The inside of a pipe bowl

[PipedJimmy]

Hey guys, recently bought a pipe in Italy which I think is a Savinelli that has not been finished, in that, it has no stain nor the black coating familiar to me on the inside of the bowl. Does this mean that I am unable to smoke the pipe?

 

[Sasquatch]

Jimmy, just take it easy on the first few bowls. Try not to overheat it.

Most of us prefer bare wood to any kind of pre-finish inside the bowls. A lot of manufacturers hide flaws in the briar with that coating.

Anyway, I've broken in multiple "brand name" hand made pipes, a Mastro de Paja, a Chacom, my own pipes, etc with no coating at all, and they are my favorite pipes by and large.

Your new pipe is good to go - no worries.


IF you are worried, dump a bowlful of ashes from some other pipe into a teaspoon of honey, and smear the resulting mess onto the walls of the chamber in your new pipe. The sugar in the honey will crystallize/burn onto the walls, making instant cake. But it is pretty well not necessary.


The outside of the pipe will darken up a bit and develop a bit of a patina with time, but leaving it "raw" won't hurt it a bit.

 

[Eulenburg]

Jim, I can only reinforce what Sasquatch said. Such a natural finish makes it easier to know, simply by looking at the bowl under good light, that it has no faults. It's the sign of a better quality pipe, especially in Italy.

If you break your pipe in slowly, not overheating it, such an unvarnished bowl will form a smooth, even carbon coat and actually smoke better than pipes with make up!

 

[PipedJimmy]

Great Sasquatch, thanks for your reply, helpful as always! I was hoping it would be smokeable as I really like the shape, plus its my biggest pipe to date and I'm looking forward to some long summer evenings with my book in hand, ahhh the simple things lol thank you!

 

[Kapnismologist]

Right on. I would add that I always, always, always start with bare wood in the bowl of a pipe - new or estate. I invariably sand out either the factory coating or the existing cake. One does, of course, need to take it slow when breaking in a bare chamber but there is little quite as satisfying than knowing you've done the work in establishing the kind, and flavor, of cake you want in a particular pipe. It is part of the ritual of making a mere pipe YOUR PIPE. Also, in my experience starting with a good foundation is very much essential to future cake performance (e.g., avoiding chips, cracks, flaking or webbing, etc.).

 

[Anonymous]

Hey guys, recently bought a pipe in Italy which I think is a Savinelli that has not been finished, in that, it has no stain nor the black coating familiar to me on the inside of the bowl. Does this mean that I am unable to smoke the pipe?

That usually means it's a good pipe. Pipe makers and producers that make quality pipes are the ones that don't use coatings, which most of us rub off with a paper towel if we can.

Go through the break in process (1/4 bowls, 1/3 bowls, then 1/2 bowls, etc).

 

[ftrplt]

I dip my index finger in a bit of port or sherry and rub the inside of a new briar bowl before the first light. I continue to do this for the first 8-10 bowls. Worked pretty well over 45 years! :cheers: ipe: FTRPLT

 

[Richard Hester]

Sir
If you dont want honey or anything sticky in you pipe you could also put a littl water on your finger and moisten the inside then smoke very slow it takes a few bowls to break it in but will worth the time
Best regards
Richard

 

[PipedJimmy]

Thank you all very much for your replies, its a great forum where one can feel that he is gaining benefit from his elders when sadly they are lacking so much in contemporary society, viz. pipe smokers, viz. I just realised I'm very strange lol but very happy at the same time, ah well, it takes all sorts to make up the world.

 

[PipedJimmy]

One more question regarding this pipe, it looks to me like there is space for a filter and on drawing I did experience tobacco being brought up the stem then into my mouth, am I right in thinking this needs a 6mm-6.5mm filter? or is it a bad pipe?

 

[Anonymous]

Just dial your draw velocity back a notch or two, PJ.

Any pipe with an airway wide enough for an unconstricted draw has a bore large enough to suck bits of tobacco and/or (on re-lights) ash into your mouth through.

Filters in pipes add as much to the experience of smoking as the thingies that used to be "sold for the prevention of disease only" added to the activity they were intended for. I.e., not only nothing, but quite a bit less than nothing.

:face:

 

[Natch]

PJimmy,

If it's a Stanwell and if it was indeed made to hold a filter, I believe it would be a 9mm filter. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Savanelli the only major maker that uses the 6mm filters, other than the longer, 6mm paper tubes that Dr. Grabows and the like take.

If you can insert the eraser end of a standard pencil into the shank end of the stem, it does take the 9mm filter. If, as most here will suggest, you don't use filters, their are inserts that fill that void but allow a draft hole down the center.

Natch

 

[lowflyingpenguin]

All the Savs I have came with a little black tube that goes into the stem if you don't want the filter. This adjusts the draw. If you want try a filter make sure you use the Savinelli balsa filters that were designed for those pipes. Way better than the paper ones you see around.

 

[Eulenburg]

The 9mm or 6mm-wide chamber may take a filter, but the rest of the air shaft is standard. The opening into the bowl is standard. It's not like German pipes have a 9mm-wide hole in the bowl!

So If a few grains of tobacco get into your mouth (which is not unusual for a pipester) just spit them out.

I have German and Italian pipes with filter chambers: I smoke them without filter or adapter and never have a problem.

 

[PipedJimmy]

Thanks again guys, especially for the tip regarding velocity of draw, I'm a big guy so I tend to treat things fairly heavily by habit, but slowing things down really accentuated the flavour and the smoking experience, which is now working in tandem with my puff to rest ratio lol.
With regards to the use of liquids in the pipe bowl however, what does this actually do? and is it preceeding a smoke that you should do it or after you've left it to dry for a bit,

thank you all for your help.

 

[alfredo_buscatti]

Anything used to build cake more quickly or to protect the chamber should be done before smoking the pipe.

When I was breaking in a nude chamber I used to make a mixture of ash and water thin enough to be readily spreadable. But now I just take it easy for the first 6 bowls or so.

 

[PipedJimmy]

Grazie Alfredo, didn't see your message for a while, 'tis smoking fine thank you.