The bowl is the fundamental component of any pipe and it should therefore be handled with great care and looked after meticulously. Maintaining the inside of the bowl is the most important job because this will affect the longevity of the pipe, as well as the quality of the smoke. It is vital to break in the bowl of a new pipe gently by building up a layer of protective carbon inside. To quicken carbon build up, many pipe smokers favour applying a little honey around the tobacco bore which causes rapid carbon formation and may even add a pleasant flavour to the taste of your tobacco. The carbon layer should be maintained at a thickness of approximately 1.5mm so as to allow the tobacco to burn on the carbon and not on the briar bowl. It is very important to ensure that the carbon layer is exactly the right thickness because the bowl itself can split if the layer is too thick or too thin. To protect a new bowl during the first few smokes. great care must be taken not to overheat it,. so pipes should not be smoked too quickly, out of doors or in a draughty area.

It is also important to rest your pipe for 24 hours after smoking, thereby allowing the bowl to return to its normal size, as it will expand and contract during smoking. Once the carbon layer is built up its thickness should be frequently checked and regulated, a simple task for which an Alfred Dunhill adjustable carbon cutter is the ideal tool. Knives or pointed instruments should not be used as these may pierce and damage the bowl causing rough edges to form on the briar and leading to possible "burn out". You should avoid gouging or breaking through the carbon layer at all costs. A well maintained pipe, with a carbon layer of the correct thickness will give you many years of Smoking pleasure.

Polishing and caring for the bowl.
Extract from the Fellowship of the White Spot Newsletters by permission

The bowl is the most important part of your pipe in terms of both smoking quality and of aesthetics. Maintaining the lustrous finish and subtle colour of your pipe bowl takes great care and a considerable amount of effort, but we at Alfred Dunhill Pipes believe that this is time well spent. Alfred Dunhill pipes are natural products because they are made of very fine quality root briar which comes from the Erica Arborea plant. The meticulous hand crafting of every bowl by Alfred Dunhill Pipes experts ensures that each individual pipe will be a pleasure to smoke. When buying an Alfred Dunhill pipe you can be absolutely sure you will never find any filling in the bowl. Your pipe bowl will inevitably change over the years due to natural effect. The colour of the finish is usually the most recognisable change and when you compare a well smoked pipe to a new one you will notice the difference in shade. Heat is one of the most important contributors to this gradual process. Often making the bowl's finish look fuller and richer. Another factor that can affect the finish is everyday handling of the pipe, because natural acids in the sweat on an individual's hand can react with the wood - sometimes resulting in a duller looking bowl. This is one of the reasons why we advise retailers to wear soft cotton gloves when they are handling Alfred Dunhill pipes. Similarly, the effects of ultra-violet radiation can lead to a dulling of the bowl's finish, so it is always advisable to store your pipes away from direct sunlight or bright indoor lighting. Intense light has been known to alter the mouthpiece of the pipe, causing it to become dull and even turning grey. To keep your pipe bowl in the best possible condition we advise using a proper cleaning agent, and Alfred Dunhill Pipe Bowl Cleaning Polish has been specially designed for this job. Applied carefully and regularly the Pipe Bowl Cleaning Polish should help to maintain the bowl's beautiful finish. If the damage to a pipe is beyond treatment with Pipe Bowl Cleaning Polish, our expert craftsmen may be able to refurbish and restore it to somewhere near its original finish, but, if a pipe has been very badly neglected on the years, restoration may be beyond even their capabilities. (If you wish to use the Alfred Dunhill pipe repair service you should consult your nearest Alfred Dunhill pipe stockist.) The bowl of an Alfred Dunhill pipe is a wonderful creation and should be cherished and cared for. Every bowl has gone through painstaking hours of hand crafting and has passed numerous quality control procedures. Most importantly, each bowl has been individually tailored making every Alfred Dunhill pipe unique.

By kind permission of The PipeSmokers Council (UK)

For some, the care of a pipe amounts to religion. Again, the matter depends largely on temperament. Certain basic rules do apply if a pipe is to be enjoyed to the full; not least that it is 'broken in' carefully. A new briar should only be half-filled on the first half dozen occasions; and should never be fiercely smoked - firstly, to allow the charring process to begin gradually; secondly, to allow the virgin pipe to finally harden in the intense heat of combustion. Some pipemen suggest using various mixtures to coat the inside of the bowl: honey, molasses, brandy etc. The idea behind this is that it will assist the fast formation of a thin layer of char and improve the 'flavour' of the pipe in the initial stages.This will certainly do no harm to a pipe, but putting a hot poker or burning coal into a new pipe is the quickest way to ruin a pipe known to man.Yet some still do it! According to a century old tract, 'How to keep a Pipe Good Natured' the complete pipe should have at least three briars, to be smoked in rotation, filled, and gently smoked, allowing each time for recovery.

The Victorians may have been a leisurely lot but in this, at least they were right. It is extremely unwise to use one pipe continuously, intensively. Even the best briars will suffer from such coarse treatment - however well they are maintained. A pipe should be given time to cool completely before it is refilled and relit. If a pipe has been carefully filled, and smoked, the cleaning process is a comparatively simple matter - merely a case of tipping the fine ash from the bottom of the bowl; then running a pipe cleaner a couple of times through the stem to remove any moisture or dottle that has accumulated there. It is important to allow the pipe to cool before you attempt to remove the mouthpiece. Often, however, especially if using a coarser brand of tobacco, dottle will also have gathered at the foot of the bowl which can easily be loosened with a match or knife blade before tipping out. Never knock the pipe against your shoe, wall etc. as this is certain to damage your pipe in the end. Always hold the pipe by the bowl when you are emptying it. If you have a 'systems' pipe these instructions will not apply. Read the manufacturer's leaflet and get to work with a pipe spray to clean metal stems properly. Neither process of cleaning out the bowl or stem need be time consuming: though it makes a critical difference between how a pipe smokes and smells. A neglected briar soon takes on a bitter flavour, destroying the fragrance of the tobacco, and causing an anti-social smell - even when it is not being smoked. A quick clean after every pipeful eliminates both dangers; to the benefit both of the smoker, and his/her friends. Beyond regular cleaning, the only other point demanding attention is the occasional need to clear the bowl of char. From its first smoke a briar begins to form a coat of carbon within the bowl which will thicken, almost imperceptibly, with each subsequent fill.The carbon should not be more than 1/16th of an inch thick or otherwise you risk cracking the bowl.

The de-coking operation is comparatively simple. The best method is to use a pipe reamer or smoker's knife; insert it in the bowl and turn, slowly, stripping off the layers of carbon to the required depth.The knife has a rounded end, which prevents any damage being done to the bottom of the bowl. But it requires to be used with great care as bowls are easily damaged. Although cleaning and de-coking require so little time, the difference they make to providing a good, sweet smoke is quite disproportionate to the effort involved.