Crack in my cob

[brianwalden]

Originally Posted by Reverie Forest

^^^
Aaaaanyways....

Brian, why wouldn't you take them up on the kind offer?

I dunno, they can't be making a lot of profit on those pipes. And I didn't buy it straight from them. Who knows what happened to that pipe between when they made it and when I got it (yeah I realize that's a worthless argument because it applies to almost anything you buy). And it might just be the plaster on the surface and not the actual inner bowl. I'll try some pipe mud first and see if that makes it good as new. Marilyn wrote me back and said if that doesn't work I can still get a new one.

If this were a briar pipe I'd definitely get a new. For some reason I feel bad about returning a $5 cob.

[DubintheDam]

Originally Posted by brianwalden

I emailed Missouri Meerschaum:



I won't be taking them up on their offer for a new pipe, but after that can anyone come up with a reason not to own at least one MM.

Outstanding service from MM.....wish we had companies like that in Holland....not in this lifetime, that's for sure.

[MickeyFinn]

I sacrifice them to the fire pit.
Dave

[Arizona]

Just smoke it and enjoy. If it eventually burns through then you know it's time to retire it.

My very first MM cob (a Diplomat I got in April 1981) is still in service - light duty these days so not in regular rotation cuz i don't want it to fall apart on me as the sentimental value of it is very high to me.

It's had several vertical cracks in the bowl for many years. They've not affected anything so i long ago gave up worrying about them. It also has some dark tobacco stains in the grain in the middle of the bowl after countless smokes over the years.

I think smoking it too HOT is what causes these cracks. I know have 3 new MM cobs that I've been smoking for a bit over a year and no cracks at all.

[longburn]

Well......I guess on the bright side a crack in your cob beats a cob in your crack

But with my cobs I have always just replaced with a new cob.They just aren't very durable in that area as the pithy wood of them is so soft. You might could try some sort of resin but keep it only on the outside and then only along the crack or it will effect the breathability of the cob.

[Griz]

Good luck on the repair. Having recieved one as a gift, I'd hate to lose it, even if it is inexpensive.

On a side note, before the politically correct B.S., I remember touring the MM factory while in Boy Scouts. All I recall are heaps of corn cobs in various states of processing, and a couple of guys woking them over for the final product.

At the end of the tour, we all walked out with a brand new corn cob pipe! I shudder to think what a stir that would cause today.

[Zeabed]

I can't quite remember from what online store I bought my MM Diplomats a few weeks ago, but they offered a package of 5 cobs with a reduction in the total price: I paid around $20.00 for the 5. If one is damaged before its time, I'll feel bad, but not inconsolable. Well, mehh...

[DSturg369]

mars cigars & pipes has the best prices I've found.

[Mad Hatter]

Originally Posted by freemansrus

when i bought some corn cobs 4 weeks ago to begin pipe smoking i bought a few because i thought they'd be more disposable than i've come to realise.

anyway - two of them have cracked... one (in the hands of a friend) got a puncture through the bottom (i think from his rough handling) and the other has a crack somewhere in the side that i cant really see, but when i cover the bowl and suck - i can tell its not at all air tight so there must be a crack.

due to the cheapness of cobs i haven't fretted but if there is some kind of solution to this i'd love to hear it

Tell your friend these kind of pipes are the type you hold the flame above the bowl rather than below it Sheesh!

[freemansrus]

Originally Posted by Mad Hatter

Tell your friend these kind of pipes are the type you hold the flame above the bowl rather than below it Sheesh!

haha he actually used the pokey bit of a pipe tool and managed to push right through the bottom of the bowl! i had given him the pipe anyway, so it was his to break but what a nutter! haha!

[sounds7]

Aren't Cobs supposed to be disposable? Just start a new cob and throw the cracked one away.

[DSturg369]

Disposable?? No. They can last a very long time if properly cared for, just as all other pipes.

[brianwalden]

Originally Posted by sounds7

Aren't Cobs supposed to be disposable? Just start a new cob and throw the cracked one away.

That goes against the whole philosophy of pipe smoking. A pipe is something you care for and maintain over time. In today's disposable society, most of us don't have many possessions we care for like we do our pipes. Sure a $5 cob is easily replaced, and if that ends up being the fate of this one I won't lose any sleep over it. But for now I'll try to keep it in commission.

I've applied some pipe mud, sorry I'm too lazy to take pictures. We'll see what happens.

[sounds7]

Originally Posted by DSturg369

Disposable?? No. They can last a very long time if properly cared for, just as all other pipes.

O.K. just seemed to me like they wouldn't last long as they are made from a corn cob.