I’m concerned. It’s hardwood, and it will burn and char if you smoke it as if it was made of clay or meerschaum. Wetting the inside of the bowl lightly before smoking the first several times will help to keep it from charring. And smoking gently until a thin layer of cake builds is a good practice. Wiping the inside of the bowl after it cools is a good practice; however it’s not necessary to remove every last bit of cake. It will help insulate the wall of the bowl, which will get hotter than a briar because of the inclusion of mineral sediments.
As for smoking multiple bowls back to back, without worrying about moisture, I let my pipes cool and dry out somewhat just as I would a briar.
Morta is an organic material. While it has some mineralization, it is not indestructible.
Incidentally, hardwoods tend to grow at an accelerated rate compared to briar, and tend to have a number of hidden soft spots. These soft spots tend to burn through if the temperature is pushed in bowl of a pipe.
Just relating some personal experience, I’m not a PhD in Botany, or the science of Wood...
) but am not likely to seek another.