Why Some Briar Gets Hot

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Searock Fan

Lifer
Oct 22, 2021
1,944
5,386
U.S.A.
Sometimes the reason is it just does.
 

Hillcrest

Lifer
Dec 3, 2021
2,816
13,562
Bagshot Row, Hobbiton
Is there a cure for that?
Cure ? No. But treatments to significantly reduce the problem may include thicker bowl coating/carbon build up, refinishing porous areas of pipe, slower cadence, different tobaccos etc., all of which I learned on these threads by certified experts of which you are one. This forum is a treasure trove of invaluable information. Some discernment required however.
 

jpberg

Lifer
Aug 30, 2011
2,969
6,744
In my experience the denser briar seems to heat up a little more than the lighter fluffier briar does. I have some so hard that it actually dings when I flick my fingernail against the side.
I have a few that are dense and they took the sandblast really well that heat up, and one with remarkable grain that also dings when thumped that heats up.
This is just out of my tad over 100 pipes. I don't think that I could make an overall confident assumption about all dense pipes.
This is my experience to a T.
I’ve got one in particular that almost rings like an anvil - Spanish briar that was magic from the first light.
Doesn’t get burn your fingers hot, but certainly warmer than most.
 
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dingdong

Might Stick Around
Apr 2, 2024
71
141
Jakarta, Indonesia
The different heat dissipation is indeed real, from my experience. Some pipes are relatively cooler than others, with similar thickness, most likely due to wood/briar characteristics (quality, age, etc).
 

K.E. Powell

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 20, 2022
513
1,853
37
West Virginia
You said both were estate pipes, yes? I would hazard to guess that pipes that have been used frequently over a long period of time may eventually perform slightly worse than when they were fresh, so to speak. Entropy, essentially. Perhaps the estates you have were used long and hard, and lost some of their insulating characteristics and porousness. I know for myself, at least, I only purchase estates that are gently used and fairly new; I will only get a much older pipe if the price is very good and it really catches my attention.

I'm not an expert on the matter, and for our more empirically demanding members, no, I do not have any evidence to back up my hypothesis.