Pipe Tastes Flat, No Flavor

[kane]

I just got some estates back from being deep cleaned. All had the cake reamed down to a thin layer and were thoroughly cleaned and sanitized. All smoke well and taste good, but for one: this pipe has no flavor, it is flat, it does not impart the flavor of the tobacco to me when I smoke it. I have been smoking progressively stronger tobaccos in it--White Knight to BlackHouse to MM965-- and it's the weirdest thing, the pipe does not pass the full flavor and body of the smoke. I did not smoke this pipe prior to it's cleaning, but it was a well smoked pipe prior to my acquisition. Any idea on why a pipe would be like this? The cake was reamed down to a very thin layer, but so is the case with the other pipes and they taste great. Will it get better? or are some pipes just flavor-sucking duds?

 

[mortonbriar]

did you remember to light it? he he

 

[sablebrush52]

It's possible that your problem pipe doesn't do well with latakia blends. What's the chamber shape? Did you try doing your own cleaning of the airway, just in case the job wasn't done thoroughly? It's very rare for a pipe to be dead, but it does happen.

 

[settersbrace]

Someone may have enlarged the draft hole? A pipe with an excessive open draw can mute some flavor.

 

[waxmojo]

Some pipes can be flavor-sucking duds.

 

[mso489]

I'm sure you've removed the stem and have established no filter has been added. That might certainly have this effect, but I'm sure you've checked. Otherwise, the too-open draw sounds like a possibility, although that can be balanced by packing a little tighter and fuller and smoking stronger tobacco. I don't have any dead-spot pipes, but I have some that have more flavor than other.

 

[kane]

Thanks for the input guys. There is no filter, and yes it is lit!

Can't say about any opening of the draft hole....perhaps. It draws fine. It's like if you packed a bowl with a nice I.P.A. and got the taste of Coors Light.

 

[huntertrw]

"did you remember to light it? he he"
I am wondering if he remembered to pack it with pipe-tobacco...
Sorry, but I just couldn't resist.

 

[tarak]

Its hard to say since you didn't smoke it yourself- could have been a dud all along!
That being said, different pipes do well with different tobaccos sometimes....perhaps you need to change gears? What shape is it? Could be that its not a great fit for English blends but might sing with a Virginia.
I bought a Stanwell Golden Danish estate in really good condition....I've smoked several bowls and it isn't so great either...I keep believing the right combo is out there...

 

[kane]

It's a nice looking large Caminetto billiard with a smoke-pearl acrylic saddle stem with the little mustache stamp. Before I sent it out with a few other pipes it was pretty caked and gunked-up, it had been well used. I will experiment with some VA's in it, maybe that will be better. I have a few other Caminetto billiards that are excellent smokers.