My first Castello and so far, I am having a it of trouble with it.

[richireland]

So I ordered a Castello billiard pipe with an interesting smooth but carved (faceted) bowl in a light finish. It's a beutiful pipe with a fairly large bowl capacity. It's not really broken in quite yet but I am having to fiddle with that thing more than I would like. I have had a few situations where it just plugs. Also, the bowl gets hot really fast and I mean pretty uncomfortably hot. I don't have either issue with most of my other pipes. Am I packing too tightly? Am I smoking too fast and do different pipes have a propensity to smoke cool or hot for a give brand/shape? I would love to hear some feedback, suggestions or advice.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Am I packing too tightly?

Possibly

Am I smoking too fast

Possibly

do different pipes have a propensity to smoke cool or hot for a give brand/shape?

The pipe's shape isn't going to affect anything but its chamber dimensions sometimes can.

You may try drying your tobacco a bit before smoking as well.

 

[pipingfool]

^^^ All of this.

I have several Castellos and even though they have a more open draw, if you pack too tightly, the draw will still get restricted and they will smoke hot.

Pack lighter, and smoke slower and see if that changes things.

 

[bullet08]

If you have other pipes and they smoke fine, just treat it like other pipes. Pack normally, don't rush, don't puff.. If pipe gets uncomfortably hot, easy off. Some pipes smoke hot initially, but they should improve most of the time. Some don't, but.. Things happen.

 

[captainsousie]

Castello ain't magic. Pack a little lighter, pack a little looser...then go the opposite way if the tobacco asks for it. Smoke the pipe, not the name.

 

[rmbittner]

All good advice so far. I’ll just focus on the possibility mentioned by @pipingfool that your Castello may have a more open draw than you’re used to. (I have four or five and they are all very easy draw-ers.) Which means that maybe the cadence or “pull” that you’re used to maintaining on your other pipes may be too much with this Castello, leading to puffing that may not necessarily be too fast in general but which is too fast for this pipe. It’s also possible that, because you’re sensing that openness, you’re packing too firmly to compensate. Finally, if it’s been a while since you’ve broken in a brand-new pipe (which I’m assuming this is, not an estate), keep in mind that it will take time to build up a cake that will help to provide an added layer of “insulation” and heat control to the bowl.

BTW, I’m guessing the open draw is also responsible for the clogging you’re occasionally experiencing; the wider passage is allowing smaller pieces of tobacco to get into the draft hole. You might want to try packing larger pieces first.

 

[briarblues]

Rich, take the brand out of the equation. Any pipe might have similar issues as you have explained it. It might just be this pipe or it might be technique of the user. No brand is batting 100% satisfaction for every customer.

Different brands use different specifications on the "engineering" used in each pipe. Small differences can make for large differences for the end user. A more or less open draw requires alterations in how one packs and the rate one puffs.

Sometimes it just takes a minor adjustment in what we users do to make any pipe offer us a great smoke.

Then again, sometimes a pipe is just going to be one of those that never works for us, and the brand stamped on the shank means little, in that regard. I have owned a few Castello's that no matter what I did just did not work for me. I could also add other brands and say the same. I also have a number of Castello's that are superb, as well as other brands.

IMHO, and many may disagree, but 99% of the time it's user technique which needs to be adjusted for maximum results.

Mike

 

[trouttimes]

I have many pipes in my rotation. Quite a few are Castello. Thru the years I have learned that you have to learn each pipe and how it smokes. If you want the best, smoke out of a pipe, you can’t smoke each one the same. Some pack tight, some lose. Some smoke slow, some fast. You have to learn the pipe.

 

[telescopes]

I have many pipes in my rotation. Quite a few are Castello. Thru the years I have learned that you have to learn each pipe and how it smokes. If you want the best, smoke out of a pipe, you can’t smoke each one the same. Some pack tight, some lose. Some smoke slow, some fast. You have to learn the pipe.

