Water glass/ Sodium Silacate solution

[d.huber]

Any coating works great as long as it doesn't contain asbestos (which, in the past, was a real ingredient in some company's bowl coatings) or any other truly toxic substances. I don't think that sodium silicate falls into that category.

Clean briar doesn't need a bowl coating, but you can add one anyway.

IMO, as heated as this topic can and has become many times before, none of this matters. If you want to have control over the initial smoking experience that your customers have, bowl coat. If you want your customers to have the all-natural break-in experience, don't coat. Both choices work to great success.

Personally, I coat because I want to control the initial smoking experience that every customer has. I want it to be predictable. I'm not a fan of the sodium silicate mixture because I've had bad experiences with it in the past (in pipes I've purchased) so I use an organic coating which contains no sugars. It's incredibly neutral.

YMMV

[RDPowell]

Any coating works great as long as it doesn't contain asbestos (which, in the past, was a real ingredient in some company's bowl coatings) or any other truly toxic substances. I don't think that sodium silicate falls into that category.

Clean briar doesn't need a bowl coating, but you can add one anyway.

IMO, as heated as this topic can and has become many times before, none of this matters. If you want to have control over the initial smoking experience that your customers have, bowl coat. If you want your customers to have the all-natural break-in experience, don't coat. Both choices work to great success.

Personally, I coat because I want to control the initial smoking experience that every customer has. I want it to be predictable. I'm not a fan of the sodium silicate mixture because I've had bad experiences with it in the past (in pipes I've purchased) so I use an organic coating which contains no sugars. It's incredibly neutral.

YMMV

And I understand but, what I don't understand is why this subject is so controversial.
Some wish to do it and some wish not to, end of story IMHO. As far as the bowl coatings go I can see the Pros from a carvers stand point and the Cons at a customer level having heard from others that find it distasteful and or thinking the carver is hiding a major flaw (which in most cases I think to be unwarranted). Again, this is my personal pipe and I feel I should be on the safe side and coat it so I may smoke it without worry for many years to come. Taste or no taste it will protect it as many have pointed out. The taste will go away, a burnt out bowl won't. Thank you all for your replies in helping me with my decision.

[pipedreamer]

Bottom line, trust and money. Some think a flaw in the bowl might be hidden by the coating. Many carvers have seen numerous pipes ruined by purchasers that don't have a clue as to breaking in a new pipe. Some collectors won't pay for coated bowls. Then the two camps, which state coatings ruin the experience and the other camp wanting to protect the pipe from abuse. There are arguments for both sides.

[Sasquatch]

Like everything else about pipes, and artisan pipes most of all, it's all very personal and very debatable and most of it... hardly matters at all.

Luckily, everyone can do just as they please, and everyone wins - bowl coatings, 2ndary chambers, constant volume, acrylic vs ebonite, whatever. If you make nice pipes people will buy them.

[Alden]

bowl coatings, 2ndary chambers, constant volume, acrylic vs ebonite, whatever.

Spelling Secondary with a 2.
It's all good !

[BriarBlues]

Good Day RD et all;

I do not wish to insight flames or extend the controversy.

The controversy is that some well known collectors ( read those that many people follow ) detest the use of any and all chamber coatings.

As far as water glass, there are numerous rumors, "facts", and hype on the use of it as a chamber coating. On both sides of the fence. Both pro and con. Todd Johnson offered a very interesting video, showing a slice of raw unfinished briar up against a piece of raw briar that was "painted" with water glass. Indeed the raw unpainted piece did begin to catch flame and burn. Much faster than the piece with water glass. It also showed that raw briar took ( I think it was ) around 3 minutes before it caught flame. I don't know about you, BUT if I held a flame to my tobacco for even 1 full minute, my tongue would give out well before the briar took flame. That being what it is, the water glass painted piece did show the protective nature of the product.

Personally I prefer pipes that have no chamber coating. I do not have an issue with the initial few bowls that "may" have a slight briar burning taste. I much prefer that to the taste that some chamber coatings offer. This is my preference and not based on facts, rumors, or fiction. It is personal and what works best for me.

Yes, there are some that are "flavor neutral", but there are also others that taste like burning linoleum. There are some that ( to my abilities to accept flavors ) do indeed "mute" my blends of choice.

Some carvers use a chamber coating as a portion of the finishing, in the sense that to their eyes and ideas, a coated chamber makes the pipe appear to be better finished. This is a personal choice by the carver. Some believe an uncoated chamber offers a better looking finished product. That call is up to the carver or what their clients are asking for.

Others have already offered insights as carvers themselves. Read their thoughts and do what works best for your clients, so that you have longevity as a carver. Also make sure that what you chose makes you happy with everything that leaves your shop. Both are important.

Regards
Michael J. Glukler

[RDPowell]

Thanks guys and gals, I mixed up a small batch and coated the bottom of the bowl
and it seems to work well in that it cured pretty fast.
Strangely, when I tested it on a piece of wood and sped the drying process with
a heat gun it dried without shine but, letting it dry normally produced a shine
which I just lightly sanded to remove because getting a heat gun inside the bowl was, well...you know.
I haven't yet smoke the pipe since it's application but, will here soon and I'm sure
it'll be fine. Next time instead of 1 part Carbon and 2 parts Pumice I'll try 2 parts of both
being it was a little greyer then I wanted but, still on the black side.
Oh, and all the ideas I had of applying it with a sponge brush or some other method
went up in smoke when I realized how tar like this stuff is. So the ole digit did the trick
without problems, except for getting the stuff off my finger afterwards.

[e Markle]

Man! I've missed you guys. As I've stated in several posts, it is beyond puzzling to me why anyone would have a strong opinion on this. I think that Mike's comment below is about the strongest statement one can make on the subject:

Personally I prefer pipes that have no chamber coating. I do not have an issue with the initial few bowls that "may" have a slight briar burning taste. I much prefer that to the taste that some chamber coatings offer. This is my preference and not based on facts, rumors, or fiction. It is personal and what works best for me.

This is reasonable. This makes sense. This does not make me want to hire a group of thugs to visit perfidy and violence upon his person. People foam at the mouth and do their best Old Yeller impersonations (in that last scene, you know the one) whenever this topic comes up. It's asinine. If a customer has a preference -- good for him! I will happily respect that.

none of this matters.

I agree. Coat with Uranium 237 for all I care... just don't expect me to buy it. And get that outta my face.

One thing though: people will ask you what you use, and you do need to give them a straight answer. So CA with campfire ash isn't going to promote overwhelming interest in your brand.

[wdteipen]

Yep, best to be straight forward about your philosophy on bowl coatings and the ingredients you use. That's why I put both on my website. Folks can decide for themselves if they want to buy my pipes with full knowledge of why and with what I coat the bowls.