Why Was My Pipe Clogged?

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

Mar 13, 2020
2,752
26,763
missouri
depends on how hot and fast you smoke. If you smoke fast enough it adds a nasty taste with the coating. That's my experience with it.
Hmm it seems for me, no matter my cadence, or no matter who the maker is, that coating imparts a taste, and they all taste different. Perhaps I'm just sensitive to it. But I will say that no matter if there is a coating or not I notice a taste when smoking a new pipe, but I just contribute this to the break in process.
 
  • Like
Reactions: anotherbob

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,675
29,392
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
Hmm it seems for me, no matter my cadence, or no matter who the maker is, that coating imparts a taste, and they all taste different. Perhaps I'm just sensitive to it. But I will say that no matter if there is a coating or not I notice a taste when smoking a new pipe, but I just contribute this to the break in process.
I meant more as far as it getting goopy or making more of a mess or also creating a super offensive scent and taste that covers up the pipe tobacco. :)
 
Mar 13, 2020
2,752
26,763
missouri
I meant more as far as it getting goopy or making more of a mess or also creating a super offensive scent and taste that covers up the pipe tobacco. :)
Well I've noticed something that only seems to be with the Peterson bowl coat. It may just be how it is or how it's made but I notice that after you start smoking it and you take a paper towel to the bowl that coating will come off. That may be why OP had his pipe clog. Ive never noticed it with other coatings.
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,675
29,392
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
Well I've noticed something that only seems to be with the Peterson bowl coat. It may just be how it is or how it's made but I notice that after you start smoking it and you take a paper towel to the bowl that coating will come off. That may be why OP had his pipe clog. Ive never noticed it with other coatings.
I don't know if they changed it but my first one that happened with but I was smoking a bit faster at that time then I do now. The most recent one haven't had any issue like that. And I think my dealling with the wind technique is a lot better now (it's windy for some reason here.
 
Mar 13, 2020
2,752
26,763
missouri
I don't know if they changed it but my first one that happened with but I was smoking a bit faster at that time then I do now. The most recent one haven't had any issue like that. And I think my dealling with the wind technique is a lot better now (it's windy for some reason here.
I have a System Spigot that I'm breaking in at the moment and by far it's been the most forgiving of my new Petes. I think I'm around ten smokes in and the coating is gone and the new pipe taste is hardly noticeable. I've had some that seem to take forever to get to that point.
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,675
29,392
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
I have a System Spigot that I'm breaking in at the moment and by far it's been the most forgiving of my new Petes. I think I'm around ten smokes in and the coating is gone and the new pipe taste is hardly noticeable. I've had some that seem to take forever to get to that point.
my system spigot is awesome and had zero issue with the coating. My churchwarden it was kind of harsh for the first ten or so smokes.
 

shawnofthedead

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 5, 2015
249
5
Just a quick update on my second smoke. I cleaned the bowl as soon as I finished this time, there were still a few new pieces of tobacco that got stuck near the bottom like the last time, it's definitely not as bad as the first bowl though. Guess I'll just have to live with that.
 

Charlie718

Part of the Furniture Now
Mar 25, 2021
955
8,666
35
Bronx, New York
I feel like I may have gotten lucky with the one and only Pete I have lol. The bowl coating is lightly applied. I’ve only smoked it about 3 times and each time was flake or coin cut which may have helped me, maybe I can’t say I know lol. I didn’t notice a taste coming from it at least not one that over powered Irish Flake puffy
 
  • Like
Reactions: anotherbob

pipesandscotch

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 29, 2010
151
485
Northeast PA
I've had this happen before. And yeah clean your pipe right afterwards and it won't happen. And I know the bowl coating isn't the cause because it happened to me in pipes without any coating. Doesn't mean that the coating isn't a contributing factor. Oh and the reason people say not to clean the bowl right away is to build cake. Which may or may not actually help. But one thing that is certain the easiest time to clean a pipe and prevent it from getting nasty (and then needing a deeper cleaning) is as soon as possible.
I've been at this a long time and never seen this before. I do clean my bowls typically after each pipe, as I indicated in my original post. This is the bowl coating issue.
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,675
29,392
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
I've been at this a long time and never seen this before. I do clean my bowls typically after each pipe, as I indicated in my original post. This is the bowl coating issue.
after decades of smoking I've had two bowls get clogged in a way that sounds like your issue. It's seems like something that just happens once in a rare while. That said if you're sure it's the coating acting up then it's the coating, well the thing is who knows what the coatings are made of and how consistently they are made/blended. As far as cleaning bowls I was saying the reason people say to wait is the believe it helps build cake. So unless you want to build more cake faster, there is no reason to wait beyond letting the bowl cool down enough that the stem doesn't stick when taking it out. Or if you're smoking a meer it will help it color faster if you wait to clean it too. Otherwise cleaning it as soon as possible just makes it easier to clean the pipe thoroughly with less effort.
 
