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.

Tobacco to Break In a Pipe

Is there a specific tobacco I should use to break in my pipes?

Actually, as with everything in the pipe smoking hobby, there are no hard and fast rules about what tobacco to use when breaking in a pipe. You will encounter folks with different preferences who may have multitudes of reasons for why you should use this or that tobacco. Feel free to take their advice, but ultimately it comes down to your own preferences.

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There is one general idea, however, that most pipe smokers seem to agree on regarding breaking in a pipe: don't use a strong English or Latakia blend if you plan to use the pipe for aromatic tobaccos.

The reason for this is very simple: the stronger tobaccos will leave a "ghost" flavor in your pipe and may adversely affect your ability to enjoy other types of tobacco in the same pipe. For this reason, many smokers prefer to have at least two pipes, one for aromatics and one for English/Oriental blends. Of course, if you plan to smoke stronger blends in the pipe, there is no reason not to break it in with those types of blends.

In the final analysis, you should not be overly concerned about the details. Smoke whatever tobaccos you enjoy. Smoke slowly, and evenly paced. Over time, the pipe will break in and become "seasoned," and you will be rewarded for your patience.

Pipe Breaking in and Resting

What is the purpose of "breaking in" and/or "resting" a pipe?

First let me say there are many different opinions among pipe smokers about these practices. It's not something I'm rigid about, and everyone should adopt a practice that works for their own enjoyment of the pipe hobby. But I think there is practical wisdom in both practices. Here are some thoughts on the matter.

The process of breaking in a pipe is really no different than smoking the pipe normally. The idea is simply that every pipe, since it is made of a natural material with varying qualities, will take a while to acquire the characteristics that pipe smokers generally find desirable. A major part of the break-in process is to "season" the wood. This involves two primary aspects: (1) smoking out any saps or resins that may remain in the wood, which can foul the taste; and (2) smoking into the wood the various oils and flavorings from the tobacco, which can enhance the taste. Both of these things occur automatically, and there is nothing special one needs to do. But it takes time, and most pipes will not reach their full potential until after this seasoning process occurs.
During this seasoning process, the carbon cake on the inside of the tobacco chamber also begins to naturally develop from the residue and ash of the tobacco burned in the pipe. This carbon layer forms a thin barrier that protects the wood and also enhances the flavor of a smoke, especially if the same tobacco is used exclusively in a given pipe. (This is a practice known as "dedicating" a pipe. It's definitely not essential, but many find it to be a rewarding practice.)

Every time a pipe is smoked, it is subjected to heat and moisture. Some form of thermal cycling occurs as the wood expands and contracts, and the fibers of the wood absorb moisture, oils, and other by-products of the combustion process. This is normal and unavoidable, but it causes stress to the wood and affects it at a microscopic level. Briar is a particularly hard wood that grows under adverse conditions. This makes it very durable and particularly well-suited to pipe-making. But even briar will eventually succumb to excessive stress if it is not treated properly. When a pipe is smoked over and over again, without being able to "rest" or dry, the wood fibers can become saturated with moisture. This causes them to expand excessively and can lead to cracks in the pipe. Even if one is fortunate enough to avoid damaging a pipe, nearly ever pipe smoker can attest to the foul taste and odor produced by a "wet" pipe. When the wood is saturated from overuse, it can no longer absorb moisture during a smoke. This not only affects the taste, but can cause the pipe to gurgle and will quickly "gunk up" the bowl, shank, and stem. The result is a sour smelling and nasty tasting pipe. For these reasons, it is common practice among discerning pipe smokers to "rest" their pipes in between smokes.

The ideal length of time for the resting period depends on several factors that cannot be estimated (quality of the wood, nature of the tobacco, weather conditions, personal smoking habits, etc.). But the general idea is to let the wood dry out enough to avoid the issues noted above. Again there are varying opinions, but it seems common to allow the pipe to rest for at least 24 hours before using it again. This is one reason that many pipe smokers keep at least several pipes in their "rotation." That way, by the time they get back to a particular pipe, it has had several days to rest since the last smoke.

Even though I advocate allowing a pipe to rest, I realize there are many times when this is not practical or even necessary. In fact, just recently, I smoked three partial bowls back-to-back in one of my pipes (I very rarely smoke this much, but it was a unique occasion). But in that case, the pipe was still performing well and did not become over-heated or over-saturated. Also when I was finished, I cleaned the pipe thoroughly and put it on the rack to rest. I will not return to that pipe for at least several days. The point is, even with the recommended practices, some common sense goes a long way toward keeping your pipe performing well and tasting great.

Lastly, I'll mention that some smokers reject the idea of resting their pipes. They often cite examples of the old-timers who used to own a single pipe and smoked it relentlessly for hours and hours, day after day. That is definitely true. I know some today who still prefer to do things that way. Obviously, if one can only afford a single pipe and "needs" to smoke several bowls a day, then there are limited options. However, I can say with certainty that if we were to examine the pipes of those who smoke in this manner, they would be foul beyond belief. I've cleaned and refurbished hundreds and hundreds of pipes from folks who smoke their pipes nearly to death. I have seen first-hand the results and can tell you that I would never put one of those nasty things in my mouth!