The Forgotten World of Coins and the Art of Pipe Smoking

Remember when we used to carry coins everywhere? They seem like relics now, useful for balancing wobbly tables but once essential for parking meters and small purchases. Nowadays, the value of items has outgrown the capabilities of coins, and parking meters demand credit cards. Debit cards have taken over as the preferred mode of payment, leaving coins as noisy, bothersome memories. I can’t recall the last time I carried coins.

I bring up coins because of a comparison often used in the pipe-smoking community: the proper thickness of the carbon “cake” in the bowl of a pipe is said to be about the thickness of a dime or a nickel. But with the declining use of coins, many might find this reference outdated, akin to comparing things to VHS tapes or rotary phones. So, let’s update this analogy for the modern day: the cake in a pipe should be about the thickness of one or two debit cards. But before we dive into maintaining this “cake,” let’s explore what it is and why it’s important.

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What Is Cake and Why Does It Matter?

The cake is the carbon buildup on the walls of a pipe’s tobacco chamber. It forms gradually as tobacco burns, leaving behind carbon that sticks to the briar inside the bowl. This process is slow but consistent with repeated smoking sessions.

For briar pipes, which are the most common and popular, cake is crucial. New pipes start without any cake, and while it might seem ideal to keep them in their original state, this isn’t the case. Constantly sanding the chamber down to bare wood can damage the pipe. Although briar is highly fire-resistant, it’s still wood and can burn. The cake acts as a protective layer, insulating the wood from direct exposure to the fire.

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The Role of Bowl Coatings

Some pipe makers apply an initial bowl coating, usually made from activated charcoal and a binding agent like sodium silicate. This coating serves as a preliminary cake, protecting the pipe during its first few uses. While some smokers appreciate this, preferring to build their cake naturally by smoking slowly, others debate the necessity and flavor implications of these coatings.

There are also alternative methods to accelerate natural cake formation, such as applying a thin layer of honey to the bowl. The honey’s stickiness helps attract carbon particles, but some argue this method can create a weaker foundation and impart unwanted flavors.

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Understanding Burnout

One concern with bowl coatings is that they might hide flaws in the tobacco chamber. However, pipe makers generally avoid this because such flaws can lead to burnout, damaging their reputation. Burnouts are rare but can occur if there are unseen defects within the briar. I once experienced a burnout caused by a tiny pebble embedded in the wood, which expanded and contracted, eventually creating a fissure that led to the pipe burning through.

Burnouts are a smoker’s nightmare and can be devastating for the cherished pieces in their collection. The telltale signs start with a noticeable change in aroma, where the usual tobacco scent is replaced by the distinct smell of burning wood. It’s an unmistakable, somewhat sweet yet alarming odor. Once a burnout begins, it’s challenging to stop, and the heat can cause significant damage, even burning a hole through the pipe.

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The Protective Power of Cake

Cake offers crucial protection for pipes, even against unseen flaws. While it can’t guarantee against every mishap, it significantly increases the chances of long-term performance. Preferences about bowl coatings vary, but they are generally flavor-neutral these days, and many smokers don’t mind them. At Vienna Meerschaum, we ensure our pipes are crafted to the highest standards, minimizing the need for such coatings and allowing for a natural cake to develop.

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The Benefits of Cake

Cake provides insulation and helps absorb moisture, leading to a drier smoke. While briar does absorb some moisture, the cake is likely more responsible for this effect. Letting a pipe rest between uses allows the cake to dry out, contributing to a better smoking experience. The cake also helps reduce the unpleasant moisture that can accumulate at the bottom of the tobacco chamber, which can lead to gurgling and an unpleasant smoking experience.

Moreover, a well-maintained cake helps preserve the flavor of the tobacco. As the cake builds up, it creates a more consistent and enjoyable smoke, enhancing the nuanced flavors of different tobacco blends. This is particularly important for aficionados who enjoy exploring a variety of tobaccos.

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Managing Cake

Maintaining the right thickness of cake is essential. Too much cake can lead to problems, such as cracking the pipe due to uneven expansion and contraction. Excessive cake can also affect smoking properties, altering the tobacco’s burn and making it harder to keep lit. Regular maintenance involves swabbing the bowl after each smoke to remove loose particles and prevent uneven buildup.

To manage cake effectively, it’s recommended to use tools specifically designed for the task. These include reamers, which come in various forms to suit different pipe shapes and sizes. Properly reaming the cake ensures it remains at an optimal thickness, about that of one or two debit cards.

