Breaking In A New Pipe

[HoosierPuffer]

Allright, gents! I've got a question for you

I've read numerous guides on how to break in a pipe.

I've never smoked a pipe before. Never.

I've got the following config showing up on my doorstep any day now:

Peterson Calabash Rustic Fishtail pipe
Tobacco sampler:
Captain Black
Virginia Longcut
English Luxury
Optimum
Perfection

How would you go about breaking in the new pipe? What steps would you take? I've got a simple pipe tool and pipe cleaners coming in. What else should I get? Some sort of sweetening agent? Am I making this too hard?

This is fun.

Advise me with your sage wisdom. What works for you. What are some tricks n secrets.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Anonymous]

Slow and easy.

If the bowl starts getting warm, let it go out.

The briar's got nothing protecting it from charring/splitting yet.

:face:

 

[FibberMcGee]

With a new pipe, I usually smoke only half bowls in it for the first several smokes and it seems to promote more even cake building all the way down the bowl. Then I gradually increase the level from half each time until I am smoking a full bowl. Some people just fill the whole thing up from the start and have no problems, but for me it works best to start with half bowls.


And just as an fyi, Peterson usually stains their pipes by dipping them into the stain. The inside of the bowl gets stained as well. You will probably get a bit of an icky flavor from that for the first couple of bowls, (at least I usually do with a new Pete). Once broken in, Petes provide a pretty darn good smoke.

As Yak said. take it slow and easy.

 

[Sasquatch]

Welcome to the brotherhood Hoos

Rustic Petes have a carbony coating in the bowl, so that is the good news.

With one pipe, I would suggest you start with the least flavored tobacco - the virginia long cut. Captain Black and Optimum will leave a pleasant but noticeable vanilla taste in the pipe, and anything you smoke after that will taste of it.

Perfection has less vanilla but quite a bit of latakia, a tobacco that really leaves a mark as well (a yummy smokey one).

So I would start with a few bowls of the Va Long Cut. Dry it out a bit before you smoke it, and smoke it nice and slow. If the bowl gets too hot to hold against your face for a few seconds, let it rest.

After that, I would move into the vanilla-y Captain Black or Optimum, and try the aromatic side of things.

After that, I would try perfection, an English with a vanilla note added, and last try the English Luxury, which should have a fairly noticeable Latakia presence, and no "added" flavoring agents.

At this stage, you will have discovered some flavors you like and some smoking characteristics that you like, and no doubt will be ready to order another pipe or two! Muhahahaha :afro: Most of us keep our virginia pipes, aromatic pipes, and English (latakia) pipes for those specific tobaccos.

Don't be afraid to dry the tobacco out - I find that most start out too wet and it makes for hot, wet smoking. Dried a bit, everything works better. Pack it lightly - you shouldn't feel like you are sucking on a milkshake. Light up, pack a bit again, light again, and you are off.

Have fun.

PS You need some matches or something. There's just nothing like a lit pipe.

 

[FibberMcGee]

Hey Hoosier (I am from Indiana originally, too) also remember that pipe smoking is an art of patience and subtlety. There are as many techniques for smoking a pipe as there are pipe smokers, so use the information and advice that you get from the wonderful guys here and build on it. The only way to get a consistently good smoke is experience, so if you have a bad experience, don't give up. You can adjust the type of tobacco you are smoking or tweak your packing method and with time you will find that your smoking enjoyment greatly increases. When I first started, I had a hell of a time; I think the Blue Diamond Match company stock tripled. But eventually I developed a technique that works well for me.

If you can dig through my rambling, all I am trying to say is the longer you smoke, the more experience you get at packing, choosing tobacco and pipes. The more experience you get, the more you will enjoy the fine, relaxing art of pipe-smoking.

 

[Anonymous]

Hey bud,
Didn't read the above posts, so please forgive any redundance.

The short answer is: smoke them.

This is what I do:
Smoke the first 5 times about 1/4 full of tobacco only.
Smoke next 5 about 1/3 full of tobacco.
Smoke next 5 about 1/2 full
Next 5 3/4 full

At this point, you are ready to smoke full bowls, though most of us don't normally fill above 3/4 full to avoid darkening the rim. Whether you try this method or not, make sure you smoke all the way down to the bottom or you will not have a good cake at the bottom of the bowl. I've heard many smokers say the cake at the bottom of the bowl is not important, but they have never smoked my pipes.

 

[mark]

For me building the cake at the bottom is the hardest part, so I start with 1/4 full bowls until I see some good cake,,,after that gradually work towards the top,,,, again don't overheat,,,

 

[cutshot]

Greetings and welcome to the brotherhood!

I have just a couple of comments and or suggestions.

First, packing the pipe correctly is probably the single most important step in enjoying your new pipe. Too tight and it
will smoke wet (gurgle), and too loose it will smoke hot (toungue bite)!
There are several web sites that explain how to pack properly. The advice given above on filling partial bowls
is excellent and most recommended.

Second is to not give up on your new pipe before it is properly broken in mainly because with a new pipe you will draw out some bitter toxins from the briar while smoking and they can taste pretty bad so the more times you smoke it the better it will smoke for you. Some of my best smokers were unbearable for the first couple of bowls. Don't hesitate to put the pipe down and come back to it a little later. You will be rewarded
with a wonderful, cool smoke if you are patient!

Enjoy!

 

[Mikem]

I agree with Yak 100% on smoking slow and easy is probably the best advice anyone can give. I'm from the school of load it up and start smoking. You will get it down pretty quickly. If the bowl starts getting to hot to hold you need to slow it down.

 

[Anonymous]

One other thing, as a Peterson fan myself, I've found them to take a little longer to break in. Don't be afraid to smoke the hell out of it.

I'm sure others will wince, but when I get a new pipe, I immediately smoke the first 5 1/4 bowls;let it rest a day or two then smoke 2 or 3 of the 1/3 bowls I suggested. I figure it's the equavalent to one full bowl. Advice I was given as a new pipe smoker was: don't be in a hurry to fill up a bowl. There's always another bowl, no?

Smoking full bowls works fine AS LONG AS you smoke them to the bottom. Many smokers give up on a bowl before they finish it. A properly broken in pipe = euphoria.

As Mike mentioned (especially if you go with full bowls), slowly is the key.