Pipe Chamber And Cake Build Up?

[durham270]

Do you believe that a tobacco chamber finely sanded, almost polished, will form the carbon layer faster and better or take an additional amount of time?

 

[theboz]

I agree with the above, I have not experimented with it myself though. However, when you are using glue or epoxy the instructions usually tell you to roughen the surface to give the epoxy something to grab onto. I think the same principle can be applied to cake holding onto the briar, it may not build faster but may be less prone to flaking off.

 

[sablebrush52]

I've noticed on my unsmoked Barlings that they deliberately left a couple of rough patches in an otherwise smooth unpolished bore. This is consistent from pipes made 50 years apart. I'm assuming that it's for facilitating the build up of cake.