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Cake in Different Types of Pipes

Meerschaum and clay pipes don’t require cake for insulation, as they are inherently fireproof. However, they can still suffer from excessive cake buildup, leading to similar issues as with briar pipes. Corn cob pipes, though inexpensive, can also benefit from well-maintained cake.

At Vienna Meerschaum, our meerschaum pipes are crafted from the finest quality meerschaum, known for its heat-resistant properties. These pipes provide a cool, dry smoke without the need for cake. However, regular cleaning is still essential to maintain their pristine condition and ensure the best smoking experience.

Tools for Removing Cake

Properly managing cake buildup requires the right tools. While simple knives can work, they pose risks. Specialized pipe knives with blunt tips are safer and more effective. Professional tools like the Low Country Reamer, Pipnet reamer set, and Senior Pipe Reamer offer more precision and consistency. Sandpaper wrapped around dowels or fingers can also work well for maintaining an even cake surface.

The Reaming Process

Reaming should be done gradually to avoid tearing chunks from the cake, which can expose the briar to excessive heat. Multi-blade reamers and consistent technique help maintain even cake thickness. Careful attention is needed around the smoke hole to avoid damaging the pipe’s smoking characteristics.

Vienna Meerschaum: Craftsmanship and Tradition

At Vienna Meerschaum, we understand the importance of maintaining your pipe to ensure a long-lasting and enjoyable smoking experience. Our range of meerschaum pipes exemplifies the finest craftsmanship, each piece meticulously carved to provide not only aesthetic pleasure but also exceptional functionality. Unlike briar pipes, our meerschaum pipes do not require cake to protect them, thanks to their inherent fire-resistant properties. However, regular cleaning is still essential to maintain their pristine condition and ensure the best smoking experience.

Our commitment to quality means that every Vienna Meerschaum pipe is designed to provide a superior smoking experience. We use only the highest-grade meerschaum, ensuring that each pipe delivers the cool, dry smoke that meerschaum is renowned for. The artistry involved in crafting these pipes ensures that each one is a unique work of art, combining functionality with beauty.

The Science Behind Cake and Pipe Maintenance

Cake insulates and protects the briar and provides a dryer smoke by absorbing some of the moisture that naturally develops with combustion. It’s often said that briar absorbs moisture, and the coloration change of briar over time somewhat supports that hypothesis, but if so, it’s minimal. When moisture is being absorbed, the cake is likely more responsible than the briar.

I have no scientific support for my opinion, but I suspect that when we let a pipe rest between uses for a dryer smoke, we’re really allowing the cake to dry. You can feel the difference in the cake when a pipe has been smoked back-to-back for several bowls. Its moisture level is obviously elevated. It isn’t mushy, but it isn’t the hard carbon surface found with a rested pipe.

Tobacco contains water, and that water has to go someplace when the tobacco burns. While good flavors accrue in smoke, bad flavors distill into a tincture from hell. It can accumulate at the bottom of the tobacco chamber and hiss at us, and in the smoke channel, where it will gurgle and carry on in its own language and migrate to the lip button of a pipe, transferring by sheer hostility to the tongue. Cake will reduce the possibility of experiencing that affliction, though it doesn’t bear full responsibility. Most moisture is wicked away by pipe cleaners, which should be liberally used, but cake helps, and for dire contingencies such as tobacco schmutz, redundancy is our friend.

Why We Want Cake

Cake insulates and protects the briar and provides a dryer smoke by absorbing some of the moisture that naturally develops with combustion. It’s said that briar absorbs moisture, and the coloration change of briar over time somewhat supports that hypothesis, but if so, it’s minimal. When moisture is being absorbed, the cake is likely more responsible than the briar.

I have no scientific support for my opinion, but I suspect that when we let a pipe rest between uses for a dryer smoke, we’re really allowing the cake to dry. You can feel the difference in the cake when a pipe has been smoked back-to-back for several bowls. Its moisture level is obviously elevated. It isn’t mushy, but it isn’t the hard carbon surface found with a rested pipe.

Tobacco contains water, and that water has to go someplace when the tobacco burns. While good flavors accrue in smoke, bad flavors distill into a tincture from hell. It can accumulate at the bottom of the tobacco chamber and hiss at us, and in the smoke channel, where it will gurgle and carry on in its own language and migrate to the lip button of a pipe, transferring by sheer hostility to the tongue. Cake will reduce the possibility of experiencing that affliction, though it doesn’t bear full responsibility. Most moisture is wicked away by pipe cleaners, which should be liberally used, but cake helps, and for dire contingencies such as tobacco schmutz, redundancy is our friend.

