In defense of bowl coating

[bregolad]

A defense of bowl coatings:

I drank too much coffee this morning, so I got all excited and wrote this. Please discuss!

1. Aesthetics. The pipe looks complete (when done properly), it looks clean, and more importantly it looks inviting.
If the bowl is uncoated, one may be trepidatious about smoking it and "perverting" the clean briar. With a bowl coating in place, the smoker
can rest easy knowing that this pipe is, indeed, meant to be smoked. Also, a thin walled sandblasted/rusticated pipe will often have stain seep through
into the bowl. A non issue for smoking, but a big issue to a potential buyer.

2. Insurance for the pipe maker. While many smokers take proper care and precautions whilst breaking in a new pipe, some do not.
Those few may be vocal about problems with breaking in a pipe, and thus smear the otherwise good name of pipe maker, even though it was user error
and not the fault of the pipe. At best (some may argue) Bowl coatings may give a marginal protection from burnout, but it allows the pipemaker to answer
any problems with this: "I gave you all the tools you needed for a wonderful pipe, and therefore, I cannot be responsible for this. I can repair
it for you, but I bear no (esp. financial) responsibilty."

In a business with no insurance policies, no contracts, and almost entirely verbal transactions, it is important for the pipe makers to
ensure that each pipe has the best chance of success possible. I believe bowl coatings actually keep prices down by adding a safety net for makers
and smokers alike. Many smokers do not like bowl coatings, but I hope that if we could properly articulate why we do it, we would have less of an issue.


3. I'm no fan of sodium silicate (and don't use it) but I absolutely love my bowl coating. It's the prettiest coating I've come across (not to brag) and I know from experience that it tastes basically like nothing.
Which brings me to my point. Handmade artisan bowl coating are generally much better than factory pipe coatings. If I bought a pipe from Todd Johnson or Jeff Gracik or Tyler Beard or Ernie Markle, I trust that bowl coating (but never buy ernie's pipes, he smells bad).

TL&DR: In a business that is ENTIRELY reputation based, it makes sense that pipemakers would do what they can to prevent potential problems. Also, they look better, I don't care what you say.

[Ocelot55]

I'm no fan of sodium silicate (and don't use it) but I absolutely love my bowl coating. It's the prettiest coating I've come across (not to brag) and I know from experience that it tastes basically like nothing.

So what do you use, if you don't mind me asking?

[d.huber]

A defense of bowl coatings:"I gave you all the tools you needed for a wonderful pipe, and therefore, I cannot be responsible for this. I can repair it for you, but I bear no (esp. financial) responsibilty."

This is the most compelling argument that I've heard for a bowl coating. However, as a buyer, I shy away from pipes with bowl coatings. It actually takes a lot of convincing for me to purchase a pipe with one. Actually, I haven't purchase a pipe with a bowl coating in some time because, well, it's an immediate dis-qualifier for me when I consider buying a pipe.

In theatre, there's a common phrase that most good artisans know: "Trust your audience." That phrase can easily be applied in this case. If someone is purchasing an artisan pipe, you can bet they either know something about pipes or they are responsible enough to properly care for them. I personally am not willing to coat my chamber walls for the random oddball who smokes their pipe so hot that it would burn through. In that case, it would likely also burn through a bowl coating.

1. Aesthetics

As always, personal taste is involved, but I think it looks much nicer for a pipe to have a bare chamber. I love briar and I wanna see it. Plus I love the taste of a briar pipe during the first few bowls as it's being broken in. To boot, every pipe I own that started without a bowl coating will smoke circles around the pipes that started with a bowl coating.

2. Insurance for the pipe maker

I think this is the reason many will coat their chamber walls. However, I think if this were as serious a problem as some believe it to be, Rad Davis would be out of a job as well as every other fine pipe maker who doesn't coat their chamber walls. There'd be no reason not to coat if this were a rampant problem.

3. Artisan bowl coatings are better than factory

Sure, but that, to me, is not a reason to coat a chamber.

So there! Nyah!

[wdteipen]

I'm with you bregolad and these are the reasons why I coat my bowls. I've had one pipe returned with the start of a burnout. The purchaser chose to remove my bowl coating. I don't see any defects in the briar that would have caused the burnout.

[Sasquatch]

It's actually pretty easy to burn the raw wood. I've had pipes that took the first few bowls easy and trouble free and other pipes that burned/spiderwebbed under the same conditions - just now breaking in a Castello and I've burnt it just a bit. It will survive I have no fears. But a coating.... might have helped.

