new to corn cob pipes, questions

[bullethead]

I read it has to do with the taste, guessing carbonized cobs are more neutral.

 

[weezell]

I read it has to do with the taste, guessing carbonized cobs are more neutral.

Gunk in stem is not neutral, use pipe cleaner...

 

[ben88]

here is the question - would a cob without hardwood insert benefit from using pipe screen?

 

[michiganlover]

I've never heard of pipe screens being used for anything except wacky weed.
I smoke a lot of cobs never had the bottom burn out, or poked a hole in the bottom of one without a hard wood plug. Once broken in, carbon and small pieces of tobacco fill in the space around the wooden insert making for a very firm durable bottom.
You can quite easily make your own wooden plugs, or glue a coin to the bottom if your really worried about this.

 

[bullethead]

in terms of pipe screens ben88 you can give it a shot.
I haven't used pipe screens on other than the "funny tobacco" I used to smoke while a college student in a small metal pipe, those were fun times and suddenly "funny tobacco" is allowed in some states while they take away or try to demonize regular tobacco. However that might help, also michiganlover has a great recommendation on using a coin at the bottom, perhaps a nickel or penny?
my thoughts on "funny tobacco" now being allowed is that is makes one more docile and manageable in terms of just being able to herd masses of people around like sheep, while traditional tobacco tends to get one thinking and be more individualistic. A threat to collectivism it seems.