Breakin in a new pipe.

[Boboro]

When you first smoke one of them new costum pipes what is the best way. they sell some pipe sweeter at the bacca store do you put some of that in thir.

 

[Knucklehead]

I smoke a couple 1/4 full bowls, then a couple 1/2 full bowls and try not to get it too hot to start with. I just deal with the nasty taste for 4 or 5 bowls until it's broken in. Bob has a recipe with milk and honey to help carbonize the bowl and not taste so bad to start with. I tried to find the post but couldn't. Maybe some of the long time pipers will pipe up.

 

[Jitterbugdude]

The most common method is to just swipe the inside of the bowl with a little honey. The theory is that the sugars in the honey will caramalize when heating, thus contributing to a quicker carbon buildup which is also called "cake" I've never used anything, never really had a problem breaking in a pipe either.

 

[Boboro]

Have you heard of pipe sweetner?

 

[SmokesAhoy]

I do like knucks said, I the cake is awesome now,

 

[Boboro]

Have you been drankin?

 

[SmokesAhoy]

How you guess? Bourbon

 

[Jitterbugdude]

Have you heard of pipe sweetner?

Pipe sweetener is for pipes that have gone sour. You can sweeten a pipe by filling the bowl with salt, then add Vodka and let it set awhile... don't drink the stuff after it comes out of the pipe.

 

[deluxestogie]

I've broken-in about 30 or so pipes over the decades, and tried a number of ways to ease the pain.

• Meerschaum doesn't need (and shouldn't have) a char coating, so I just start right in with a full bowl.
• Corncobs smell awful while breaking in (someone else's problem), but seem to taste OK, so I just do the 1/4-bowl; 1/2-bowl method with them.
• To me, raw briar smells and tastes awful during break-in. Without a char cake, there is always a risk of burning the wood. For briars, I mix up a slurry of either milk (yup!) and honey--for the English tobacco pipes, or milk and molasses--for the pipes to be used for aromatic blends. I just smear it over the inside of the bowl, allow it to dry, smoke a full bowl, repeat a couple of times.
• Another method I've used for briar pipes destined for aromatic blends is the 1/4-bowl; 1/2-bowl approach, but using a honey Cavendish (Lane bulk 1Q or Captain Black "Gold," neither of which I would smoke otherwise).

I think most methods work just fine, as long as you smoke the pipe slowly (cool) until the char has coated the entire interior of the bowl. I usually allow a pipe to fully dry (~2 or 3 days) between smokes, especially during the break-in period. Meerschaum pipes, by contrast, can be smoked repeatedly, so long as you smoke it to the bottom each time.

Bob

 

[DonH]

I read up on all the methods and decided to go with the "stuff and smoke" method. Simple.