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The Danger of Too Much Cake

Too much cake is bad for us according to both physicians and pipe-repair professionals. If it becomes too thick, cake may have adverse effects. Pipes found in antique stores or flea markets can often display far too much cake. Those pipes are from a generation of smokers who didn’t always maintain their pipes; pipes for many are and have been mere nicotine delivery devices, not personal items to be cared for and cherished. The remaining tobacco hoe inside those caked walls can sometimes be little more than the diameter of a pencil, and I’m not sure how the owners managed to enjoy smoking them in that condition. Pipes afflicted with excess cake such as that are often cracked, and that is perhaps the best indicator that cake should be well managed.

Cake expands and contracts with heating and cooling at a different rate from briar — much like the pebble in the pipe I lost to burnout — and when overly thick cake expands, it can crack the bowl. Briar is very tough, but it can’t withstand repeated expansion and contraction at the level accompanied by excessive cake.

The actual smoking properties are also affected. Pipe makers choose the diameter of their tobacco chambers for a reason: good performance. When a chamber’s diameter is reduced by 20-30% or more, the tobacco burns differently and is harder to keep lit and enjoy. The tobacco mouthfeel that a pipe delivers is drastically undermined. Minimal cake preserves the chamber dimensions and proportions that pipe makers have developed for optimal smoking experiences.

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Before and During Cake Buildup

Some care should be employed even before the cake reaches the point where it needs reaming. It isn’t difficult, though, and is easily integrated into normal smoking routines. Following each smoke, after running the usual pipe cleaner through the pipe, fold it over and swab out the bowl, removing excess particulate and leaving only the carbon that is securely adhered.

For a slightly more thorough approach, insert a paper towel and twist it, cleaning the inside of the bowl, or employ a chamber brush, which provides a thorough cleaning of the cake’s surface. These steps help remove leftover tobacco fragments, smooth the surface of the cake, and slow the buildup over time. By swabbing the bowl, it’s less likely that the existing cake will be uneven and develop missing chunks on its surface, and it will maintain better hardness. The smoother the cake, the more even the heat exchange and the more gradual the carbon buildup.

Cake’s thickening is a relatively slow process, though it can creep up on us. When I started smoking pipes, it seemed like it took forever for cake to build, but now I’m mildly irritated when I see it’s time to ream a pipe yet again. Most often, I first notice a difference in the pipe’s performance and upon examination realize that it’s because the cake has become too thick.

It also used to feel like a bowl of tobacco lasted much longer than it does now, but I don’t know if that’s because time is accelerating or my impatience is decreasing. However, even when the perception of time has changed, the need for keeping cake at the proper thickness has not.

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Meerschaums, Clays, and Corn Cobs

It may also be noted here that cake is not something we need in meerschaum or clay pipes. Both of these mediums are very fireproof, unlike wood, and insulation is unnecessary. Clays and Meerschaums are also subject to damage from overly thick cake, just as briar is, and for the same reasons: expansion and contraction.

Cake is good for woods other than briar, like apple, olivewood, pear, or cherrywood, but if it isn’t wood, cake is generally best avoided by keeping the bowl clean. Cake doesn’t tend to stick as easily to non-wood materials so wiping out the bowls after each smoke should suffice. That doesn’t mean that cake can’t form on non-wood surfaces, though. I know I have to scrape the foot of my tamper occasionally to keep carbon from building. I’ve never seen an advantage in a tamper with a dime’s thickness of cake.

Meerschaums and Clays may be fire resistant, but they are still relatively fragile, as you know if you’ve dropped one on concrete. When cake does build in these pipes, reaming tools should be avoided. They risk chipping the material. Sandpaper around 600 grit works well. Coarser sandpaper can damage the tobacco chamber, leaving scratches or worse.

Corn Cobs are another matter. Their cost is so reasonable as to make them almost disposable, though anyone who has built a relationship with a great-smoking Cob would argue that inherent value lies not with the price but with the experiences provided. Some smokers like cake in their Cobs, others do not. Corn Cobs are in some ways more resilient even than briar and can withstand some expansion, but only up to a point. For those who like cake in their Cobs, it’s best to keep it trimmed, as with a briar.

