Question from a novice pipe smoker.

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

Watch for Updates Twice a Week

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

Status
Not open for further replies.

mushjoon

Might Stick Around
Nov 26, 2011
83
1
Recently, I bought a briar pipe because my three beloved clay pipes broke.
I got Tsuge Super Smooth billiard, and I got it for $58 plus shipping (original price: $103)
SNV30083.jpg


SNV30084.jpg


SNV30085.jpg


SNV30087.jpg


SNV30089.jpg


SNV30090.jpg


SNV30092.jpg


SNV30093.jpg


SNV30094.jpg

However, since it's a really nice pipe, I don't want to mess it up.
So my questions are:
1) How can I manage "break-in" procedure in a proper way?
2) How can I light my tobacco without darkening the rim of the bowl?
3) How can I clean the metal filter?
4) How can I let my pipe rest in a proper way?
It would also be fantastic if you could give me some other advice such as precautions, taking care of pipe, etc...

 

mushjoon

Might Stick Around
Nov 26, 2011
83
1
Oh yeah, and yesterday, I smoked 1 and 1/2 bowl of tobacco with this guy, failing to resist the temptation..
Did I make a serious mistake?

 

rd02sir

Can't Leave
Nov 1, 2011
415
1
From one novice to another;
1) smoke a few half bowls, all the way down. Shake the ash around after it has cooled ( with your thumb on top). The cake will eventually come. It may take 6 smokes or 20 smokes.
2) moisten the rim with a bit of saliva, then light your bowl.
3) soak it in liquor, rinse under hot water or just throw it out, I never liked those stingers.
4) after a smoke, run a few pipe cleaners through the bit and shank, when it comes out dry, set the pipe on your shelf or the next 24 hours before smoking again. You can smoke more than 1 bowl a day, it will just need some more timeto "rest"
Precautions, don't let the pipe get too hot. If it's too hot to hold on your cheek (on your face) for more than 5 sec, it's burning too hot. Sip the pipe like sipping a milkshake.
Hope this helps!

 

mluyckx

Lifer
Dec 5, 2011
1,958
3
Texas
Very nice pipe and good score !
My personal (still a newbie) opinion
1) looks like it has a coating. Opinions here differ, but I say load it and smoke it. Just go slow and easy. Keep it cool and not too hot. You may want to start with half bowls a bit, but I've done both fully loaded and half loaded on new coated pipes, and I haven't noticed much difference.

2) I rub a wet finger over the rim when I light the pipe. And do it short and quick. Don't use torch lighters. After smoking wipe the rim. Once a couple of weeks, run a wet Q-Tip over the rim. And don't load the pipe to the brim so the tobacco won't spill over the rim when it expands upon lighting.

3) By never using it you will avoid having to clean it ;-) I've gotten rid of these stingers in the three pipes that came with one

4) Depending on how wet you end up smoking it. I tend to let my better pipes rest for about a day in between smokes. My cheaper ones.. just smoked 4 bowls in my little nameless pipe while being outside. Now it can rest for a couple of days.

 

rd02sir

Can't Leave
Nov 1, 2011
415
1
Oh, smoke it all the way, don't smoke a half bowl then dump it, you won't build proper cake after that.
Although I'm a novice as well, I've had the thought that the better the cake build up, the better it will smoke, i.e. less time between resting, burns cooler.

 

mluyckx

Lifer
Dec 5, 2011
1,958
3
Texas
LOL
Good point.. when I said "half bowls" it means "load them half, smoke them all the way".

Not "load 'em up, smoke 'em half"..
:rofl:

 

skylonrow

Might Stick Around
Feb 23, 2011
75
0
Great Britain
First off I'll say Hello! and welcome, you have a very nice pipe and I hope you get many many enjoyable smokes from it!
1) Most pipes already have a coating, it looks like your pipe has one, but, some people like to 'treat' their pipe and break them in anyway. You can fill your bowl about half way and smoke a couple fo bowls like that, slowly incrementing the amount of tobacco each time.
2) As said moisten with saliva. Also turning down the gas on your lighter can help.
3) The metal stinger reduces the flow of air, personally I just throw mine away lol :P But you can soak them in bleach/alcohol, or run them through water.
4) Leave 24 - 48 hours before you smoke it, give it a nice clean with a couple of pipe cleaner. DO NOT remove the shank until it is cool, removing it while hot can loosen it over time. Also try not to remove the shank too often, only for 'major cleans' I generally do a quick clean after each couple of smokes and a 'major clean' once a month on all of my pipes.

 

hnryclay

Can't Leave
Jan 9, 2012
365
0
Nice Pipe... Most of the pipes I own develop a layer of carbon of the back rim... Does not really bother me that much, I buff it off when I get around to it. Go slow, and dedicate it to one style of tobacco. Try to let it rest at least a day between smokes.

