To break in or not to break in? that is the question

[georged]

I've read opinions on both sides of this question. I've heard some smokers say 'don't worry about it, fill it, smoke it, and don't look back. Others have said fill in varying levels to build carbon. Does it really matter? And why?

I've heard of cases where a pipe that was not gradually broken in detonated like a strategic nuclear bomb and wiped out a large city.

Other cases where just filling and smoking it like any other pipe opened a paranormal gateway and a steamer trunk overflowing with bundles of hundred dollar bills and solid gold coins to appeared at the feet of the smoker.

How will YOUR pipe react?

Only one way to find out.

Also---provided you survive, of course---post a follow-up in a month or two so we can argue about your result for a dozen pages before Kevin stomps on it.

 

[telescopes]

My family has been smoking pipes for over 100 years. We’ve all followed the 1/3 small, 1/3 med, the rest full method. This has served us well I. Terms of breaking in a pipe. Can one simply start smoking a pipe without breaking it in? Sure. One can do lots of things if one wants. But in all my time smoking, the only three burn outs I experienced all had wind and a disregard for proper breaking in as a common denominator.

 

[anotherbob]

I've read opinions on both sides of this question. I've heard some smokers say 'don't worry about it, fill it, smoke it, and don't look back. Others have said fill in varying levels to build carbon. Does it really matter? And why?

I honestly believe that in the past with more pipes being sold and there being fewer ways to assess the quality of the briar before it was made into a pipe that burnout and voids were more common. If you have a void in the briar you really need as much cake coverage as possible. I really think that it's a thing that was more important and now isn't as applicable.

 

[Sig]

Ive just loaded and smoked dozens and dozens and dozens of pipes over the decades. I haven't damaged one yet. All that honey and grape jelly stuff just leaves a soft cake that holds moisture and stink......in my opinion.

 

[warren]

So, Harsh, did you get a definitive answer? You now have more opinions taking one side or the other. Might be an interesting experience if you pick a couple of pipes, cake in one, none in the other and report back in a few months years maybe.

 

[Sigmund]

I tried honey once. It just made a mess and I cleaned it out.

I do fill and smoke BUT I am extra aware the first several smokes to take it easy.

Its interesting, every new pipe I have gotten smokes hotter the first two or three fills. Maybe it’s moisture? So I am careful to set it down if it starts to get a bit warm.

 

[didimauw]

Break it in with Rattray's Exotic Passion. About 20 smokes over the course of 20 days should do it. And then your pipe will forever taste and smell of oranges and every blend thereafter will be orange. Even if it's not orange.

That actuality sounds delightful lol

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

That actuality sounds delightful lol

It kind of is. I have one pipe that's basically dedicated to it. I stick my nose in it just for a smell sometimes lol.

 

[ak2000]

Fill it and smoke it. I haven’t hurt one yet.

This ^^^

 

[Jacob74]

It kind of is. I have one pipe that's basically dedicated to it. I stick my nose in it just for a smell sometimes lol.

Instead of using honey or grape jelly, use orange marmalade.

 

[Briarcutter]

I fill it and smoke it slowly and I pay attention to any over heating or briar taste especially at the bottom. I don't want the char the airway. I never use honey or the like for an additional coating.

 

[beefeater33]

Wait………. You guys get NEW pipes??………

 

[paulfg]

Wait………. You guys get NEW pipes??………

that's the answer.Only buy estate pipes ,the work is already done for you

 

[Briar Lee]

My family has been smoking pipes for over 100 years. We’ve all followed the 1/3 small, 1/3 med, the rest full method. This has served us well I. Terms of breaking in a pipe. Can one simply start smoking a pipe without breaking it in? Sure. One can do lots of things if one wants. But in all my time smoking, the only three burn outs I experienced all had wind and a disregard for proper breaking in as a common denominator.

As I understand it, all briar usable for pipes is obtained from a burl on the root of a heather shrub that grew in poor soil on the rim of the Mediterranean and no place else.

Then from that burl a huge percentage of the wood is waste, and what remains in order to be smokeable has to be soaked in water, or steamed, or boiled in oil, of other wise cured to drive out nasty tasting tannins.

