Taming A New Briar or Exorcising An Old Ghost

[gamzultovah]

Good morning,

If you had to choose, which do you find easier, Taming A New Briar or Exorcising An Old Ghost? I have not had many enjoyable experiences in my attempts to tame a new briar. In fact, I have resold quite a few pipes that I had bought new because the experience of trying to break them in was so unpleasant. But, on the other hand, I have rarely meet an estate pipe that I didn't like (no matter what had been smoked in it).

What are your thoughts on this subject?

 

[judcole]

I've never had that much trouble breaking in a new pipe. I am currently of the "just load it and smoke it" school - I do nothing special. I also belong to the "never smoke a new tobacco in a new pipe" school. I like Lane Ready Rubbed, which I have also used to exorcise ghosts.

 

[mikethompson]

I have a few pipes that I bought new and have never had issues with them. I'm not sure I could break in a new pipe 'properly' with a dozen smokes because I don't get to enjoy a pipe that often.

Exorcising ghosts is easy enough with a warm water rinse and a coffee ground soak.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I've never noticed a real difference between a new pipe or one broken in, I just smoke them. I did prefer estates just because you can get pipes no longer available at a fraction of the price.

 

[gamzultovah]

I've never noticed a real difference between a new pipe or one broken in, I just smoke them. I did prefer estates just because you can get pipes no longer available at a fraction of the price.

It's been my experience that most new pipes give the tobacco a very harsh, rough edge. It normally takes me about 12 bowls to break past this edge...and I'm usually too impatient with the process. The only exception I've found has been pipes made by Gian Gamboni...but to be honest, I avoid new pipes so I don't have a broad experience. Lets see how this thread progresses and see if this is an issue for anyone else?

 

[writingraav]

I almost never have an issue with breaking in a pipe. Just load and smoke. Of course, I do notice that the pipe improves with age, but the early bowls are by no means off-putting - except the rare times that they are. Most of the pipes I buy seem to have bowl coating and that seems to make a difference.
As far as estate pipes - no problem.

 

[cshubhra]

My thoughts exactly...

I've never noticed a real difference between a new pipe or one broken in, I just smoke them. I did prefer estates just because you can get pipes no longer available at a fraction of the price.

 

[haparnold]

I've only had one pipe which tasted unpleasant at the beginning, and had to be "tamed". However, I love the taste of an unsmoked pipe with an uncoated bowl, and prefer to buy new pipes without any sort of bowl coating.

So for me, the answer is easy. Most of my pipes are estates, but if I had to choose between a new pipe and a ghosted estate, I'd take the newbie.

 

[Merton]

I mostly smoke Castellos and, among the many pleasures of the brand is breaking in a new one. I know that Greg Pease has made some cogent observations regarding new Castellos smoking a tad too "bright", but i actually enjoy that. Certainly, at least for me, the uncoated bowl, the quality of the briar and the flavor this provides add to the pleasure of breaking in the pipe.

 

[Marindas]

The only issue I have with a new pipe is when there is stain inside the bowl. Then it is a matter of a few salt and alcohol treatments. Still takes a few bowls until the odd taste goes away. I really dislike having to deal with it.

 

[seanv]

I prefer new pipes to have no coating. I hate the way most of them taste. I also do not like it when estate pipes are bowl coated with the maple syrup and charcoal mixture. Overall, I will more often buy an estate pipe than a new pipe.

 

[dunnyboy]

I mostly smoke Castellos and, among the many pleasures of the brand is breaking in a new one. I know that Greg Pease has made some cogent observations regarding new Castellos smoking a tad too "bright", but i actually enjoy that. Certainly, at least for me, the uncoated bowl, the quality of the briar and the flavor this provides add to the pleasure of breaking in the pipe.

My experience exactly. All the new pipes I've purchased are uncoated, just lovely raw briar. To the extent that the briar confers a flavor, it's pleasant. I've also been lucky with estate pipes from online retailers. They come reamed and cleaned before resale and have no ghost.

 

[cigrmaster]

I enjoy breaking in a new pipe with no bowl coating. I really dislike getting a ghost out of an estate pipe, especially Lakeland or English ghosted.

 

[mso489]

Whether the bowl is coated or not (and I give points for uncoated of course) once a carbon layer is instated, I'm good. I don't build cake, and this has worked well for me. If you buy a fully reconditioned estate pipe, usually these are as trouble-free as new, but others run the gamut -- good, bad, and indifferent.

 

[stogie37]

It’s been a while since I purchased a new Ashton pipe (I believe Bill was still with us), but I actually used to look forward to the first few smokes in a new Ashton - the oil curing left a slight, pleasant, nutty taste, which complimented the Old London Pebblecut (Ashton/McClelland) that I broke many pipes in with. That said, pretty much no new pipes cause me any displeasure - even Peterson - though they're the most stubborn to me ? However, I’ve had some awful estates that just refused to give up the ghost.

 

[gamzultovah]

I enjoy breaking in a new pipe with no bowl coating. I really dislike getting a ghost out of an estate pipe, especially Lakeland or English ghosted.

Fighting a Lat bombed pipe right now. But I'm winning though...

 

[hauntedmyst]

New are generally easier. Most estate's I pick up are pretty thoroughly cleaned and unghosted.

 

[mikefu]

New pipe break in is by far my preference. Nothing worse than loading up a clean, pristine looking estate with some well aged and subtly nuanced Virginia, and being surprised by the decades of Lakeland flowers that spring up to slap your face. I like Lakelands, but only in Lakeland pipes and only when I invite them.

 

[nunnster]

I had one new pipe that was just plain fowl to break in. It must have set in a shop untouched in a glass case wrapped in plastic for 10 years, and gathered the taste of plastic, chemicals and God knows what else into the factory precarb layer. It was one of the worst smoking experiences in my life the first time I lit it up, and it got worse down the bowl as I smoked it, it even left its bitter nasty on my lips for DAYS. I couldn't give it longer than 10 minutes. I immediately dumped it and sanded it to bare wood. And even then, that taste leached into the wood so it took at least 10 smokes (with heavy cleaning and several alcohol soaks) before I did not detect that fowl flavor anymore. It's one of my favorites now and I'm glad I didn't give up on the pipe, but man was I always an inch away from doing so those first few smokes. On the other hand, most of the estate ghosts I've encountered are friendly and I quite honestly wish alot of them would have stuck around a bit longer.