Cake-Removing Tools

Removing cake the right way requires tools. Our grandfathers used pocket knives, butter knives, horseshoe nails, or anything convenient, and simple knives can work well, but there are dangers. A sharp, pointed pocket knife risks damaging the walls and floor of the tobacco chamber. A gouge in the briar where combustion occurs can lead to char around that gouge and the potential for further and deeper damage. So blunt instruments are safer.

A pipe knife like the Brigham, 4th Generation, John Aylesbury, or Joseph Rodgers is, for pipe purposes, superior to a regular pocket knife. All of these knives have blunt rather than sharp tips and blades that are less sharp than those of pocket knives. They have the advantage of reaching into the bottom of most tobacco chambers, though that part of a chamber requires less reaming — unless the pipe is over-smoked at the heel, which in itself risks damage.

The tool used by our professional restoration team here at Vienna Meerschaum is simple and inexpensive but ingenious. The Low Country Reamer is basically an oyster knife, and it reams well and also reaches admirably to the bottom, even for V-shaped chambers. Using the same tools as professionals is an attractive proposition, but we should remember that professionals have developed techniques and muscle memory that we amateurs are unlikely to replicate.

The area around the smoke hole is one of the most delicate parts of a pipe, particularly in terms of excess heat applied as a smoker reaches the end of a bowl of tobacco. Because tobacco at the bottom of a bowl tends to absorb the moisture resulting from combustion in the upper layers, more heat is necessary to keep it burning, and protective cake builds very slowly at the heel, if at all. Many used pipes have developed thick cake in the upper two-thirds of the bowl, with little cake at the bottom of the chamber. That inconsistency contributes to the danger that cake imposes on a pipe, with the top half expanding at a different rate than the bottom. Thinner cake throughout reduces that inconsistency and produces less stress on the briar.

There is no perfect tool for cake removal, however, and with a pipe knife, it’s difficult to maintain consistent cake thickness, although, with practice and a steady hand, it’s of course achievable. For ease of use, however, other tools are available, like the Brigham Pipe Reamer and the Neerup Chamber Reamer, both of which have blades on two sides that provide more consistency. Tsuge has similar options of differing widths. The Brigham has the advantage of being adjustable, however, which is convenient, as any collection of pipes will tend to have chambers of differing widths.

There also exist T-handle reamer sets with multiple varying widths for any contingency. These include the Pipnet reamer set, my personal favorite, and the Dunhill Professional Pipe Reamer Set. I’ve used the Pipnet set for many years and recommend it. I’d probably like the Dunhill set too, but it’s a substantial investment.

Perhaps the most historically popular reamer is the Senior Pipe Reamer, which has been around for decades. The advantage of the Senior Reamer is its infinite adjustability. A turn of the knob at the end gradually expands the three double-sided blades to whatever width is necessary. It also has an internally housed, manual drill bit for clearing the shank, which is convenient, but only on rare occasions, in my experience. I own a Senior Reamer and find it useful on occasion, but more often use the Pipnet because it’s easier, faster, and performs a cleaner job on the floor of the tobacco chamber.

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Necessary Supplies

Aside from whatever reaming tool is used, newspaper, clean cloths, and/or paper towels, an ashtray or other receptacle, and pipe cleaners will be necessary. A penlight is also helpful to check the interior of the bowl.

You may be tempted to perform the task in a bathtub, which you’ll be using afterward anyway, as the fine carbon powder resulting from the process will get everywhere. It’s messy, no matter what tools you use. At the least, spread out some newspapers on your work surface, have some rags or paper towels at the ready, and be prepared for cleanup. It will get under your fingernails, it will darken the creases in your hands, and in my case, it almost always makes it into my beard, hair, and eyebrows. But reaming is essential, and it’s one of the necessary rituals of pipe smoking.

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The Reaming Process

Some may choose to insert a pipe cleaner in the smoke channel to block it from carbon dust, but the pipe will need to be cleaned afterward anyway, and blowing through it will remove dust, though it will scatter it everywhere in the room. A little Everclear on a pipe cleaner after reaming will remove any residual carbon.

It’s best to ream a pipe gradually, rather than aggressively, so the adjustability of multi-bladed reamers is a benefit. It’s just more difficult to perform with a pipe knife, which should probably be left for minor touch-ups between thorough reamings. Chunks of burned tobacco that stubbornly stick to the chamber walls after a smoke can be easily removed with a knife. For our purposes in describing the process, we’ll assume the use of a multi-blade reamer rather than a single-bladed tool.