Then the briar has to age for a minimum of a year or two, and ten is better.

Doug’s great grandfather and Doug face identical problems breaking in new briar pipes.

Not most, but each and every manufacturer of briar pipes, even Marxman and Bertram, had break in instructions in their literature.

The reason was until the new pipe has been smoked a few times it’s not going to be as good as it eventually gets, because the customer does the last little bit of driving out the tannins from the wood. Those taste bad. The makers don’t want unhappy customers.

I’ve found the better and older the briar the easier the break in period. Even today some Danish pipes use young briar that is painful to break in.

This three quarter century old Marxman wax basically unsmoked when I unwrapped it a couple of days ago and three smokes has more or less broken it in, but even the best of the best old Algerian benefits from a break in period.



Does a careful break in period help prevent burn out?

If cannot hurt.

A reason I think the majority of pipe smokers disregard any break in period is that eighty or so years ago there were fifty to a hundred times more pipes made, and the handful of surviving makers can and do only buy the best of the best briar.

In 1940 Kaywoodie alone had to select 11 million usable burls a year.

Today Dr Grabow selects 200,000.

The good Doctor Grabow gets to pick, you know?.

 

[towhee89]

As I understand it, all briar usable for pipes is obtained from a burl on the root of a heather shrub that grew in poor soil on the rim of the Mediterranean and no place else.

Then from that burl a huge percentage of the wood is waste, and what remains in order to be smokeable has to be soaked in water, or steamed, or boiled in oil, of other wise cured to drive out nasty tasting tannins.

Then the briar has to age for a minimum of a year or two, and ten is better.

Doug’s great grandfather and Doug face identical problems breaking in new briar pipes.

Not most, but each and every manufacturer of briar pipes, even Marxman and Bertram, had break in instructions in their literature.

The reason was until the new pipe has been smoked a few times it’s not going to be as good as it eventually gets, because the customer does the last little bit of driving out the tannins from the wood. Those taste bad. The makers don’t want unhappy customers.

I’ve found the better and older the briar the easier the break in period. Even today some Danish pipes use young briar that is painful to break in.

This three quarter century old Marxman wax basically unsmoked when I unwrapped it a couple of days ago and three smokes has more or less broken it in, but even the best of the best old Algerian benefits from a break in period.

View attachment 382110

Does a careful break in period help prevent burn out?

If cannot hurt.

A reason I think the majority of pipe smokers disregard any break in period is that eighty or so years ago there were fifty to a hundred times more pipes made, and the handful of surviving makers can and do only buy the best of the best briar.

In 1940 Kaywoodie alone had to select 11 million usable burls a year.

Today Dr Grabow selects 200,000.

The good Doctor Grabow gets to pick, you know?.

The Kaywoodie catalogs show a cutaway of a Burl with the different grades, and areas that were wasted.


I personally never allow cake to form unless it's a thin layer.

 

[Sig]

So, Harsh, did you get a definitive answer? You now have more opinions taking one side or the other. Might be an interesting experience if you pick a couple of pipes, cake in one, none in the other and report back in a few months years maybe.

Hey, at least there are only 2 possible choices with this one. Unlike the "what's the best Virginia blend?", or "what's the best pipe shape?"
But, even though there are only 2 choices here, there are MANY opinions.

 

[Briar Lee]

Thanks for posting that.



When that chart was made, the cheapest Kaywoodie was $3.50, the Super Grain was $5, and Flame Grain $10.

You could buy briar pipes cut from the same burl for twenty five cents.

When KB&B recommended every pipe be carefully broken in, there was a reason for it.

No matter how tight the grain, a little more heat curing helped.

 

[Harsh_Smoke]

Wait………. You guys get NEW pipes??………

Yes, a once in a lifetime miracle. I predict it will be the last. Back to the junk shops.

 

[didimauw]

that's the answer.Only buy estate pipes ,the work is already done for you

 

[paulfg]

nowt wrong with estate pipes,do you use restaurant knives/forks,?
the same thing just clean them before you use them
more than half my collection are estates, without which I could not have had my Barlings,,/early petes etc