Opus X
Puff Daddy
The very first thing you need to do is give your new pipe a good cleaning.. This isn't the deep clean that you will eventually give your pipe since the pipe has not been smoked before. During the travel to you it may have picked up some bits and pieces. Usually running a pipe cleaner through it will be more than enough.
No matter what techniques you do or do not employ when breaking in a pipe, what's especially important is keeping that pipe from getting too hot while still building up a carbon cake. Finding the right speed to maintain a cool smoke is conducive to getting the most out of a smoking experience, broken in pipe or not. But heat is especially important to be cautious of when the wood is exposed and more vulnerable.
Frequently we think of ghosting as what happens when cake takes on the flavor of especially pungent tobacco and imparts that flavor onto later smokes. But most smokers have at least one story of that cursed pipe from which they could not elimiate that ghost. Try as they try, reaming simply won't do because the ghost is present in the wood. A new pipe that doesn't have a carbon cake is more susceptible to storing strong flavors. Virginia based tobaccos are a good option for breaking in a pipe without it ghosting as they are mild.
The first several packings of the bowl need to be light, usually between 1/3 to 1/2 full. This will allow a better burn and a better build up of the cake that you want.
No matter what techniques you do or do not employ when breaking in a pipe, what's especially important is keeping that pipe from getting too hot while still building up a carbon cake. Finding the right speed to maintain a cool smoke is conducive to getting the most out of a smoking experience, broken in pipe or not. But heat is especially important to be cautious of when the wood is exposed and more vulnerable.
Frequently we think of ghosting as what happens when cake takes on the flavor of especially pungent tobacco and imparts that flavor onto later smokes. But most smokers have at least one story of that cursed pipe from which they could not elimiate that ghost. Try as they try, reaming simply won't do because the ghost is present in the wood. A new pipe that doesn't have a carbon cake is more susceptible to storing strong flavors. Virginia based tobaccos are a good option for breaking in a pipe without it ghosting as they are mild.
The first several packings of the bowl need to be light, usually between 1/3 to 1/2 full. This will allow a better burn and a better build up of the cake that you want.
