New Savinelli Pipe 606 Rusticated

[Ishtavan23]

Hello there, as a newbie I came by to ask if someone can explain what has happened here and if a brand new savinelli pipe just broke after a single smoking. To cut it short, I am a mediocre smoker and my previous pipe bought two years ago shows almost no signs of damage so far except minor deformations inside the pipe bowl. (Not surprising after two years of smoking the same pipe). I recently purchased a pipe in Italy from Savinelli only to find this happening. I'm not sure if this is meant to happen due to carving or if this is just the pipe cracking entirely for some unknown reason. I had not really studied the inside of the pipe before buying it but it almost feels too impossible for a pipe to crack to this extent over a single one hour sitting - the balsa system and the outside + shank seem completely fine.

This is a Savinelli 606 Rusticated one which I have a quality control for. Should I ask for it to be replaced immediately or am I just panicking over something that's inherently part of the pipe? (I didn't really study the inside of the pipe before using it at first with a flashlight so spotting such small cracks was hard when I first got it.)

 

[tobefrank]

If I'd have to have a guess I'd say that the factory applied bowl coating cracked and not the wood. Perhaps it was applied a bit generously and the heat expansion made it crack.

 

[Ishtavan23]

If I'd have to have a guess I'd say that the factory applied bowl coating cracked and not the wood. Perhaps it was applied a bit generously and the heat expansion made it crack.

Should I be looking for a return or is this not gonna really affect the pipe itself much?

 

[tobefrank]

Like I said, I was having a guess. You could try to remove the dark bowl coating with some sandpaper to see if the cracks extend into the wood. I'm no expert, but I would think that a crack in the wood would be visible on the outside of the bowl.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

I say send it back.

You'll find most pipes have some machining marks on the inside (where the lathe clamps onto the bowl for carving), but this is entirely something else.

 

[dmcmtk]

Those aren't cracks in a bowl coating. If it could be returned or exchanged, I would. From how much smoking? Remember, even new pipes should be "broken in", and even that can be hit or miss, depending on how you smoke a pipe (read that as puffing like a freight train).

 

[Ishtavan23]

Those aren't cracks in a bowl coating. If it could be returned or exchanged, I would. From how much smoking? Remember, even new pipes should be "broken in", and even that can be hit or miss, depending on how you smoke a pipe (read that as puffing like a freight train).

These cracks although they look serious are actually almost unfeelable with a finger. I think it is actually the coating as it cracked in an almost perfect circular shape with symmetry. And from what it looks like this is intended given how the coating has cracked on the lower half of the pipe while the upper has a thicker layer which creates an isolating ring. Stopping ash from ever just popping out. This seems very intentional because the internal coating has a legit wall between these stages like you would do with machine tools. Not to mention that it is all perfectly circular which would never happen with a cracking pipe.

 

[Ishtavan23]

These cracks although they look serious are actually almost unfeelable with a finger. I think it is actually the coating as it cracked in an almost perfect circular shape with symmetry. And from what it looks like this is intended given how the coating has cracked on the lower half of the pipe while the upper has a thicker layer which creates an isolating ring. Stopping ash from ever just popping out. This seems very intentional because the internal coating has a legit wall between these stages like you would do with machine tools. Not to mention that it is all perfectly circular which would never happen with a cracking pipe.

Post Edit: Nvm. Apparently its a feature not a bug. Savinelli responded that this was actually done by them. In the end it makes sense as cracking would never be symmetrical.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

Looks like it was smoked way too hot, and got charred.

 

[saltedplug]

If something seems sufficiently wrong to you for a return, trust your instincts and return it.

 

[bullet08]

First picture looks like cracks. Almost as if it was torched trying to smoke last few dottles. The second picture on the other hand seems something from the factory. If this is after a first smoke, I would send it back.