Problem Pipe

[Houtenziel]

I don't have any Rum, but it sounds like a good idea.

Well, get some!
"Why is the Rum gone??"

LOL, I must admit that it sounds like a good idea to buy some Rum, but the fact is that I simply don't like it, especially that spiced stuff. I drink very little, but I do keep some good Bourbon (Knob Creek) and a jar of Moonshine (legal) on hand for strictly medicinally purposes (cough, cough)

Nothing wrong with using Bourbon instead of Rum, aside from it being a waste of good Bourbon. You want a nice treat, dip the end of a medico/grabow paper filter in a little bourbon before you put it in your pipe. Really nice with Burley based OTCs.

You might want to have a look in the shank too. Judicious cleaning there could solve a lot of your issues, as the smoke will tend to pick up flavors their more readily than in the bowl(at least in my experience). I have found all manner of funkiness in the shank, even in brand new pipes.

[Hitzy]

I just had a similar issue with a new Grabow.
First couple of bowls were fine, then it started tasting/smelling really chemical, narrowed it down to the stain inside the shank...there was a lot, and I guess the heat from smoking was releasing the smell/taste. Took a bit of scrubbing with Q-tips, nylon brush, rubbing alcohol. 15 minutes of red stain coming out of it before it was down to wood. Drenched everything in honey, let it soak in, cleaned it up and that funky taste/smell is now gone.
The bowl seems okay, the carbon coating they put on there sealed that fine.

[Mr Beardsley]

I've had a couple of estates show up with excessive stain in areas it shouldn't be. It's always a good time when I do the salt & alcohol treatment and find the pipe cleaners I stuff down the shank have turned red or orange or whatever color is in there. If the previous owner had figured it out and cleaned it, they probably wouldn't have been on the estate market so I can't complain

[Flyfish Falls]

OK, here's what I've done. First I scraped what little buildup of cake there was, which wasn't much, until I had all I could get out without cutting into the wood. Then I cleaned the heck out of the bowl using Q-Tips loaded with Everclear. Then I wrapped sandpaper around a dowel and sanded it down to bare wood. Then I heated it up in a toaster oven until the pipe was warm and while it was warming I mixed up a couple drops of Honey with Everclear. I then coated the warm bowl with the mix. I'm going to let it sit overnight and start smoking Carter Hall & PA in it tomorrow. This pipe will either sweeten up or it'll go into the brush pile to be burned this spring. Life is way too short to worry about a foul tasting Pipe!

If all else fails, try using a retort.

[Bigflo]

I’d definitely sand the inside of the bowl and do a salt treatment or two

[Bamarick]

I’d definitely sand the inside of the bowl and do a salt treatment or two

I scraped what little cake had built up then sanded the bowl. It was then cleaned with Everclear and after it had dried I thinned some Honey down with Everclear and coated the bowl. After it dried I've smoked nothing in it except for Burleys such as PA & CH. It's came around and now I call it my "Former Problem Pipe". It'll never be my favorite, but it's a good pipe and one that I enjoy a couple times a week.

[Bamarick]

FWIW, the Problem Pipe is now the "Former Problem Pipe"

[Fr_Tom]

FWIW, the Problem Pipe is now the "Former Problem Pipe"

They always come around. Sometimes it takes them a while.

[Bamarick]

Fr Tom I'm honestly enjoying the pipe now. It smokes well and with the thick walls the bowl has it's stays fairly cool and since I hold my pipe rather than clenching that's a plus.

[Fr_Tom]

Fr Tom I'm honestly enjoying the pipe now. It smokes well and with the thick walls the bowl has it's stays fairly cool and since I hold my pipe rather than clenching that's a plus.

This is all great news. I think the sweat equity makes them smoke all the better. You invest some time and effort, and they are better pipes because of it.