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Breaking in a pipe

LasabarLasabar Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 4,457
in Pipes
I know most have said that you must break in a pipe for it to really unleash it's potential. But question, can i start out with cigars and those that i like just finish the nub in the pipe to break it in? Is it just a layer of smoke and stain that make it break in? Or is it the heat or what? It'd be nice to smoke cigars and finish them in the pipe for a few months and then be able to just smoke it as best as possible after the fact.
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Comments

  • J.S.J.S. Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 751
    I know of people who smoke the end of a cigar in a pipe. I myself have never tried it. However, the break in period is, in my opinion, not the time to try it. First, unless you have a pre-carboned pipe you really do need to get some cake on it. Second, briar, which I assume you are smoking, does ghost so I like to start with a more neutral tobacco like a non-aromatic VA or burly blend and then once the cake has formed a little I go to what I am planing on smoking. Also, while I have no way to verify it, I have heard that cigars burn hotter then pipe tobacco on average. It may be an old wives tale but I would not want to chance it on a brand new pipe, especially one that had no pre-carbon coating on it to start with.
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  • xmacroxmacro Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 3,402
    Breaking in a briar is getting a nice cake on the inside; the cake helps the pipe smoke cooler, adds some of its own flavor, and protects the briar from being burned.

    The cake in the bottom is the hardest to form, which is why most people recommend smoking about the 10 bowls with the pipe only 1/4 filled, to make sure you smoke close to the bottom and get that all-important bottom cake built up, the filling it 1/2, smoke 10 bowls, then fill it 3/4, smoke, then you're ready.

    I've heard that that's the safe way to do it; you can always fill a new bowl to the rim, but in that case, since the briar is fresh and there's no cake, you really gotta smoke slow, make sure the bowl doesn't get too hot, and smoke the entire bowl to ash.

    Also remember that briars need some time to air out; you probably won't damage a good briar if you don't, but it'll smoke acrid if you don't let it dry out for a day or so
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  • phobicsquirrelphobicsquirrel Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 7,349
    Mine has a great cake but I have a damn hard time keeping the f'ing thing lit. Goes out after a few puffs. I take slow long draws even short ones and after a few minutes it goes out. Pisses me off.
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  • Andrew DzikoskiAndrew Dzikoski BlogAdministrator, Everyone, ForumsAdministrator, Moderator, Owners, Registered Users, Trusted Users Posts: 338
    Might be the blend your smoking once you have the bowl packed down a bit and you feel its starting to go out hold your thumb over the bowl and just let a little air in as your puff that should help you relight things.
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  • KCWKCW Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 1,253
    Noob Question: I'm breaking out my Barling. Is there any way to tell if I have F'd it up already (ruined it)?
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  • phobicsquirrelphobicsquirrel Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 7,349
    Andrew Dzikoski:
    Might be the blend your smoking once you have the bowl packed down a bit and you feel its starting to go out hold your thumb over the bowl and just let a little air in as your puff that should help you relight things.
    I'll try that Andy, thanks.
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  • LasabarLasabar Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 4,457
    KCW:
    Noob Question: I'm breaking out my Barling. Is there any way to tell if I have F'd it up already (ruined it)?
    Wait... You can RUIN a pipe and thus make it horrible to smoke out of?

    Oh man, a bad cigar and you just chuck it...
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  • HaybletHayblet Everyone, Registered Users Posts: 2,400
    Lasabar:
    KCW:
    Noob Question: I'm breaking out my Barling. Is there any way to tell if I have F'd it up already (ruined it)?
    Wait... You can RUIN a pipe and thus make it horrible to smoke out of?

    Oh man, a bad cigar and you just chuck it...
    if you use a torch to light it yes, other than smoking it 100 times a day it's not an easy thing to really mess up (imo) anyways, my pipe (first one) still smokes great and I know I didn't do anything right at first, I have a Meerschaum that doesn't smoke nearly as well due to the fact the mouthpiece is kinda loose, but I didn't know that when I purchased it off BOTL.org in their for sale section, I really only try to use that one for straight blends, dude sent me some odd ass pipe baccy that smelled like the business end of a manure truck that had mated with a skunk and found a way to get infused into pipe tobacco, sadly the bowl was ghosted with this sh!t so I smoked pretty much a little of everything I had to get rid of it and it's much better now, but my Briar is my first and still my go to pipe and seems fine by any standard I would know
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