How to Break In a New Pipe

Recommendations to break-in a new pipe

Not everyone agrees about the “perfect” technique for breaking in pipes. Some smokers even believe there is no need to break-in a pipe, simply fill it up and smoke it. While I agree that there is freedom to do what works best for you, I recommend the simple break-in method outlined below. But first, here are a couple quick remarks about the purpose of the break-in process:

Even when briar has been dried and treated, it still retains a certain amount of sap, resin, and natural acids. These things affect the ability of the wood to absorb moisture, withstand heat, etc. They also can impart a flavor to the tobacco as you smoke it. The break-in process helps to rid the wood of these remaining substances, making it more pleasant to smoke.

         You need to ream the caking, or this will happen

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In order to protect the bowl from the heat of burning tobacco and to aid in the absorption of moisture that results from combustion, it is important to develop a carbon cake inside the tobacco chamber. The break-in process helps to properly develop this carbon cake, which is simply a layer of charred residue that builds up inside the bowl as tobacco is burned.

With these simple factors in mind, I’ll briefly describe how you can break-in a pipe and begin the “seasoning” of the briar. Here is a simple method that will help you to break-in a new (or refurbished) pipe.

I do not recommend coating the inside of the tobacco chamber with honey, alcohol, or water. Instead, start with a full bowl of loosely packed tobacco. Of course it must be packed tightly enough to burn, but pack it more loosely than usual. Some people will prefer to start with only a third or half a bowl and slowly build it up to a full bowl over four or five smokes, but this is not necessary. As long as you smoke slowly and gently, the amount of tobacco in the bowl really makes no difference, so simply decide which is more appropriate for you.

As I noted above, the most important factor for breaking in a pipe is that you smoke slowly, making sure that the pipe does not overheat, and that you smoke all the way down to the bottom of the bowl. If possible, it is desirable to burn all the tobacco to the bottom of the bowl. This will help develop a cake in the heel of the bowl.

So fill your pipe loosely, sit back and enjoy your first smoke. Do not hurry. If the pipe gets too hot, put it aside, and let it cool down. It does not matter if your pipe goes out, just relight it and continue to smoke slowly all the way down to the bottom. When you’ve finished burning all the tobacco (this may require several relights), then loosen the grey ash with a pipe tool and while covering the top of the bowl with your fingers or hand, shake the pipe a few times. This action will spread and deposit fine ash on the walls inside the bowl and will help to build up a nice cake more quickly. Remove the remains of the ashes from the bowl.

Once your pipe cools down, be sure to clean it thoroughly and then allow the pipe to rest before smoking it again. Keeping your pipe dry and clean is the secret to an enjoyable smoking experience.

Pipe smoking is often called the "art of patience"; it is intended to be a pleasure that you savor and enjoy. So don't be in a hurry and try not to get intimidated by the details. Just try to form good habits and take good care of your pipes. You'll be rewarded by a great smoke and lifetime of happy puffing.

Smoking Pipe to The Bottom

I'm having trouble burning the tobacco all the way to the bottom of the bowl. Is this necessary? Do you have any tips for doing it?

It is generally considered a good and desirable thing to smoke your tobacco down to the bottom of the bowl. Doing this during the break-in process helps to properly develop a carbon cake, which will make your pipe smoke cooler and drier. The cake on the inside of the bowl insulates the briar from the heat of combustion. The carbon itself absorbs or deflects much of the heat and protects your pipe in the process. This also has a positive effect on helping to keep your pipe lit. Since the heat will stay in the chamber, rather than dissipating through the wood, it is easier to keep the tobacco ember burning. One additional benefit of a good carbon cake lining your bowl is that it can help intensify the flavors of your tobacco. This is especially true if you smoke only one type of tobacco in the pipe. This is called "dedicating" a pipe and is not necessary, but I thought I would at least mention it.

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But as you're discovering, it can be very difficult smoking all the way to the bottom of the bowl, especially on new or refurbished pipes. One of the chief reasons for this difficulty is the moisture that collects in the bottom of the bowl. This moisture is a result of combustion and is unavoidable. However, excessively moist tobacco or heavily cased (i.e., flavored) aromatic tobaccos can be especially problematic. (This doesn't mean you should avoid aromatics--I've broken in many pipes using nothing but aromatics.) As you smoke through the bowl, the tobacco at the bottom soaks up the moisture that collects there. This makes it very difficult to keep your pipe burning and requires frequent relights. Unfortunately, frequent relighting at the bottom of the bowl often causes the smoker to draw the heat from the flame directly into the mouth, which can lead to serious tongue bite.

So, how do you burn it to the bottom? Well, I'm afraid there is no "secret technique." I've broken in dozens of pipes and no two have been the same. Some broke in very quickly and easily. Others required far more smokes than I would have imagined before a good cake began to form. Below are few general suggestions that may help.

1. Try smoking only small, partial bowls in your pipe. This will help prevent excessive moisture building up in the heel throughout the smoke. Since you're only filling the very bottom (say 1/4 or 1/3 of the way full), there should be less buildup of moisture. This means the tobacco will stay drier and should make it easier to burn down to ash. You still have to exercise care not to draw too heavily or you run the risk of scorching your tongue. Once you notice the cake starting to form at the bottom of the bowl, you can begin filling the chamber more fully. Keep in mind, as I noted above, the cake itself will ultimately help to keep your pipe lit and aid in burning the entire bowl of tobacco.

2. Make sure you're smoking slowly and steadily. Puffing too rapidly or sporadically can cause uneven burning and makes it difficult to reduce the tobacco to ash.
Tamp regularly to make sure the tobacco ember stays in contact with the unburned tobacco. Tamping also maintains the ash "crust" on top of the tobacco which aids in burning.

3. If you notice a large amount of moisture in the bottom of the bowl, it may simply not be possible to burn all the tobacco down to gray or white ash. In those cases, don't worry about it. In my opinion, it's much better to tap out the dottle (unburned tobacco) than to fry your tongue by puffing too hard or drawing the hot flame through that moist tobacco.

4. Lastly, keep in mind that there is absolutely nothing wrong with relighting your pipe--even many times. Even the most experienced smokers often relight their pipes frequently depending on a number of conditions. In fact, some actually prefer to allow their pipes to go out on purpose, let the pipe rest a few minutes, and then relight it again. But the point is, there is no shame in having to relight.

In the final analysis, I encourage you not to be overly concerned about burning the entire bowl of tobacco. Even though burning the tobacco all the way to the bottom of the bowl is a worthy goal, it is not something that should become the focus or emphasis of your pipe smoking. Sit back, relax, and puff away. I have often told my son, who is a novice pipe smoker that smokes very infrequently, that "pleasure comes before precision." That's simply my way of saying that pipe smoking is more about your enjoyment of the hobby than it is about perfecting your techniques. Good technique comes with time. It takes patience, practice, and perseverance. But if you don't enjoy it, you'll never spend the time necessary to develop good technique.