[jogilli]

uhhmmm.. I coat mine 99% of the the time... Even the ones I keep for me I coat.. Insurance for the pipemaker... ok I can believe the argument, but A maker I know informed me that they just make the pipe look better. My chambers are smother than a babies bottom when finished.. the coating is just added to make it look better... I have nothing against uncoated bowls..and honestly said don't really see the argument, but as David mentioned it hasn't hurt Rad and others that don't do it.. and it hasn't hurt me to date .. commission pipes have the option and to date the only commission that has left the shop uncoated is a morta pipe, and I requested that the customer allowed to leave it raw.

james

[jogilli]

I'm no fan of sodium silicate (and don't use it) but I absolutely love my bowl coating. It's the prettiest coating I've come across (not to brag) and I know from experience that it tastes basically like nothing.

why? what is the controversy? I haven't heard about it.... in europe MANY established makers coat thier bowls with it

[bregolad]

Let me make a disclaimer. I don't like the taste of raw briar, and I think I will
always remain sceptical of those who say that a pipe with no bowl coating eventually tastes
better than a pipe with one Not that I don't believe that for you or your pipes, but I've
had the opposite experiences with my pipes.

In theatre, there's a common phrase that most good artisans know: "Trust your audience." That phrase can easily be applied in this case. If someone is purchasing an artisan pipe, you can bet they either know something about pipes or they are responsible enough to properly care for them. I personally am not willing to coat my chamber walls for the random oddball who smokes their pipe so hot that it would burn through. In that case, it would likely also burn through a bowl coating.

As for trusting our audience, you may be right. However, if only flawess, very smooth,
uncoated bowls are the norm, this represents a significant time investment. And for someone
who sells a $1000 pipe and now has to spend an additional 10% time per pipe, this
represents a noticeable pay cut.

If collectors can deal with a price increase due to this, I'd think about doing it.
The point is, until someone can come up with a way to get amazing uncoated bowls with the
same amount of time investment as bowl coating, I don't know that it will change.

2. Insurance for the pipe maker

I think this is the reason many will coat their chamber walls. However, I think if this were as serious a problem as some believe it to be, Rad Davis would be out of a job as well as every other fine pipe maker who doesn't coat their chamber walls. There'd be no reason not to coat if this were a rampant problem.

I don't think everyone thinks about this quite so formally, but because this business is so
personal and based on relationship, there can be a lot of ambiguity when a problem arises.
Therefore, it behooves the pipemaker to take steps to prevent liability. I love that this is
such a personal business, but it comes with more fragility in certain areas than a business
more formal structures. The effect of bowl coating is probably so marginal as to be immeasurable, but still, it's something.


Rad Davis has such a high skill level that his (quality):(time invested) ratio is perhaps
one of the highest I know of. I think that's one of the reasons he can spend a little time
getting is chambers all pretty and still make it worth his while.


So there!

[bregolad]

I'm no fan of sodium silicate (and don't use it) but I absolutely love my bowl coating. It's the prettiest coating I've come across (not to brag) and I know from experience that it tastes basically like nothing.

why? what is the controversy? I haven't heard about it.... in europe MANY established makers coat thier bowls with it

Oh it's silly. It's recently become a hot topic (in america, I guess). I've sold two pipes this year only because I didn't use it. That's the only reason I'm not it favor of it. Purely selfish.

[d.huber]

Let me make a disclaimer. I don't like the taste of raw briar, and I think I will
always remain sceptical of those who say that a pipe with no bowl coating eventually tastes
better than a pipe with one Not that I don't believe that for you or your pipes, but I've
had the opposite experiences with my pipes.

Not eventually, immediately. Of course, you have to enjoy the taste of briar for that to happen.

As for trusting our audience, you may be right. However, if only flawess, very smooth,
uncoated bowls are the norm, this represents a significant time investment. And for someone
who sells a $1000 pipe and now has to spend an additional 10% time per pipe, this
represents a noticeable pay cut.

If collectors can deal with a price increase due to this, I'd think about doing it.
The point is, until someone can come up with a way to get amazing uncoated bowls with the
same amount of time investment as bowl coating, I don't know that it will change.

