So I have decides to try out corn cob pipes. I bought the Country Gentleman by Missouri Meerschaum on eBay and I've heard you've got to smoke them differently than briars. Any tips and comments are appreciated.
My First Corn Cob
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An odd feature of cobs is the bit of shank that juts into the chamber.
Some say to chisel it out and others to smoke/burn it off.
I just pop in a few meer chips or Nording Keystones and load up. Don’t want the taste of burning wood spoiling my smoke.
My first (and only) cob.
Courtesy of a generous Dave (@Ahi Ka )
Some say to chisel it out and others to smoke/burn it off.
I just pop in a few meer chips or Nording Keystones and load up. Don’t want the taste of burning wood spoiling my smoke.
My first (and only) cob.
Courtesy of a generous Dave (@Ahi Ka )
I never understood the deal with removing the shank in the bowl or trying to burn it out. They smoke fine as they come from the factory. Most of mine have charred, but I never experienced a foul taste at the bottom.
Cobs are great smokers. I wouldn't say that they need to be smoked in a different way than a briar, but they do have a much more open draw than many briar pipes, so one must resist the urge to puff away rapidly. The Country Gentleman is a great choice, hope you like it!
Load/Go! I like using Sav's Balsa 6mm filters on them - still gives you a nice draw but cuts back on that full-open draw just a little with added bonus of catching moisture, etc.
If you’re smoking without a filter, I recommend experimenting with tighter packs—depending on what tobacco you’re smoking, how moist it is. This will slow down the wide open draw.
I was also recommend removing the stem after every smoke or at least most smokes and swabbing out the inner shank with a folded pipe cleaner. The inner shank is cavernous in those things and a lot of moisture and tars will build up in there otherwise—especially if the cob gets heavy use.
Finally I suggest patience. In my experience cobs usually get better with time and smoking. A few dozen smokes will only improve it. I few hundred can make it outstanding
I was also recommend removing the stem after every smoke or at least most smokes and swabbing out the inner shank with a folded pipe cleaner. The inner shank is cavernous in those things and a lot of moisture and tars will build up in there otherwise—especially if the cob gets heavy use.
Finally I suggest patience. In my experience cobs usually get better with time and smoking. A few dozen smokes will only improve it. I few hundred can make it outstanding
They actually smoke better without that piece in there. I have a custom cob that purposely doesn't feature that. And that's the reason why people remove that part.
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I've got cobs I've smoked for 30 years and that bit of shank is still intact. It's so soaked in tar that there is no chance of getting that burnt wood taste.
I'm not either, but I use a 6mm balsa filter in my yard cobs since I clench them and it helps during humid days.
It's a slippery slope between liking cobs and loving cobs.
Yes, it is. It smokes better than my MM Carolina Gent that has the shank in the chamber. I smoke it when I want a cob. Mainly that piece in the bowl changes the draw slightly and wastes more tobacco space/tobacco thats around it that can't get smoked.
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MM 
cobs have a wide open draft unless filtered (not sure if it’s already been mentioned) so it takes some getting used to, but once you’ve adjusted your intake and cadence… it’s an excellent smoking experience which I often prefer. Smoke is cool & clean most of the time & you can beat the 
out of them & not feel bad about it. 
️
cobs have a wide open draft unless filtered (not sure if it’s already been mentioned) so it takes some getting used to, but once you’ve adjusted your intake and cadence… it’s an excellent smoking experience which I often prefer. Smoke is cool & clean most of the time & you can beat the out of them & not feel bad about it. ️
Cobs aren't very fussy to smoke. I like the open draw without a filter and don't worry about the shank portion in the bowl. Until they get burned down and tarred up I can taste when the ember gets to that point and stop smoking. It does waste a bit of tobacco but not so bad in the grand scheme of things.
leave the shank in place,throw in a 3/4 brass screen {available @MM website} no problem, enjoy!