(From RickPiatt): How long will you work to break in a pipe before deciding its a dud?

Compared to most of you, I'm no doubt a greenhorn, but in the 3 years that I have been smoking the pipe, I have not parted with a single pipe because of its smoking characteristics. I have had two that broke and one I gave away to a new pipe smoker. Apart from those three, I have kept them all and continue to smoke them all in an elaborate rotation that spans a full year.

With a collection nearing 100 pipes, there have been a few that I have had to struggle a bit with, but gradually they've all shaped up to be great smokers.

granted it may be 12 to 24 months or longer but I'm not comfortable saying 'years'.

ever come was THIS . There are a few others that I probably should hang up on. A full bent GBD with thin walls that is a real furnace and another I don't feel like ranting about. Over all most of them do a decent job and there are 3 that I just don't reach for often, like whenever there is a full solar eclipse.

Of sorts. I've been at this for over a year now. I have 9 pipes and (2) on the way so all I've done this year is break in pipes.

All is well except a Kaywoodie Supergrain bent apple. It has a stinger and gurgles like a geyser no matter what I do. Slow draw, every type of packing method, it doesn't matter.

I haven't given up, but it sits more often as I smoke pipe to relax - not swear.

But I have about three classifications regarding how a pipe smokes.

1. Terrible. I have a few that don't burn evenly or refuse to burn the bottom third.
2. Average. Where I can get a decent smoke...nothing outstanding,not bad either.
3. Excellent. Consistently gives a good smoke and usually does multi bowls without getting wet.

Most are average in my lot, but my Savs,B-Cs, and a few miscellaneous pipes are excellent.

I kinda look at pipes the same as tobacco, if it sucks... it gets passed up. The only difference is I wont throw a pipe out like I will bad tobacco. If I have given a pipe an honest chance and it still doesnt cut it, Ill pass it on to someone else in the hopes they have better luck.

Bob... Pull that damn stinger off and I bet you will be gurgle free. You might be missing out on a really good smoke because off that pesky piece of metal.

I don't believe that is an option with a KW, knid of like getting your tubes snipped, only it is not reversable.

I can usually tell in the first 3 to 5 days if it's a keeper.

My habit is that when I get a new pipe I inspect the engineering very closely before I smoke it. How is the pipe made internally and what is it that I think might be strong or weak internally and in the stem and bit area. Usually my first impression is the right impression, but sometimes for good or for bad I am surprised once the smoking starts.

Breaking in is the step where I send one or two bowls per day through the pipe for a week to three weeks, and then give it a good rest for a couple weeks before it becomes part of my regular rotation, but even then some pipes don't stay. What can I say- I'm picky about my keepers:) For a pipe to stay in my collection it has to perform!

You might be right C, I have not had a Kaywoodie, just other pipes with stingers. Im not really sure how the Kaywoodie engineering works.

Hell, cant ya just zip it off ?

Its part of the threaded portion of the stem. Pull it out and you can't put the stem together any more. But, I've heard many a man cut the darn thing off. From what I remember the average result is that it is better, but the pipe still is not exactly top shelf.

Ok 1OLDGI ... your turn to disagree with me.

The stingers I have pulled out have been push stems... and the stinger was just stuck into the tenon. So, pulling it out did not affect the stem.

I think I have seen what you mean though. Screw it, chop it off... cant be much worse than it is now right ?

please correct me. With a KW it is a ribbed condenser that is placed as part of the mold before the vulcanite is poured. It is not removeable or unscrewable. Cutting it is the only way to remove it. For the most part it also deminishes the value as a collector would not be interested in a butchered KW.

Is not poured, it is turned on a lathe from rod stock- then filed, sanded, and finally buffed.

Vulcanite stems are molded. Then excess may be turned on a lathe but the stem itself is POURED into a friggin' mold. What you are discribing seems more like ebonite.

If the pipe is new and previously unsmoked, I'll go 6-7 months, trying new burleys and (shudder!) other tobaccos to find the pipe's true nature. Usually not much more than that period, because if the pipe can't find its companion tobaccos, it will never know them. After a suitable test period, the pipe is gone.

If the pipe is merely new to me, and smoked previously, I'll go through the 5Bros breaking in, and then seek an appropriate tobacco, or family of tobaccos. After about 4 months, if the pipe doesn't work well with what I like to smoke, another trade in the works.

For the KWs, I am in the leave-condensers-alone group. First, the value of the KW drops dramatically w/o condensers. Second, condensers almost force the smoker to slow down and sip the smoke rather than puff. They're easy enough to clean, and help moderate the quality of the smoke.

Therein lies the problem. I am a hot smoker. I have gotten much better, but even at my best I probably draw harder than I should.

This thread got me thinking so I did some Googling and came across a 3 year old thread from the ASP site indicating that my pipe may be missing an o-ring at the junction where the stinger exits the bit. It obviously creates a seal that previously was a void.

Gonna try it - it may help.

I do as Ian mentioned about looking the pipe over carefully before I buy it. In a few months I get a decient cake built and by then I know what the pipe(s) like. I have not had one that did not smoke bad, although a couple took a year of trying different blends to find the one that works (rare).

Vulcanite is NOT turned from rod. It is pre-molded and then the rough edges removed and the shaping done by hand.

Vulcanite is turned from rod stock- trust me. Ebonite is simply the German Vulcanite which is a high quality vulcanite.

Trust me- I know.

The vulcanite my local carver uses, as well as the vulcanite I use are molded vulcanite stems. Most vulcanite I have seen comes in molded pre-fab stems, that is not to say that rod form cannot be obtained.

I think there may be an intermingling of the term Vulcanite and Ebonite. As you stated, Ebonite is the German variety, and is much different than standard Vulcanite as it is a harder more durable and higher quality substance.

I claim to be no expert, just my understanding.

IIRC one is a brand and the other is the name of the material or something like that, I just think all terms are interchangeable.

IOW, I try not to confuse myself and just say "vulcanite" when I mean the thing that can turn green in time, and say "acrylic" for the stuff that doesn't but feels much harder.

Hell, thanks guys. Now you've got me confused and I'll need to delve into it all.

Bastids ...

http://shop.hermanns...

http://www.janzen-pf...

Vulcanite is vulcanized rubber, normally it is obtained in a "rod stock," the highest quality of which is known as Ebonite- or German Vulcanite. it has a different sulfur content- the oxidization of sulfur is what turns the stem green. That is sulfur protruding out of the surface of the stem.

Yes- on the less expensive pipes you can get unfinished poured stems made of vulcanite that is the same material.

You are correct that Vulcanite rod does exist. After researching it, I found several supply sites that carry "Rubber" rod. Whether it is Vulcanite or Ebonite may not matter at all as I think Corneel may be right. Vulcanite, vulcanizing is the process of adding sulfur to the rubber and Ebonite may just be a brand name. I learn something new everyday.

However; Here is an example of a poured, molded stem. It is made of Vulcanite that is poured into a mold and is not turned to form it.

Courtesy of: Pipe Makers Emporium (http://www.pipemaker...)

Its seems as though everyone is right, in some way.

Ya beat me to the punch. Confusion solved... LOL

Anyone want to tell me more about lucite?

:-P

I quit !

Lucite |ˈloōˌsīt| (also lucite)
noun trademark
a solid transparent plastic made of polymethyl methacrylate (the same material as Perspex or Plexiglas).

My bad:0)

You are falling into the Corneel trap... RUN, RUN AS FAST AS YOU CAN !!!!

P.S. - I had to look to see what this thread STARTED talking about. ROFL

Now do perspex, cumberland and Ashtonite