The Novice's Guide on How to Buy Estate Pipes: Glossary of Terms

A Guide to Terms with Annotation

BOWL COATING: A thin application of a fire-resistant paste compound that is applied to a tobacco chamber interior to accelerate cake formation (sometimes called pre-carbonization), and to reduce the possibility of heat damage. Secondary Bowl Coating: In the process of refurbishment, some resellers remove a pipe’s original bowl coating and apply their own version. Some pipemakers do not apply bowl coatings, but resellers sometimes apply one if they are concerned about past or potential damage to a chamber interior. Bowl coating formulas vary. Some are dietary charcoal with organic binder (yogurt or sour cream) and some are waterglass and dietary charcoal. The use or non-use of coatings is controversial; both pro-coating and anti-coating adherents make strong arguments. Unless a reseller or refurbisher has used a coating to conceal the true condition of a pipe, the presence of a coating does not materially impact an estate’s value. (I prefer original condition: the original coating or the original state of no coating.)

BURN-OUT: A severely charred area inside a tobacco chamber. A complete burnout results when the wood is charred or burned from the inside to the outside of a pipe. This is the first issue you should look for in an estate pipe purchase. Burnout renders a pipe worthless in the collectibles market. A partially burnt-out pipe that can be repaired with pipe mud may have minimal value as a smoker.

BUTTON: The articulated, raised area of a stem end that is inserted into the mouth. The stem button facilitates the ease with which a pipe smoker can hold the pipe with the teeth (clench).

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