Yes, that is true it does take time to break in a good briar. On the other hand a pre-carboned bowl allows you to smoke properly right away. Cobs are good and they have there place. A lot of people use them to start and some use them when they need to rest a briar too.
The pre-carboned are good right away, but I still find them to be better in a year or two.
Yes, that is true it does take time to break in a good briar. On the other hand a pre-carboned bowl allows you to smoke properly right away. Cobs are good and they have there place. A lot of people use them to start and some use them when they need to rest a briar too.
The pre-carboned are good right away, but I still find them to be better in a year or two.
Interesting. I have not been smoking long enough to see it. At just over 3 years of pipe smoking the only pipe I have had for that long really still has not been smoked enough. I learn something new all the time.
Yes, that is true it does take time to break in a good briar. On the other hand a pre-carboned bowl allows you to smoke properly right away. Cobs are good and they have there place. A lot of people use them to start and some use them when they need to rest a briar too.
The pre-carboned are good right away, but I still find them to be better in a year or two.
Interesting. I have not been smoking long enough to see it. At just over 3 years of pipe smoking the only pipe I have had for that long really still has not been smoked enough. I learn something new all the time.
Mostly just the caking, I think. I will fill a pre-carbon bowl all the way a couple times, then start as if it weren't pre-carboned. 1/3pack a couple times, keep building up over the next couple dozen times until I'm back to filling it all the way. Seems to make a difference. Or, maybe I just have a sub-conscious need for the ritual.
Great tips and I learned the packing tips long time ago and it was as you said....only the term was used as if one was shaking hands...with the baby first, momma second and daddy last. One other trick was after doing your last pack...use your forefinger and thumb and twist the tobacco around a few times to conjoin the tobacco together...it burns better because the tobacco will intertwine with each other and combustion transfers easier from flake to flake. Burned my first bowlful the other day after a long hiatus and it was like riding a bike...only had to relight a couple of times and was able to get an hours worth of quality smoking time.
I did remember that smoking a pipe has a different strength to it and you need to rest your tongue a few hours if you are also a cigar smoker...you can smoke a cigar first and then a pipe right after but not the other way around.
Are there any tips that can be suggested for restoring and cleaning an old pipe? I have one that was passed from my wifes grandfather and it looks like there is a 20 year old half smoked bowl still packed and the stem is a hard goopy mess and it reeks foul.
There are a lot of things you can do. First you want to clean out that stem and the shank really well. To do so, I use a high alcohol content drink…Everclear, or moonshine if you can get the good stuff. Put it on a pipe cleaner and run it through until they come out clean. This can take some time, but it does the job. JUST MAKE SURE, DO NOT GET THE ALCOHOL ON THE BOWL, OR IT WILL EAT THE STAIN RIGHT OFF. After that I would ream the bowl if the cake is thicker than a quarter, and ream it down to that of a dime. For the stem, if it is well oxidized, you can get some stem polish to buff it out, or Armonhammer tooth paste works pretty good as well—all depends on how bad the stem is.
If the bowl is really bad and has a rather strong ghost, you can do a salt treatment to clean that.
There are a lot of things you can do. First you want to clean out that stem and the shank really well. To do so, I use a high alcohol content drink…Everclear, or moonshine if you can get the good stuff. Put it on a pipe cleaner and run it through until they come out clean. This can take some time, but it does the job. JUST MAKE SURE, DO NOT GET THE ALCOHOL ON THE BOWL, OR IT WILL EAT THE STAIN RIGHT OFF. After that I would ream the bowl if the cake is thicker than a quarter, and ream it down to that of a dime. For the stem, if it is well oxidized, you can get some stem polish to buff it out, or Armonhammer tooth paste works pretty good as well—all depends on how bad the stem is.
If the bowl is really bad and has a rather strong ghost, you can do a salt treatment to clean that.
1+ the stem can also be restored using Barkeepers Friend. You can find a lot on YouTub about restoring an old stem some without the need for a buffing wheel, which if you are like me you don't have.
I got to thinking about pipe smoking. It can be an intricate hobby, both
Second. Pipes will affect your taste for quite awhile. If you're planning to smoke a cigar in the evening, give at least a few hours since your last pipe. How long depends on your pipe tobacco. .
I wish i had seen this earlier. Just the other week smoked an aromatic blend and then smoked a RP edge. The edge tasted horrible and i couldn't finish smoking it.
I got to thinking about pipe smoking. It can be an intricate hobby, both
Second. Pipes will affect your taste for quite awhile. If you're planning to smoke a cigar in the evening, give at least a few hours since your last pipe. How long depends on your pipe tobacco. .
I wish i had seen this earlier. Just the other week smoked an aromatic blend and then smoked a RP edge. The edge tasted horrible and i couldn't finish smoking it.
