Breaking in a New Pipe

drac2485

What's the best practice you have had for breaking in a new pipe?  Does it vary by the type of pipe, such as meerschaum, cob, briar?

Does it make a difference if the bowl is coated?

I've always heard only load half a bowl and smoke it to the bottom for the first couple bowls but personally I just load a full bowl and enjoy. 

judandhispipe

First of all - you're not going to "break in" a meer, because a meer shouldn't have cake.
Other than that, this is one of those things that had been debated for years. I used to do the partial bowl thing; now I just load and go. I do make a practice,however, of using a tobacco I am familiar with,so that I am only dealing with determining the pipe's characteristics. I am currently using Lane RR for break-in.
 

drac2485

@judandhispipe I hadn't thought about it but I generally use a tobacco I am familiar with when breaking in a new bowl as well.  I never realized in until reading your comment but that makes sense as being able to tell how well it smokes when you use the a familiar tobacco.

Topaz75

I break in a new pipe by loosely packing a half bowl and then smoking it through for the first couple of times. My reason for doing so is simply that it's what my grandfather taught me to do back in 1964. It's never really occurred to me to question his judgment on the matter.

thebadgerpiper

For the first three bowls, I'll fill halfway. The next two I'll fill two thirds of the way through. Final one I'll fill all the way.

PappyJoe

It's really a matter of whether you want to build the cake slowly from the bottom of the bowl up or whether you just want to build the cake from the top to the bottom. Since I have the patience to do it, I build from the top down because I try to smoke the entire bowl all the way to the bottom. 

As for the tobacco used, I actually like to use something like Prince Albert or Carter Hall to build the cake because neither one will ghost a pipe. If I had a pipe that I was going to just dedicate to one type of tobacco, I would use that tobacco.

drac2485

Everyone, thanks for the advice, so far all of you have told me what I thought the answer was... to each their own.  I was really just curious if there were reasons for one way over the other, building the cake from the bottom up makes sense  but I have always fully loaded and smoked the entire bowl but I normally won't smoke a pipe or cigar unless I have the time to finish it.  @PappyJoe I have heard many people talk about breaking in pipes with Carter Hall or Prince Carter but I never tried those

PappyJoe

Prince Albert. They are mild blends that don't leave any residual flavors. 

PipeProfessor

I smoke 3 half bowls, then 3 3/4 bowls, then finally fill her up. I feel this helps build cake at the bottom and helps to keep it cool the whole way down. 

ghostsofpompeii

I bumped this back up to the top because very soon now I'll be opening my Christmas packages containing some new pipes. A few of which do not have carbonized bowls and I want to make damn sure I'm not doing any damage to the raw briar. For the most part all the pipes I've bought seem to have the pre-carbonized bowls with the exception of the two I got from H.S. Studio. And for them I did the honey in the bowl treatment I learned very early on by a few of the old pipe smokers I worked with at US Steel. But I'm sure there are many new techniques by our learned members who might cast a little light on the proper way to break in an untreated briar bowl. If I screwed up that new Corey pipe by improperly breaking it in I'll hang myself in the front yard. 

Charles

@ghostsofpompeii - Of the many different methods for breaking in new pipes,  I was taught and still use, the loosely packed 1/2 bowl method that @PipeProfessor mentioned above and to make sure the bowl does not get overheated.  Sometimes relighting often is then risking a burned bowl when breaking in a new pipe, especially if it is not carbonized.  I use PA or CH for all my new pipes to break in and build cake and have not had any issues to date.  Whatever you decide to do, enjoy your new additions and happy smoking!

Charles

Above sentence should read as: Sometimes relighting often is often better then risking a burned bowl when breaking in a new pipe,

mseddon

Good question @drac2485 Here's a related question. I have read that you should clean out your bowl after every smoke with a wipe from a pipe cleaner. I have also read that you should cover the top and shake well at the end of a bowl to coat it with ash that will help build up cake. I have found that the latter practice does vastly increase the speed of cake build-up. Am I wrong here? Or is it that you should shake well until you have cake and then wipe clean thereafter?

KA9FFJ

@drac2485 Almost 100% with @thebadgerpiper I agree about half a bowl several times on first break in. Although I recently fired up a brand new pipe almost to the top for my first smoke. But now, after a light wipe-down, I'll go back to half a bowl until I begin to see the faintest hint of cake buildup. Then increase to 2/3 until I see the starting of cake, then on to 3/4 until the same. Now for just me: I never go much past 3/4 - 7/8 full from that point on. It helps hold down cake build up on the rim along with charring. Now remember, that's just me.
Anyway, there are more ways to break in a new pipe than Carter has liver pills. I recommend you try different methods with each new pipe and find the one that works best for you... Happy break-ins...

Woodsman

I always use Carter Hall for break in and also the fact that I enjoy it. I do wipe the bowl out with booze of choice before the 1st bowl. I also use 1/2 bowl first. I've also used a honey/water swab before 1st bowl.