+1

 

[PipeIT]

He said he ‘Ordered’, so I’m assuming he’s trying to compare a new uncoated chamber with older pipes broken in, or they have coated chambers on them.

When you get a pipe that has an uncoated chamber, if you really care about the pipe, you need to smoke it very slowly, barely getting it warm, until you build a nice 1mm carbon layer inside the chamber.

So how old is the Castello, about how many bowls have you smoked in it?

Depending how often the pipe is smoked, and the types of blends being smoked, it can take many months to break it in.

P.S. I hope you’re not smoking fast, and trying to keep it lit with a nice big glowing ember inside a new pipe with an uncoated chamber.

 

[kcghost]

I have never had a problem with a Castello but obviously you have. Plenty of good suggestions from posters before me on this thread.

 

[FHlight]

I only have one Castello pipe and this has not happened.

 

[ssjones]

Rich, take the brand out of the equation. Any pipe might have similar issues as you have explained it. It might just be this pipe or it might be technique of the user. No brand is batting 100% satisfaction for every customer.

Different brands use different specifications on the "engineering" used in each pipe. Small differences can make for large differences for the end user. A more or less open draw requires alterations in how one packs and the rate one puffs.

Sometimes it just takes a minor adjustment in what we users do to make any pipe offer us a great smoke.

Then again, sometimes a pipe is just going to be one of those that never works for us, and the brand stamped on the shank means little, in that regard. I have owned a few Castello's that no matter what I did just did not work for me. I could also add other brands and say the same. I also have a number of Castello's that are superb, as well as other brands.

IMHO, and many may disagree, but 99% of the time it's user technique which needs to be adjusted for maximum results.

Mike

Great advice from Mike (and it's good to see you back on the forum!)
Castello pipes are largely trouble-free, hence their price and popularity. It's likely your style causing the issues.

 

[richireland]

Thanks for the advice everyone!

 

[LotusEater]

All good advice so far. I’ll just focus on the possibility mentioned by @pipingfool that your Castello may have a more open draw than you’re used to. (I have four or five and they are all very easy draw-ers.) Which means that maybe the cadence or “pull” that you’re used to maintaining on your other pipes may be too much with this Castello, leading to puffing that may not necessarily be too fast in general but which is too fast for this pipe. It’s also possible that, because you’re sensing that openness, you’re packing too firmly to compensate. Finally, if it’s been a while since you’ve broken in a brand-new pipe (which I’m assuming this is, not an estate), keep in mind that it will take time to build up a cake that will help to provide an added layer of “insulation” and heat control to the bowl.

BTW, I’m guessing the open draw is also responsible for the clogging you’re occasionally experiencing; the wider passage is allowing smaller pieces of tobacco to get into the draft hole. You might want to try packing larger pieces first.

You said everything I was too lazy to type.

 

[Sonorisis]

Often, a new pipe has wood chips or 'splinters' in the draft hole. Don't assume that the final finishing, or clean up, of the draft hole was accomplished at the factory. Or, that some wood chips have not collected there during manufacture. Seems like more often than not an airway cleaning bit comes out with chips in it when running through a brand new pipe (or even a well smoked one for that matter).

 

[ADKPiper]

I have several pipes that like to clog halfway through a bowl.
I've found that if I pack the bowl and then before lighting I remove the stem and push a reamer in several times to be sure it's good and clear it's less of an issue.
The heat might be related if it is causing you to relight over and over.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

For me, I'd have to at least get a Searock or a few for my first Castellos. I'm not sure I even understand the attraction to getting a smooth one. But, if that's what you like...

 

[Hillcrest]

For me, I'd have to at least get a Searock or a few for my first Castellos. I'm not sure I even understand the attraction to getting a smooth one. But, if that's what you like...

they are works of art ...

 

[telescopes]

You said everything I was too lazy to type.

+1 or as Harris would have complained, that's a lazy way to agree.