Cheap Pipe with Poor Coating

[Gabagool]

I bought a cheap pipe online as a 'beater' pipe but the coating inside the bowl is terribly applied and comes off when you rub it with a finger or cloth. Because if this, I'm reluctant to smoke it due to potential 'off' flavours.

What would be the better fix - rub the coating off with an abrasive cloth, or mud the pipe up inside and bake it in through smoking?

 

[CoffeeAndBourbon]

rub the coating off with an abrasive cloth - carefully. It may even rinse out with only minor finger pressure.

 

[sandollars]

If I commission a pipe, I specifically request no coatings, I would rather break it in myself. If I buy one with coatings, I at least make damn sure anything loose is removed using water and paper towels if not emery cloth before I use it.

Some swear by honey and other remedies, but I just like a thin film of whatever I'm smoking to be my coatings.

Breaking in a pipe is part of the experience.

 

[onestrangeone]

A lot times this crap can simply be washed out. I haven’t seen a coating yet that didn’t taste nasty for the first several bowls.

 

[kcghost]

Never had a problem with a bowl coating. Never.

 

[jpmcwjr]

A lot times this crap can simply be washed out. I haven’t seen a coating yet that didn’t taste nasty for the first several bowls.

Yep. Hot tap water may well do the trick, with minimum finger pressure.

I would not overcoat and then smoke.

 

[verporchting]

Just for kicks roll up a paper towel and twist it around inside the bowl and see if most comes off. I’m betting it might.

 

[mso489]

Wipe out what you can and sand it down a little if you must. I give extra points for pipes that come without a coating, trusting the experienced smoker not to puff like a locomotive. Usually, the coatings don't impart any flavor, and can just be smoked into submission. But if you are tasting this, I'd remove it.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I've read "beater" guitars, knives, and pens on other forums, but never a beater pipe.

IMHO. "beaters" should be your best because all you have to think about is the reason the tool exists to begin with. Sorry about the preposition.

I think it's been used in the forum for quite a while, IIRC. Regardless, I agree with your notion that it's one less thing to think about!

Some people have beater vehicles, often called "station cars" as they were left all day at the train station. I even have a beater laptop....

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

Even though it isn’t necessary, I’ve taken to hot water, scrunched up bits of paper towel with new Petersons and when I can see briar and the coating is almost all gone a few twists with some 200 grit sandpaper. Like the way it looks and makes me feel like I’m doing something useful.

 

[Gabagool]

I've read "beater" guitars, knives, and pens on other forums, but never a beater pipe.

IMHO. "beaters" should be your best because all you have to think about is the reason the tool exists to begin with. Sorry about the preposition.

Well, basically it cost £22 so I bought it just to smoke the heck out of it without worrying about ghosting, dedication or any fancy stuff people do with pipes these days. (I already have some nicer pipes for that)

I have bought a couple of these pipes from an online seller here in the UK who restamp factory seconds from an unknown maker and sell them cheap. The other one I bought is an amazing smoker, so I thought I'd take a chance in another one. And although it's very well drilled (which is a massive part of what makes a good smoker) the bowl coating is very bad on this one.

 

[FurCoat]

I agree with @sandollars
I received a new Peterson on Friday and my first order of business was to remove the bowl coating. I detest the stuff.

 

[Donb1972]

I had to scrub the coating out of my Peterson System pipe...water and a paper towel did the trick and the only change was a positive one!

 

[mso489]

Not all low cost pipes are beaters. If you need a work horse pipe you can get good quality inexpensive pipes that will fill that role that have quality craftsmanship. I think of Kaywoodie pipes at all price levels, the ever faithful Missouri Meerschaum cobs, an array of French pipes like Ropp, Genod, Chacom, EWA, etc., Dr. Grabow pipes and especially their Royalton line, and quite a few other good brands from various countries and manufacturers. In UK, I think Parker and Hardcastle, and other brands, still make lower end pipes that are well made. No sense in taking a chance on a no-name basket pipe with an obnoxious coating, when for the same money, maybe less, you can get a pipe (with an un-obnoxious coating or none) and quality craftsmanship, and keep some of these proud old brands in business. Kaywoodie also makes Yello-Bole and Medico pipes, also well made.

 

[mso489]

Another good inexpensive pipe is the Rossi Vittoria, made by Savinelli. These are in various Savinelli shapes and have good Savinelli smoking characteristics, and SP has them for around $48. Rossi makes a variety of other series that cost a little more, but are all moderately priced. Most pipes will give decades of service. I have some that are over forty years old, so amortized over time, they are a dollar a year or less.

 

[Gabagool]

A quick partial update -

I got some Emery cloth and rubbed the inside of the bowl down. I couldn't get all the coating off without feeling as I was going to damage the wood.

I then flushed the pipe out and gave it a good dry and scrubbed it with a paper towel. Although, again, not all the coating is gone, but if I rub my finger in the bowl it no longer come out looking like Al Jolson.

I then ran a pipe cleaner through the shank, and am leaving it to dry a few days before trying it out.

Thanks to all who commented and gave advice.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Off topic post deleted and quotes thereof.

 

[Sobrbiker]

Once cleaned to where you want it, coat bowl with spit on your finger, load it and smoke it in whatever break in process you active to.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Looks like the OP and the thread have been cold for over two years.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Good point.