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Necessary Patience

Reaming should be a slow and gradual process. If cake is over-thick and we immediately apply a reamer size that will reduce it to its final best thickness, there’s a good possibility that we’ll tear chunks from the cake and leave an uneven surface, allowing more heat to reach the briar at the cake’s low spots. I personally most often use the Pipnet Pipe Reamer system, which provides four different widths: 17 mm, 19 mm, 21 mm, and 23 mm, each with four blades. It’s necessary to start small and work up to the larger diameters using minimal pressure and force. With each diameter, turn the reamer until there is no further reduction in cake, then move on to the next. With a Senior Reamer, gradually increase the diameter when no further pressure is felt.

As with removing a stem from a pipe, it’s best to maintain consistency regarding the direction of reaming, either clockwise or counterclockwise, but not back and forth. The cake is less likely to tear and chip with rotation in the same direction.

One irritating factor is that reaming can be high-pitched and loud, even without much force, though the Senior Reamer is quieter than the Pipnet. It sounds like a small animal in agonizing distress and pierces walls, so warn your family beforehand lest they come running to see if you’re being attacked by a herd of screaming goats.

Even with the disadvantage of the ear-piercing screech of reaming with a Pipnet, I find it the easiest and fastest method, though it too can tear chunks from the cake and leave an uneven surface, no matter how gradually and carefully I try to work. I’ve also found that it’s difficult to keep the smoke hole centered in the cake, and I often drift to the side and risk hitting raw briar, so diligent oversight is required and slightly more pressure along the thicker side is necessary.

I don’t know about you, but I find that cake builds faster on the near side of the chamber over the smoke hole, perhaps because of the airflow that accompanies the necessary engineering of pipes, with the exception of Calabashes, which have smoke holes centered in the bottom of the chamber. It takes some hand stamina with a Pipnet to exert more pressure on one side than another to reduce cake where it’s uneven.

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The Floor of the Chamber

Neither the Senior Reamer nor the Pipnet is able to reach the bottom of V-shaped chambers, so a blunt-tipped pipe knife can clean up any flakes of tobacco lodged in the minimal cake at the heel, though the LowCountry reamer is superior because of its more angled tip. Always be especially careful around the smoke hole and try to maintain its original condition as best you can. Any carving away at the smoke hole, either from charring or over-reaming, can change the pipe’s smoking characteristics and leave it more susceptible to heat damage.

One method for near-perfect reaming is labor-intensive and very messy: Sandpaper. Wrap some 400-600-grit sandpaper around wooden dowels of appropriate diameters, and sand the cake around the sides. Sandpaper is less likely to tear chunks from the cake, and is easier for re-orienting a chamber to the center of the bowl with a 360-degree consistent cake width. It doesn’t reach the chamber floor any better than the other tools mentioned here — less so, actually — but as stated, the bottom of the chamber rarely needs any reaming, and just a few swipes of folded sandpaper can easily clear any protrusions at the heel.

But again, be careful around the smoke hole. Wrapping the sandpaper around a finger provides tactile feedback that is superior to a dowel, but a dowel will provide more consistency.

Once the cake is at an acceptable width, examine the tobacco chamber for any defects in the surface. Clean the pipe by swabbing out the bowl and smoke channel, and the chore is done. The result should be a pipe that smokes better and will last far into the future.

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The Satisfaction of Proper Maintenance

Reaming is necessary and beneficial maintenance. It can be messy, but not excessively so if preparations are made and the procedure is accomplished appropriately. It’s a ritual, and all pipe smokers like ritual to some extent or we wouldn’t be pipe smokers. The satisfaction of a well-reamed pipe is well worth the effort and can be easily accomplished when approached with patience and common sense.

At Vienna Meerschaum, we understand the importance of these rituals and the deep satisfaction they bring. Our pipes are crafted with the utmost care, ensuring that with proper maintenance, they provide an exceptional smoking experience for years to come. Whether you prefer the robust nature of a briar pipe or the unique elegance of a Vienna Meerschaum pipe, understanding and practicing proper maintenance will enhance your smoking experience. At Vienna Meerschaum, we are dedicated to providing you with the finest pipes that combine tradition, craftsmanship, and quality, ensuring that every smoke is a pleasure.

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