Cob Durability

[alfredo_buscatti]

I'm wondering about the durability of the cob bowl and stem. Though wood and cob, it seems to me that they could last a lifetime. True?

 

[Kyle Weiss]

I'd say if not "lifetime," at least a long, long-ass time. I have my original cob from a year ago and I smoke out of it a lot. Considering it has no hardwood plug, I've mudded the bottom only once to shore up the soft spot that developed, and the stem needs replacing, it's been in the field, dropped, smoked all day (sometimes two days in a row *gasp*) it's one tough little sucker. They require a little more care and consideration, but I don't think my cobs have any foreseeable expiration date.

Just cigar-ash-mudded two others last night, waiting a few days for 'em to dry. 8)

 

[KevinM]

I have cobs that are 25 years old, though I don't smoke them every day and prefer my briars. But they get taken on vaca, fishing, hikes etcetc. I maintain them and generally treat them not a lot worse than a briar.

My .02 is that cobs get a rep for short life for two reasons.

-- They're the equivalent of Jeeps. The classic cob shot is a farmer, beside his tractor, clenching his cob. So fhe visual message is "suited for rough use." (A well-known variation is MacArthur's well known staged shot exiting a beach landing craft.) So cobs get left behind, dropped overboard, sat on etcetc. Not so much a Dunhill or Sav.

-- Cob maintenance s the stuff of jokes. They're smoked 'til they dissolve, may not be rotated and generally aren't given "time off" in racks. After all, they're cheap and expendable. Why bother?

However, if you put a bit of common-sense care into their keep, they're quite durable and will easily give a decade or more of enjoyable service.

 

[Dutch]

When I buy a new cob, before I ever smoke it, I have a ritual.

First, I smoke a cigar, make some pipe mud from the ash, and mud the bottom of the bowl. Once the mud is in the bottom, the wood stem inside the bowl never seems to burn out.

Next, I mix up some epoxy, and smear a ring of epoxy around the shank, right where it meets the bowl. Ditto for the metal ring on the other end of the shank, being careful not to let any excess epoxy get inside.

Once this is done, I give it a couple days for the epoxy and pipe mud to cure. It doesn't make the cob bullet proof, but it makes the overall mileage of the pipe much higher.

 

[tech2576]

I can't really speak of their longevity, I haven't been at this long enough. I "had" one cob.
Smoked it ALOT all summer. It never complained, started to get a little color in the stem and bowl is all. It still looks new, I just recieved my order of three more.
Best deal in pipe smoking near as I can tell!

 

[JimInks]

Until this year, I only smoked tobacco in a cob as a change of pace or to try something new. I have one cob I bought in 1979 and another I bought around 1984-85, and they've held up well. Maybe they wouldn't have if I had been smoking them everyday, but they still do the job for me.

 

[DrT999]

If you're willing to do a little work on them, like Kyle and Dutch, they should last many years and many many smokes. If you're lazy like me, not so long! But that's more my fault than the cobs'

 

[tiltjlp]

I have had cobs last over twenty years, and know of some lasting well over thirty years, with fairly regular use. One thing that helps is following some very simple care and maintainence ideas. You might want to check out my Primer.

http://pipedia.org/index.php?title=The_Complete_Corncob_primer

 

[Natch]

I've got a couple of MM's that have served me well for a couple of decades. They (the bowls) are soaked in some sort of plaster/clay slurry, so they're really much more heat resistant than a bare cob.

I've found the cheap plastic stems to be the weakest part. But you can buy the more durable options or get the plastic cheepies by the dozens as replacements.

Natch

 

[alfredo_buscatti]

tiltjp and everyone else, thank you for your many suggestions. I did read the part of the primer that seemed applicable, and ironically, after finishing the bowl of Oriental Dusk that it had contained, to knock out the tobacco left in the bottom too vigorously, heard a small "crack." Indeed, not a carved piece of wood but something more delicate!

Pipe seems fine.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

There's a reason to give a little more care to a cob than a briar: they're not as durable. But, they're not a princess like briar is. Briar urges one to take care of the grain, while cobs can get tossed about while laughing. The reason why resting any pipe isn't a terrible idea is merely taste while smoking, not to emasculate the pipe. Overall, care is mindfulness of the result while in practice, so I challenge my cobs to last just as long as a briar by administering a little.

Cobs also look better with battle scars. A chip on the edge from bouncing off a rock? Neat. Blackened rim from countless enjoyable smokes? Epic. Ever-darkening sides giving the cob that broken-in look? Fantastic.

I'm one of the few that rather like the cheap, black plastic stems that come with a cob. They're super easy on the teeth, last at least a couple of years (estimation), and fifty cents a pop to replace. If I lost, sat on, watched float down-river, a cob with a fancy replacement stem, suddenly the reason why I got the silly cob in the first place dissolves in regret. :lol:

Viva le cob.

8)

 

[Brewdude]

I bought 2 MM cobs back around '00/'01 and still have and smoke one of them. Think it's the Legend. Burnt the first one out, probably by smoking too fast.

Have several others that I got a few years ago. Haven't smoked them all, but the ones I have delivered a fine bowl.

I can see where careful smoking could result in a cob being used for many years. Just don't get the bowl too hot.


Cheers,

RR

 

[tiltjlp]

The key to cobs lasting a good long time is to realize that drier tobacco smoked slowly will provide a lot more flavor than puffing like there is no tomorrow.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Penzance, with the density of lead, tastes great in a cob, and if you're a heavy puffer, this combo is sure to put your puffin' skills to work. I recently had to mud a neat diamond-shank cob George Kaplan gave to me a while back, as it's one of my favorite pipes. As it goes, I smoke the pipe until the "gap" at the bottom is revealed under the stem (when applicable) and then I mud them up with cigar ash until the bottom is built up to just below the draft hole. Then they're rock-solid--literally.

I figured this was a Latakia pipe, and I never tried Penzance in it.

Why is this relevant? JP's mention of a drier tobacco really does wonder in a cob, especially if it is draft-packed properly to make the draw just right. I think I could have dried out the Penzance even a little more, and it was pretty darned dry after 15 minutes in front of a space heater. :lol: Tastes divine, though. The cob makes the Orientals and Turkish components really sing.

I prefer a slightly drier tobacco, I get a heck of a lot more flavor, and it is probably why my cobs burn cool and don't burn out (except at the bottom...which is totally fixable with pipe mud).

8)

 

[i.keenum]

The current legend I have is a tank. Ran it over in a suv white it day in the grass and it was fine

 

[Steveaux]

The current legend I have is a tank. Ran it over in a suv white it day in the grass and it was fine

Got a head cold ?

:twisted:

 

[i.keenum]

Meant "with it"

 

[Steveaux]

Jus' a li'l razzin', Bro.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Ian, you seem to place your smoking wares into fascinating vehicle-versus-pipes scenarios. I seem to remember a Nording which survived an adventure off the top of your car not too long ago. :lol:

8)

 

[i.keenum]

I know you were just messing with me steve no worries.

I was rainexing the windshield and smoking the cob. Placed on top the wheel while I was waxing the car and forgot about it. Got in and drove the vehicle into a sunny spot to drive and under it went.

Only a few cracks at the shank bowl junction.



And because Kyle asked back when we had the last hurricane for us to post a picture, here is the same cob with me out during a calm part of the storm.