You might be surprised to learn that it's not at all difficult to get a beautiful chamber. As long as your drill bit is sharp, presto! If I started coating right now, I'd have to spend time experimenting with mixtures then coat pipe chambers and smoke them to find a mixture that was truly neutral. If you ask me, that sounds to me like a lot of additional work that isn't necessarily necessary. I've also never heard a collector say, "Golly I'm glad that this pipe has a bowl coating," but I have heard plenty of collectors say, "Why don't more people leave the bowl coating off," or "I don't buy 'em if they've got a bowl coating," or "A pipe with a bowl coating will never smoke as well as a pipe without one." Those are all paraphrased, just so nobody sues me.

I don't think everyone thinks about this quite so formally, but because this business is so
personal and based on relationship, there can be a lot of ambiguity when a problem arises.
Therefore, it behooves the pipemaker to take steps to prevent liability. I love that this is
such a personal business, but it comes with more fragility in certain areas than a business
more formal structures. The effect of bowl coating is probably so marginal as to be immeasurable, but still, it's something.

Actually, this is a great point. You're absolutely right about how personal this business is and any issues that arise can be difficult to discuss or cause hurt feelings. This particular topic is a hot one and people take sides very quickly. I'll go on record and say that, in the end, I doubt it truly matters one way or the other and any difference is simply in the mind of the smoker. Y'know, unless the bowl coating tastes like ass.

That being said, I'm right! Have at ye!

PS - Also, James (Gilliam), just wanna say that I bought a pipe from you a while back, the Roccio Bamboo, and that came uncoated. It's one of my best smoking pipes.

PPS - If I ever start coating my chambers, I'm going to catch absolute hell, aren't I?

[the rev]

todd says jump, I say how high.

rev

[d.huber]

todd says jump, I say how high.

rev

Damn. I lose.

[WCannoy]

I have only coated bowls to cover minor flaws on pipes that I sold as seconds. Nobody ever complained to me...

The pipes sold under my brand have uncoated chambers, sanded smooth. Nobody ever complained to me...

Back when I started, the unwritten rule was that bowl coatings were used primarily to make pipes with flaws in the chamber more marketable. I suppose that has changed, maybe...

I prefer not to buy pipes with bowl coatings. I've only owned a few. They were poor smokers.

[the rev]

I have a tyler lane pipe, it had a bowl coating, best smoker I have

rev

[WCannoy]

I have a tyler lane pipe, it had a bowl coating, best smoker I have

rev

I'm sure all of the coated pipes I had were low-end, cheap... Then again, all of the uncoated pipes I've had were cheap too. Only pipes I have now are my own shop rejects.

Seems like these days I would not have any pipe I can afford, and any pipe I would have, I cannot afford!

[Sasquatch]

I think the "controversy" is that a lot of buyers feel that coatings are used to hide defects in the bowl.

Lemme take a picture... then we talk.

[d.huber]

I think the "controversy" is that a lot of buyers feel that coatings are used to hide defects in the bowl.

Lemme take a picture... then we talk.

Now things are about to get really good.

[Sasquatch]

Okay. So.

Here's a bowl drilled and marked "reject". We'd all scrap this - an inch long crevice, goes 1/4" inward... this one's junko.




What of this? A pit right at the bottom of the bowl - the more I pick at it, the worse it looks. It doesn't show on the outside of the bowl.

Or this....



Running discoloration and one loose flappy little pit thing on the chamber wall.


I think both these last two could be smoked 1000 times with no ill effects. The bottom-pit bothers me because of the moisture cycling down there. A chamber coating would conceal both these, no one would ever know the difference. And that's exactly why the haters hate - they are sure (and they are right) that the coatings sometimes cover up little flaws. It might only be that some stain penetrated to the chamber. Anyone who has made a REALLY thin pipe or a really heavily rusticated one has had stain bleed in through perfectly good briar. Looks awful. So... cover it up.

I dunno. I reject these pipes - I reject anything with a "working flaw". I'll rusticate an outside flaw, but the "guts" have to be perfect for me to want to try to sell the pipe.

And yet... damn, I just burnt a 400 dollar pipe and I was being pretty careful, so maybe this "first line of defense" approach is correct.

[The Smoking Yeti]

It's actually pretty easy to burn the raw wood. I've had pipes that took the first few bowls easy and trouble free and other pipes that burned/spiderwebbed under the same conditions - just now breaking in a Castello and I've burnt it just a bit. It will survive I have no fears. But a coating.... might have helped.

Stop lighting with a butane torch.

Cheers!

Yeti

[Sasquatch]

I wanted to see how fast I could smoke a bowl of Mixture Flake without dying.