@ShawnOL said:
How important is breaking in a pipe? Should I coat the chamber with honey?
A lot of pipes come with a coating in the bowl so that they really don’t need broken in. If you can see wood grain on the inside I would definitely break it in. You can do it by starting with very small amounts of tobacco at a time until it builds up a carbon layer. Just be careful not to use a really strong tobacco in regards to flavor unless it’s the only type of tobacco you plan on using that pipe for. With the wood completely exposed it will ghost much easier.
@ShawnOL said:
How important is breaking in a pipe? Should I coat the chamber with honey?
I had to do that with my HCA because I smoked it too hot too fast when it was new. The good news is that it worked fine. That shape tends to get hot down near the stem, very thin there.
WARNING: The above post may contain thoughts or ideas known to the State of Caliphornia to cause seething rage, confusion, distemper, nausea, perspiration, sphincter release, or cranial implosion to persons who implicitly trust only one news source, or find themselves at either the left or right political extreme. Proceed at your own risk.
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
Hey. I’m just here by accident,… again. Because someone created a pipe thread title that looks way too similar to this other thread I enjoy reading.
I don’t do pipes. I don’t have the patience.
Bye for now.
@Stubble said:
It does sound like a cry for help, don't it? I mean...why else would he post over here? @Bob_Luken , do you have a word quota you're trying to meet?
Clearly, a cry for help or a genius drybeg. @Bob_Luken is a smart guy but this is obvious.
@Stubble said:
It does sound like a cry for help, don't it? I mean...why else would he post over here? @Bob_Luken , do you have a word quota you're trying to meet?
He's Try-curious.
Trapped in the People's Communist Republic of Massachusetts.
@ShawnOL said:
Regarding pipe break-in, do any of you wet the chamber before every bowl during break-in? Seems kind of odd but tobacco sites are recommending it.
Never did that, unless the honey / molasses thing counts, and I've only done that when it seemed that problems were developing.
WARNING: The above post may contain thoughts or ideas known to the State of Caliphornia to cause seething rage, confusion, distemper, nausea, perspiration, sphincter release, or cranial implosion to persons who implicitly trust only one news source, or find themselves at either the left or right political extreme. Proceed at your own risk.
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
Good article Shawn, those guys are the best, always have good blogs.
WARNING: The above post may contain thoughts or ideas known to the State of Caliphornia to cause seething rage, confusion, distemper, nausea, perspiration, sphincter release, or cranial implosion to persons who implicitly trust only one news source, or find themselves at either the left or right political extreme. Proceed at your own risk.
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
I prefer to get my pipes bare wood and break them in rather than having a bowl coating, but I've heard some people use a bit of honey inside the bowl to speed up the break-in process.
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Just realized that Sakura is an aromatic. I've had to have smoked this blend about 7 or 8 times. I noticed the sweetness yesterday. Today I'm getting the cherry notes. It's very lightly aromatic. I guess my palate is starting to come back after 40 years on the cigarettes.
Trapped in the People's Communist Republic of Massachusetts.
My brother recently mentioned he had tried pipes once but couldn't keep it lit and gave up on it. Doesn't know about tampers. Going to gift him a few small pipes, tamper, pipes cleaners and a bunch of samples of tobacco.
Will teach him how to use a tamper.
Any other suggestions to show him?
Trapped in the People's Communist Republic of Massachusetts.
@ShawnOL said:
My brother recently mentioned he had tried pipes once but couldn't keep it lit and gave up on it. Doesn't know about tampers. Going to gift him a few small pipes, tamper, pipes cleaners and a bunch of samples of tobacco.
Will teach him how to use a tamper.
Any other suggestions to show him?
Patience
Teach about the benefits of being mindful and present to truly enjoy the experience.
^^^ Awesome advice. Truly the key to enjoying a pipe. We, here, buy pipe tobaccos that are widely varied in origin and process. It all matters, the environment such as soil and climate conditions, the technique in curing, many factors to be appreciated.
This is a contrast from cigarettes. I've had people say to me, "Well, you're still smoking tobacco, it's just the same as cigarettes." And, I suppose it could be, if one smokes a pipe in the mindless manner that cigarettes are used.
