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Post by kbareit on Nov 30, 2018 16:34:34 GMT -5
I picked up half a dozen cobs for trying out new tobaccos and wondered if there is anything I should do to break them in or prep them for smoking. The first one I used didn't smoke well and I found lots of splinters in the mortise?(sorry, I'm not completely up on the parts yet). Further inspection found the hole partially blocked. I removed the blockage and it seems to smoke OK .now
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Post by Legend Lover on Nov 30, 2018 16:40:03 GMT -5
You shouldn't need to break in a cob. However, were the cobs from missouri meerschaum?
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Post by beardedmi on Nov 30, 2018 16:47:19 GMT -5
Even with missouri meerschaum cobs its not uncommon to have chips left in the shank and bowl, and the dust isnt uncommon in any new pipe. Everytime I plan kn smok8ng a new cob I like to run a drill bit of the appropiate size in the filter area and draught hole all the way to the bowl. They're standard sizes ie fractional sizes. I just spin em around by hand and maybe use a pocket knife to clean up the fuzzies around the bowl end. I load em and smoke em after that little bit and within a week in the truck they've flattened out the bottom of the bowl with natural pipe mud and smoke better than most of my briars. There are other methods this is just my simple method.
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Screaming Jazz
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Post by Screaming Jazz on Nov 30, 2018 16:59:05 GMT -5
You could try the quick method. Load the bowl, light it then hold it out the window of your car as you drive. It will either break in or burn out. Hahaha
But really, cobs don't need too much breaking in. At least not like briars. Just smoke it and everything will be as it should. You shouldn't let cake build on the inside of a cob.
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Post by kbareit on Nov 30, 2018 17:01:18 GMT -5
You shouldn't need to break in a cob. However, were the cobs from missouri meerschaum? Yes they are. I didn't know if there is a break in on these. The draught hole is supposed to be centered correct? I have one that is almost touching the opposite side of the bowl. Looks like a dremel in there and is easily fixed. |
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Post by Legend Lover on Nov 30, 2018 17:05:57 GMT -5
You shouldn't need to break in a cob. However, were the cobs from missouri meerschaum? Yes they are. I didn't know if there is a break in on these. The draught hole is supposed to be centered correct? I have one that is almost touching the opposite side of the bowl. Looks like a dremel in there and is easily fixed. I think you get cobs like that. The shank normally protrudes into the bowl to touch the other side. |
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Post by Dramatwist on Nov 30, 2018 17:22:04 GMT -5
...clean out the stuff, fill the bowl, smoke it... it isn't rocket science...
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2018 17:44:52 GMT -5
When I purchase a new Cob I blow out the chamber and give a light coat of my pipe mud and cure for 24 hours. With the mud I build up the proper cake faster and evenly throughout the chamber. It’s a method I’ve used for 40 plus years......works best for me. Every pipe smoker has their own method. I have a few Cobs with 3,000 plus uses, I actually lost count.
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Post by pepesdad1 on Nov 30, 2018 17:53:59 GMT -5
Ted's idea is a good one. I also use that same drill bit that you would use to clear the airway..I wrap some medium to fine sandpaper around the drill bit and clean the airway with that...seems to clean it up pretty good. Gets rid of the fuzzys.
The funky taste that you might get is normal until that pine shank piece burns away..might even get a taste of corn...all that goes away in a few smokes...it is worthwhile just to deal with it, once it is ready you will get many years of pleasure from that cob.
Wanna make it look snazzy...look up "cob modification" in the threads and see what piffy and pepesdad1 have done.
