Here in the cool of an Ozarks evening I have the privilege of breaking in another almost new 75 year old Lee Three Star. My theory is a lot of ten dollar Lees were given to cigarette smoking returning soldiers in the late forties who either put the gift away beside the new tie and cuff links, or smoked it once or twice, and then forgot it. Their loss is my gain.
Lee somehow cured his pipes to smoke sweet from the first bowl, and they break in fast and easy,,,but they still need a break in, to reach full righteousness.
I can taste sweet briar, especially near the bottom. This will disappear in maybe a dozen bowls.
What puzzles me, is that no matter how carefully I smoke any new briar, of any brand, at first the pipe gets hotter than one after beak in.
Water will also condense on the hot briar. Is it from the atmosphere, or from inside the briar?
For maybe 25 of the 50 years I’ve smoked a pipe I don’t build up a cake, in the conventional way you’ll find a caked pipe.
I use a twisted paper towel and 190 proof Everclear to keep an oily residue all the way down to the air hole, that’s just enough carbon to say there is some carbon.
After a dozen or two at the most careful smokes, all briar pipes regardless of brand break in, no longer get hot, and there’s no more water on the outside of the briar.
I think the heat cures the briar.
Something changes in the briar to make it more heat resistant, and that’s apart from a cake build up.
I’m finishing the second bowl of PS Luxury Navy Flake and feeling very sorry for folks who aren’t members of the cult of Pipes by Lee.
But that does, leave more $40 Lees for me!
Lee somehow cured his pipes to smoke sweet from the first bowl, and they break in fast and easy,,,but they still need a break in, to reach full righteousness.
I can taste sweet briar, especially near the bottom. This will disappear in maybe a dozen bowls.
What puzzles me, is that no matter how carefully I smoke any new briar, of any brand, at first the pipe gets hotter than one after beak in.
Water will also condense on the hot briar. Is it from the atmosphere, or from inside the briar?
For maybe 25 of the 50 years I’ve smoked a pipe I don’t build up a cake, in the conventional way you’ll find a caked pipe.
I use a twisted paper towel and 190 proof Everclear to keep an oily residue all the way down to the air hole, that’s just enough carbon to say there is some carbon.
After a dozen or two at the most careful smokes, all briar pipes regardless of brand break in, no longer get hot, and there’s no more water on the outside of the briar.
I think the heat cures the briar.
Something changes in the briar to make it more heat resistant, and that’s apart from a cake build up.
I’m finishing the second bowl of PS Luxury Navy Flake and feeling very sorry for folks who aren’t members of the cult of Pipes by Lee.
But that does, leave more $40 Lees for me!