People don't usually sit back and just enjoy a cigarette the way they will with a pipe. The cigarette is adjunct to whatever other activity is happening. It's just a background stimulant not meant to engage your attention.
Answer the phone, light one up. Start the car, light one up. Sit on the pot, light one up. Working on the car, light one up. The activity proceeds while the cigarette smoker carries on with one dangling from his/her lips. The conversation goes on as one after another cigarette is smoked, etc.
And soon, you can't seem to get anything done without it. All while never truly enjoying the product, you just NEED it. Somehow, it provides a feeling of accomplishment, in the absence of actual accomplishment. Addiction ensues. One is never enough.
So, to do something while smoking a pipe, reading or watching a show or working on something is fine, of course, but take the time to think about the experience of the pipe. What tobacco, from where, with what toppers if you're into aromatics, things like that. Don't just stick a pipe in your face and buy whatever big bag of cigarette tobacco is masquerading as pipe tobacco at the local super-value-discount-tobacco-outlet.
Be mindful.
At least, that's how it works best for me.
WARNING: The above post may contain thoughts or ideas known to the State of Caliphornia to cause seething rage, confusion, distemper, nausea, perspiration, sphincter release, or cranial implosion to persons who implicitly trust only one news source, or find themselves at either the left or right political extreme. Proceed at your own risk.
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
Hmm. It seems every time I puff on my pipe today my mouth starts watering and I have to wipe off the bit of my pipe. I'm smoking sutliff bananas and cream. Is it that I just really like the toppings in this tobacco? Could it technically be an allergic type reaction to these toppings? I've had it happen before but I don't remember which tobacco I was smoking at the time. Interesting.
Trapped in the People's Communist Republic of Massachusetts.
@ShawnOL said:
Hmm. It seems every time I puff on my pipe today my mouth starts watering and I have to wipe off the bit of my pipe. I'm smoking sutliff bananas and cream. Is it that I just really like the toppings in this tobacco? Could it technically be an allergic type reaction to these toppings? I've had it happen before but I don't remember which tobacco I was smoking at the time. Interesting.
Aromatics tend to be much more moist, especially American versions, thus accumulating more moisture as you smoke. When this happens I typically run a pipe cleaner through it to alleviate the gurgling.
Not likely an allergy. It happens more often for me when I clench the pipe while I work on something. I've taken to holding the bowl and flicking the moisture out the stem now instead of chasing it with a pipe cleaner mid-smoke.
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Comments
How important is breaking in a pipe? Should I coat the chamber with honey?
Trapped in the People's Communist Republic of Massachusetts.
A lot of pipes come with a coating in the bowl so that they really don’t need broken in. If you can see wood grain on the inside I would definitely break it in. You can do it by starting with very small amounts of tobacco at a time until it builds up a carbon layer. Just be careful not to use a really strong tobacco in regards to flavor unless it’s the only type of tobacco you plan on using that pipe for. With the wood completely exposed it will ghost much easier.
I had to do that with my HCA because I smoked it too hot too fast when it was new. The good news is that it worked fine. That shape tends to get hot down near the stem, very thin there.
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
Hey. I’m just here by accident,… again. Because someone created a pipe thread title that looks way too similar to this other thread I enjoy reading.
I don’t do pipes. I don’t have the patience.
Bye for now.
I'm sure someone here will try to pull you over to the dark side...... @Stubble?
Trapped in the People's Communist Republic of Massachusetts.
It does sound like a cry for help, don't it? I mean...why else would he post over here? @Bob_Luken , do you have a word quota you're trying to meet?
Clearly, a cry for help or a genius drybeg. @Bob_Luken is a smart guy but this is obvious.
A good cigar and whiskey solve most problems.
Saw this online. I like it.
$300 though.
Trapped in the People's Communist Republic of Massachusetts.
That would set your PAS into overdrive lol
He's Try-curious.
Trapped in the People's Communist Republic of Massachusetts.
Regarding pipe break-in, do any of you wet the chamber before every bowl during break-in? Seems kind of odd but tobacco sites are recommending it.
Trapped in the People's Communist Republic of Massachusetts.
Never did that, unless the honey / molasses thing counts, and I've only done that when it seemed that problems were developing.