Yeah, that's a bad experience, especially if you know it's not the cigar itself. "Dang, I just ruined a six dollar cigar with 25 cents worth of pipe tobacco". Fortunately, you can follow the cigar with the pipe with no ill effects, at least that's been my experience.
I just tried the toothpaste tip for cleaning my pipe stem - worked very well. Up until today I had been looking for a place to buy a replacement stem. Thanks for the great info guys!
deejmeemix recently gifted me a pipe and some tobacco, so this thread will come in rather handy for me. I bought a cheap pipe a few years ago and could never get the bowl packed correctly, so now I'll be trying Tex's method and see how it goes. I'll report back after a few attempts.
It also takes time to break a pipe in, at least several bad bowls lol. However, keep tamping... Tamping is the most important thing. Also, if you get the gurgle, take your poker and push it straight down the side of the bowl to the opening of the stem. Sometimes straight down works as well in the middle.
deejmeemix recently gifted me a pipe and some tobacco, so this thread will come in rather handy for me. I bought a cheap pipe a few years ago and could never get the bowl packed correctly, so now I'll be trying Tex's method and see how it goes. I'll report back after a few attempts.
I love the Frank method. You can Google it and find several videos. It too takes a few bowls to get it but once you have it you will be suprised how few relights you will need. I just finished a bowl without relights now!
deejmeemix recently gifted me a pipe and some tobacco, so this thread will come in rather handy for me. I bought a cheap pipe a few years ago and could never get the bowl packed correctly, so now I'll be trying Tex's method and see how it goes. I'll report back after a few attempts.
I love the Frank method. You can Google it and find several videos. It too takes a few bowls to get it but once you have it you will be suprised how few relights you will need. I just finished a bowl without relights now!
Interesting, I just watched a video on this. I will try for sure. My method I normally need 1-2 relights at most if I get a good bowl, sometimes none. I smoke in my truck alot, and it seems to be effective. This looks neat though, so I will try it this week and give feedback.
Thanks for the support, guys. I'm still at work but I may have time for a bowl when I get home later this evening.
Hope you can. I will be out of luck until Monday night. Company coming in and they are crazy anti-smokers. I could, its my house and I only smoke outside anyway but its just easier to not.
Tried Frank twice last night. First bowl was perfect, not relights. Second one took a couple lol. Is it just me, or does it seem like the my perception is the bowl is not very full with this method? I am still going to try it a few more times, but I just felt like I could pack it down and put more in.
Having a bowl of Black Velvet, packed using the Frank Method. Apparently, I still need to work on it. I've had to relight at least four times but it's a longer period between relights.
What do you guys suggest as the "Best" vulcanite stem cleaner? I have one thats green and grey and toothpaste isnt really cleaning it up much. I can buff if power equipment is needed... but i dont know if thats a good idea or not.
Yea man, Obsidian oil works great, toothpaste does as well, just let it sit on there for a few hours and then buff it. Best is to buff it with a dremel with a buffer pad.
Tried Frank twice last night. First bowl was perfect, not relights. Second one took a couple lol. Is it just me, or does it seem like the my perception is the bowl is not very full with this method? I am still going to try it a few more times, but I just felt like I could pack it down and put more in.
Maybe? How much longer does it smoke using another method? Also, this may be part of the the struggle with relights, tongue bite, etc. I have found that packing lighter than I think I should (in the beginning anyway) took away most issues no matter what method I use.
What do you guys suggest as the "Best" vulcanite stem cleaner? I have one thats green and grey and toothpaste isnt really cleaning it up much. I can buff if power equipment is needed... but i dont know if thats a good idea or not.
Aj
I don't have the equipment you do but a B&M I frequent does. You can easily buff it out but do go slow. Also, here is a link that I used when I did my first, without any power tools. It is very good IMHO.
What do you guys suggest as the "Best" vulcanite stem cleaner? I have one thats green and grey and toothpaste isnt really cleaning it up much. I can buff if power equipment is needed... but i dont know if thats a good idea or not.
Aj
I don't have the equipment you do but a B&M I frequent does. You can easily buff it out but do go slow. Also, here is a link that I used when I did my first, without any power tools. It is very good IMHO.
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I did remember that smoking a pipe has a different strength to it and you need to rest your tongue a few hours if you are also a cigar smoker...you can smoke a cigar first and then a pipe right after but not the other way around.
I have one that was passed from my wifes grandfather and it looks like there is a 20 year old half smoked bowl still packed and the stem is a hard goopy mess and it reeks foul.
Aj
Aj
Thanks for the bump. I laughed when I saw that after reading this thread from start to finish. Good stuff here and answered a lot of questions.
Aj
Aj
Instead of Chap-stick I use food grade mineral oil which you can find at any drugstore.