Carbon Coating or Bare Bottom

PipeProfessor

Many pipe makers coat their pipe bows with carbon to help with break in. Personally, I don't like it but I want to hear your thoughts.

dstrib

I find that cake builds up well either way if you smoke slowly and smoke the full bowl or start with half bowls to build up the bottom if you don't feel you will have time to smoke a full bowl

CretinDan

If I ever buy a pipe new, I'll have to check this out. I wasn't even aware that this was done.

drac2485

Hmmm... I haven't ever thought about it. I have some pipes that are coated and some not. To me they smoke the same, different pipes smoke slightly differently but the still do the job. I notice cake builds a lot faster on coated bowls than my bare ones. I'm also not a person that builds much cake as I wipe the bowl out after smoking so I build cake kind of slow.

tomatobodhi

I have a friend who sands away the pre-carbon coating that many pipes have in them. He likes to build cake directly on the briar.

I have smoked plenty of bare briar and unfinished pipes, and some of them really feel like they are fighting cake, while others have a nice fine ash coating right away. When I get the former, I wish they were pre-coated, but when I get the latter, I am glad they aren't.

I wish I could tell by looking which pipes will be which.

DanielCSan9592

Using light honey or agave for the first smoke is a good option for getting the initial cake to stick to the bowl.