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
Found this article that seems to know the science behind it all.
https://www.smokingpipes.com/smokingpipesblog/single.cfm/post/how-break-briar-tobacco-pipe
Trapped in the People's Communist Republic of Massachusetts.
Good article Shawn, those guys are the best, always have good blogs.
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
If a pipe has a rough, black coating in the chamber from the factory (peterson) does it need to be broken in or is it good to go?
Trapped in the People's Communist Republic of Massachusetts.
It’s good to go. That’s the coating I was talking about before.
Got in a couple Estates. The cake looks to have been removed. Does it need to be "broken in" again or good to go?
Trapped in the People's Communist Republic of Massachusetts.
A lot of places put a sodium silicate coating on the inside after cleaning or refurbishing. If you don’t see wood grain it should be good to go.
I prefer to get my pipes bare wood and break them in rather than having a bowl coating, but I've heard some people use a bit of honey inside the bowl to speed up the break-in process.
Just realized that Sakura is an aromatic. I've had to have smoked this blend about 7 or 8 times. I noticed the sweetness yesterday. Today I'm getting the cherry notes. It's very lightly aromatic. I guess my palate is starting to come back after 40 years on the cigarettes.
Trapped in the People's Communist Republic of Massachusetts.
My brother recently mentioned he had tried pipes once but couldn't keep it lit and gave up on it. Doesn't know about tampers. Going to gift him a few small pipes, tamper, pipes cleaners and a bunch of samples of tobacco.
Will teach him how to use a tamper.
Any other suggestions to show him?
Trapped in the People's Communist Republic of Massachusetts.
Properly dry the tobacco before smoking.
Patience
Teach about the benefits of being mindful and present to truly enjoy the experience.
IMHO
A good cigar and whiskey solve most problems.
^^^ Awesome advice. Truly the key to enjoying a pipe. We, here, buy pipe tobaccos that are widely varied in origin and process. It all matters, the environment such as soil and climate conditions, the technique in curing, many factors to be appreciated.
This is a contrast from cigarettes. I've had people say to me, "Well, you're still smoking tobacco, it's just the same as cigarettes." And, I suppose it could be, if one smokes a pipe in the mindless manner that cigarettes are used.
People don't usually sit back and just enjoy a cigarette the way they will with a pipe. The cigarette is adjunct to whatever other activity is happening. It's just a background stimulant not meant to engage your attention.
Answer the phone, light one up. Start the car, light one up. Sit on the pot, light one up. Working on the car, light one up. The activity proceeds while the cigarette smoker carries on with one dangling from his/her lips. The conversation goes on as one after another cigarette is smoked, etc.
And soon, you can't seem to get anything done without it. All while never truly enjoying the product, you just NEED it. Somehow, it provides a feeling of accomplishment, in the absence of actual accomplishment. Addiction ensues. One is never enough.
So, to do something while smoking a pipe, reading or watching a show or working on something is fine, of course, but take the time to think about the experience of the pipe. What tobacco, from where, with what toppers if you're into aromatics, things like that. Don't just stick a pipe in your face and buy whatever big bag of cigarette tobacco is masquerading as pipe tobacco at the local super-value-discount-tobacco-outlet.
Be mindful.
At least, that's how it works best for me.
"If you do not read the newspapers you're uninformed. If you do read the newspapers, you're misinformed." -- Mark Twain
Hmm. It seems every time I puff on my pipe today my mouth starts watering and I have to wipe off the bit of my pipe. I'm smoking sutliff bananas and cream. Is it that I just really like the toppings in this tobacco? Could it technically be an allergic type reaction to these toppings? I've had it happen before but I don't remember which tobacco I was smoking at the time. Interesting.
Trapped in the People's Communist Republic of Massachusetts.
Aromatics tend to be much more moist, especially American versions, thus accumulating more moisture as you smoke. When this happens I typically run a pipe cleaner through it to alleviate the gurgling.
A good cigar and whiskey solve most problems.
Not the gurgling. My mouth waters a lot. Have to swallow and wipe off the bit.
Trapped in the People's Communist Republic of Massachusetts.
Not likely an allergy. It happens more often for me when I clench the pipe while I work on something. I've taken to holding the bowl and flicking the moisture out the stem now instead of chasing it with a pipe cleaner mid-smoke.