 

rigmedic1

Lifer
May 29, 2011
3,896
75
Very nice pipe. I hope to own a Tsuge one day. All the above tips are great, but I like Phillips the most. Pack it lightly and smoke slowly, it will keep your pipe cool, and the cake will form eventually. Let your pipe get a good rest btween smokes too, at least a day, until the cake forms. I keep my cakes thin, but I have lots of pipes so I dont smoke em all every day. A good cake on a dedicated pipe enhances the flavor of the tobacco, but if you smoke several different tobaccos in the same pipe, sometimes ghosts of tobaccos past will assert themselves and change the flavor of what you are smoking. I find that a thin cake helps prevent that in my general use pipes.

 

maxpeters

Can't Leave
Jan 4, 2010
439
20
All the things said above. Just remember. It's not complicated. It's supposed to be enjoyable. Listen to all the advise, and then just load it and smoke it. Enjoy it a while. There's not a whole lot you can do that will damage it. Smoke it as often as you wish for a few days, and then let it rest for a few. That's about it.

I have pipes that I have been smoking for 20+ years, and many still look almost new. Don't abuse them, but there's no eason to baby them either. They were made to smoke. And that's a really nice looking pipe.

 

majilton

Might Stick Around
Jan 18, 2012
94
0
beautiful pipe great make all the advice has been given for me i like to use matches on my pipe i light it after ive wet the rim and once the sulpher burns i light the bowl circular slowly i just dont like lighters on my pipes.

 
Jun 26, 2011
2,011
2
Pacific Northwest USA
That is a very nice looking pipe, very nice.
1) How can I manage "break-in" procedure in a proper way?

Full bowls or half bowls don't make a difference IMO. Taking care that you smoke slowly and avoid allowing the thing to get hot is paramount. While this should be your practice for any briar it's most important on a brand new one.
2) How can I light my tobacco without darkening the rim of the bowl?

Simply paying attention to what your doing. The rim will darken from smoking, clean it afterwards with spit and a rub. Darkening/scorching from lighting the thing only occurs from inattention, again IMHO (-:
3) How can I clean the metal filter?

At the same time you clean the rest of the pipe. The stingers I have, wipe the outside off with paper towel, pass a cleaner through the thing.
4) How can I let my pipe rest in a proper way?

I prefer a full days rest when possible. The point here is to allow the thing to dry out.

Smoke a bowl, give it a clean and smoke it again. Or clean it and let it rest a day.

Am I reading your post correctly? Is this your only pipe? If so then make sure to clean it after every smoke.

 

nsfisher

Lifer
Nov 26, 2011
3,566
20
Nova Scotia, Canada
yup to everything, howwver opinions will vary. We all have a fav. pipe that we smoke more often than we should! Kinda important to be aware of this and not oversmoke it, whether u have 3 pipes or 30 pipes. I have many, many pipes, but i still find i am using the same ones all too frequently. Some ppl like stingers, most hate em. Mine got tossed immediately. I am NOT near as careful with my pipes as most ppl on here, but then again, thats just my nature. I buy em to smoke and dont have a pipe that cost over 75.00 either. May thing is to enjoy.

 

dylan793

Starting to Get Obsessed
Oct 12, 2011
281
1
Buchanan, GA
As far as resting goes, I agree with what has already been said in this thread. OTD mentioned the important thing is that it dries out. Im a very light smoker compared to some of these guys. I only do 2-3 bowls a day. So it gives me plenty of room to give my pipes a proper day's rest in between use. But for the most part, im somewhat careless. I might smoke the same pipe for a couple days straight. Don't stress too much over "correct briar care procedure". Don't abuse your pipe, swab the thing clean after each smoke, and most of all enjoy it! 8)

 

mushjoon

Might Stick Around
Nov 26, 2011
83
1
Thank you all for your honest and informative advice!
By the way, I heard that you gotta "devote" a pipe to a single blend, especially for a pure Virginian blend, since its taste is sensitive and subtle...
Unfortunately, I only have 4 pipes (Tsuge, basket pipe which I didn't break in correctly, clay and cob)
Do I really have to devote my Tsuge to a single blend, or can I smoke other blends with similar contents of tobacco?
(e.g: FMoB has Latakia, Perique, Oriental and Turkish, and because Blue Mountain also has Latakia and Oriental, I can smoke it in the same pipe)

 

dylan793

Starting to Get Obsessed
Oct 12, 2011
281
1
Buchanan, GA
If you have enough pipes to devote them to a single variety (or in some cases a single blend) by all means, go ahead. A lot of guys swear by it. I smoke whatever blend, in whichever pipe, whenever I feel like it. I don't feel like im missing anything. If you want to devote one of your pipes to virginias, do it because YOU want to. Not because some guy on an internet forum, or whoever, said so.

 
Status
Not open for further replies.