  • Like
Reactions: CoffeeAndBourbon

pipesandscotch

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 29, 2010
151
485
Northeast PA
Hi everyone, it's been years since I've been on this site, so I apologise in advance if this was posted in the wrong section, or there was already a thread about my issue that I just failed to find.
So last night I smoked a bowl of Pirate Kake in my brand new Peterson Irish Harp (in case this is important somehow) before putting it down and heading to bed. This morning when I tried to clean it, I noticed what must be a layer of unburnt tobacco that had hardened overnight and it completely covered up the draught hole. I first tried to scrape it out with a pipe tool but it was too hard and too stuck and wouldn't budge. Then I tried to go in the other way via the shank with a pipe cleaner, and after several tries, managed to poke a hole through the layer. I eventually got most of it out of my bowl with a combination of the scraper on my pipe tool, bristle pipe cleaner, and even a reamer. It is now smokable again, though there are still tiny chunks of it on the wall that I couldn't remove. I'm worried that I might have damaged the bowl somehow with my harsh scraping, mind you, it's not the most expensive pipe I've bought, but I do want to find out why this happened, and how to avoid similar things in the future. I've never had this kind of experience before in my 5 or 6 years of pipe smoking.
Was I smoking too hot? Was the air-conditioned room too dry? Did I pack it too tight? Should I have cleared the bowl immediately after smoking? Or was there something wrong with the pipe?
So, after the 3rd bowl, I ran some warm water through the bowl and used paper towels to remove the bowl coat and brought it down to bare wood. With only 3 previous bowls, it came off easily. Let it sit for a couple of days to dry out. I just smoked my 4th bowl, and it was a completely different experience. Now, I can resume a 'normal' break-in. I was actually feeling nauseous after the first three bowls from the acrid taste. Not to be dramatic, but it was awful. Never experienced this before in almost 50 years of pipe smoking. FWIW.
 
Mar 13, 2020
2,752
26,763
missouri
So, after the 3rd bowl, I ran some warm water through the bowl and used paper towels to remove the bowl coat and brought it down to bare wood. With only 3 previous bowls, it came off easily. Let it sit for a couple of days to dry out. I just smoked my 4th bowl, and it was a completely different experience. Now, I can resume a 'normal' break-in. I was actually feeling nauseous after the first three bowls from the acrid taste. Not to be dramatic, but it was awful. Never experienced this before in almost 50 years of pipe smoking. FWIW.
Yeah that bowl coat has to be the worst. It doesn't bother some, though. I just bought a BriarWorks pipe and it came with a coated bowl, so much better than the Pete bowl coating.
 

pipesandscotch

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 29, 2010
151
485
Northeast PA
Yeah that bowl coat has to be the worst. It doesn't bother some, though. I just bought a BriarWorks pipe and it came with a coated bowl, so much better than the Pete bowl coating.
I agree. Have a couple of Briarworks, no issues. Also breaking in a new Savinelli Punto Oro 320KS and no issues. I'm typically a no bowl coat kind of guy if I have my choice. However, the Peterson seems as toxic as Roundup.
 

telescopes

Pipe Dreamer and Star Gazer
Hi everyone, it's been years since I've been on this site, so I apologise in advance if this was posted in the wrong section, or there was already a thread about my issue that I just failed to find.
So last night I smoked a bowl of Pirate Kake in my brand new Peterson Irish Harp (in case this is important somehow) before putting it down and heading to bed. This morning when I tried to clean it, I noticed what must be a layer of unburnt tobacco that had hardened overnight and it completely covered up the draught hole. I first tried to scrape it out with a pipe tool but it was too hard and too stuck and wouldn't budge. Then I tried to go in the other way via the shank with a pipe cleaner, and after several tries, managed to poke a hole through the layer. I eventually got most of it out of my bowl with a combination of the scraper on my pipe tool, bristle pipe cleaner, and even a reamer. It is now smokable again, though there are still tiny chunks of it on the wall that I couldn't remove. I'm worried that I might have damaged the bowl somehow with my harsh scraping, mind you, it's not the most expensive pipe I've bought, but I do want to find out why this happened, and how to avoid similar things in the future. I've never had this kind of experience before in my 5 or 6 years of pipe smoking.
Was I smoking too hot? Was the air-conditioned room too dry? Did I pack it too tight? Should I have cleared the bowl immediately after smoking? Or was there something wrong with the pipe?
I’ve had this happen once before, with a Gepetto of all things. It was fairly new and it too a lot of effort to reopen the air flow. I too was perplexed and almost returned the pipe. Now, it smokes wonderfully well.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Charlie718