Chacom Elite Noir 332 and that new pipe smell

For my birthday this year, I treated myself to two new pipes and a selection of tinned tobacco. I know what you're thinking "Woah, Tom, two pipes this year! Aren't you going a little overboard?"

Truth is, I thought about spending more money and getting one pipe, or spending the same amount and getting two. I wanted to add another billiard to my collection as well as another simple travel pipe that (worst case scenario) I wouldn't be significantly upset over if it were lost or damaged. So, I chose this little number to kill two birds with one stone.

The pipe is very lightweight and has a nice, relatively small, chamber for quick smokes. The flat black with that touch of color at the bit adds elegance for such a simple pipe. Surprisingly, for a pipe at this price range, the bit is acrylic and not vulcanite, or even more likely at this price, Bakelite. The silver CC on the side of the bit says this is a quality brand and onlookers would never guess how affordable it was.

However, there is one thing I never counted on with this purchase... That new pipe smell.

Okay, so I'm sure you're wondering what I mean by that, it's not a car after all. Most pipes smell the same. At least, that's what I thought until I got this one. See, the majority of medium to high quality pipes produced today are charred inside the bowl to reduce break-in time. Obviously a $50 Chacom doesn't sport such a feature. If you don't buy inexpensive pipes, then you may never experience this. However, when I opened the box that the pipe was packed in, I was greeted by something I haven't smelled in a long, long time... The smell of fresh, raw briar.

While the first smokes of a pipe that has not been broken in usually aren't the most pleasant, what I kept thinking was that this is a smell I'll only ever get once. After the first smoke, it will change. After the second, it will change further. Until the pipe is broken in and smells no different than every other pipe in my collection, it will continue to change, giving me an experience to cherish.

So, yes, cheaper pipes take longer to break in, but there is a nostalgia all its own in breaking in a pipe from raw briar and that is something I'll never take for granted.

Happy Puffing!

T