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Post by kbareit on Nov 30, 2018 18:36:52 GMT -5
You could try the quick method. Load the bowl, light it then hold it out the window of your car as you drive. It will either break in or burn out. Hahaha But really, cobs don't need too much breaking in. At least not like briars. Just smoke it and everything will be as it should. You shouldn't let cake build on the inside of a cob. I have a oxy acetylene torch, that should make short work of it. I'm too lazy to stick my arm out the window and hold the pipe to burn it in. I cleaned,reamed and sanded a little then smoked two half bowls and it seemed to burn in pretty good and is smoking a lot better. |
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Post by kbareit on Nov 30, 2018 18:39:04 GMT -5
Even with missouri meerschaum cobs its not uncommon to have chips left in the shank and bowl, and the dust isnt uncommon in any new pipe. Everytime I plan kn smok8ng a new cob I like to run a drill bit of the appropiate size in the filter area and draught hole all the way to the bowl. They're standard sizes ie fractional sizes. I just spin em around by hand and maybe use a pocket knife to clean up the fuzzies around the bowl end. I load em and smoke em after that little bit and within a week in the truck they've flattened out the bottom of the bowl with natural pipe mud and smoke better than most of my briars. There are other methods this is just my simple method. Thanks, took your advice and it seems to have taken care of the problem. |
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Post by kbareit on Nov 30, 2018 18:46:17 GMT -5
...clean out the stuff, fill the bowl, smoke it... it isn't rocket science... But I like rocket science. |
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Post by kbareit on Nov 30, 2018 18:49:57 GMT -5
When I purchase a new Cob I blow out the chamber and give a light coat of my pipe mud and cure for 24 hours. With the mud I build up the proper cake faster and evenly throughout the chamber. It’s a method I’ve used for 40 plus years......works best for me. Every pipe smoker has their own method. I have a few Cobs with 3,000 plus uses, I actually lost count. OK, you've piqued my curiosity. What is pipe mud? |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2018 19:07:17 GMT -5
When I purchase a new Cob I blow out the chamber and give a light coat of my pipe mud and cure for 24 hours. With the mud I build up the proper cake faster and evenly throughout the chamber. It’s a method I’ve used for 40 plus years......works best for me. Every pipe smoker has their own method. I have a few Cobs with 3,000 plus uses, I actually lost count. OK, you've piqued my curiosity. What is pipe mud? I make my own. I use high quality cigar ash and mix with a few drops of water. Until it’s a cement like paste. I use a cheap hobby brush to coat the chamber. I don’t let the cake build up on any of my pipes thicker than a dime. Works wonders👍👍 |
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Screaming Jazz
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Post by Screaming Jazz on Nov 30, 2018 19:26:21 GMT -5
You could try the quick method. Load the bowl, light it then hold it out the window of your car as you drive. It will either break in or burn out. Hahaha But really, cobs don't need too much breaking in. At least not like briars. Just smoke it and everything will be as it should. You shouldn't let cake build on the inside of a cob. I have a oxy acetylene torch, that should make short work of it. I'm too lazy to stick my arm out the window and hold the pipe to burn it in. I cleaned,reamed and sanded a little then smoked two half bowls and it seemed to burn in pretty good and is smoking a lot better. good work. Glad you got it smoking well. |
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Post by Pistol Pete 1911 on Nov 30, 2018 23:18:37 GMT -5
Dremel out the stub on the inside of the bowl pipe mud the bottom up to the draft hole let it 2 days then smoke the piss out of them
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cgvt
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Post by cgvt on Dec 1, 2018 0:16:31 GMT -5
...clean out the stuff, fill the bowl, smoke it... it isn't rocket science... Haha. That is my philosophy too. I don't do much of anything to a new cob but smoke it. It takes a couple of bowls to burn the stem that extends into the bowl but that is no big deal. |
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Post by Legend Lover on Dec 1, 2018 3:04:30 GMT -5
When I purchase a new Cob I blow out the chamber and give a light coat of my pipe mud and cure for 24 hours. With the mud I build up the proper cake faster and evenly throughout the chamber. It’s a method I’ve used for 40 plus years......works best for me. Every pipe smoker has their own method. I have a few Cobs with 3,000 plus uses, I actually lost count. OK, you've piqued my curiosity. What is pipe mud? I used Ash from the burning of some dried firewood. Worked well for me. I've never done it on a cob. I never felt the need to, but as @lonecoyote wrote, I've heard it makes a difference. |
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5star
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Post by 5star on Dec 1, 2018 9:34:45 GMT -5
I also hand turn a drill bit to clean up the shank. I like to use a Forever Stem (an aftermarket 3rd party product). I load up Five Brothers or some other burley and start smoking it.
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Post by kbareit on Dec 2, 2018 17:58:12 GMT -5
An update on my cobs. Thanks for all the advice and I did ream the shanks to get the air flow working good and then just smoked the hell out them. I noticed that the tobacco's taste much better after breaking them in.
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Post by Legend Lover on Dec 2, 2018 18:02:44 GMT -5
An update on my cobs. Thanks for all the advice and I did ream the shanks to get the air flow working good and then just smoked the hell out them. I noticed that the tobacco's taste much better after breaking them in. I'm glad you got them sorted and they're doing what they do best for you. |
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