Cracked Bowls?

[DubintheDam]

I got my old doctors pen torch out to give the inside of my pipes a thorough inspection. Low and behold, two of my favorites have cracks on the inside of the Bowls. My new Rattray's ol' Gowrie Bulldog, and my Design Berlin (Platapus) Campus 97. Bummer! Now I know that this has probably occurred because I smoked them too hot, particularly when breaking in. But to be honest I still find it a very tricky balancing act between keeping the baccy burning and the pipe getting too hot. I have many other lesser quality and thinner walled pipes that I have smoked to inferno temperature without the same outcome.

How bad is this problem, will it mean eventual burn-out and how long will they remain smokable?

Any thoughts feedback welcome. I'm only glad that my policy of not spending too much on my pipes (Rattray's €60, Design B. €3 as a young ape means it won't cost me a fortune. If I'd cracked a Dunhill while perfecting the art of pipe smoking, I would be gutted! I put it down to experience and hope when I do buy that High Grade...perhaps I'll have learnt how to treat a real lady.

[c2000]

You should not have inspected them then you wouldn't be bummed out.. Now you got me thinking about the same thing..My pipes got red hot when I started ,,but like you I guess since I didn't pay a lot for them it is no big deal,,but something to remember in the future..

Jerry in Minnesota.

[Cheeto]

I wouldn't worry about it too much unless the pipes become unsmokable. Which may not even happen. I don't really know how those cracks would effect smoking from the pipe, or if they would get bigger in the future. This is just a pipe noob talking, but if they're cheap pipes and smoke decent...I wouldn't care too much. One of my cobs has a crack down the entire side of the bowl, and I still manage to smoke from it

[caskwith]

Cover the cracks with pipe mud and i dobut they will get any worse and it will also prevent burn out.

Take some ash from your ash try (or get smoking and make some if you dont have any) and grind it up as finely as possible until its almost like dust. Mix it with saliva (yep good old spit works best but if you think thats a bit weird you can use water, but it isnt as good) until you have a stiff paste. Pack this well into the crack and over the surrounding area with your finger, making sure its a good thick layer and its nice and tight. Leave it overnight to dry. Next morning check the airway is clear and smoke a half bowl in each pipe, something that smokes cool and easy like a burley, this will start to harden up the pipe mud. After you have smokes about half a dozen half bowls you will find that mud suitably hardened and caked over, you can now if necessary neatne up the repair with a reamer and then smoke full bowls just as before. Keep an eye on this area though becuase pipe mud forms cake extremely fast so regualr reaming may be needed for a while until the rest of the bowl catches up.

[pierredekat]

What caskwith said.

Even without the pipe mud, those cracks probably won't pose a problem, but putting some pipe mud in would give you a little added insurance.

Briar is the worst kind of mistress: beautiful with a real penchant for surprises.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by pierredekat

...Briar is the worst kind of mistress: beautiful with a real penchant for surprises.

BOTL Root has mentioned to me the irony of searching for an expensive and attractive piece of rare carved wood, stuffing it with a flammable vegetative material and then setting fire to it.

Hope mud closes the case on the problem, Dub'am.

[DubintheDam]

Thanks for the replies on this one. It helps to confirm my thoughts. The mud treatment will help for sure, but it is a bit of hassle. I don't think I smoked to many half bowls in these when breaking in. I do smoke hot, usually. Its funny that they both have thick bullbus shapes, which is why you can smoke them hot and not notice so much.

When I first bought a pipe the shop owner said the best advice was to spend about the €100 mark when purchasing a pipe. I found this good advice but I found it does not garuantee a fault free pipe or a good smoke.

One of the best pieces of advice I've read on the web is: 'when all is said and done, its a piece of wood, you put tobacco in one end and smoke comes out the other."

I will continue to do this and each time I have a fine smoke..I'll say to myself, "a little crack never did anyone any harm at all."