Quote:
Originally Posted by Paulmac
...a good cleaning will fix the pipe, but we a superstitious and wary folk :P I have pipes I wouldn't even risk a ghosted flavor jumping in and grabbing hold lol
|

The 11-post superstitious PaulMac rookie speaks the trooth; why take the time and effort (and smallish risk) to soak and scour a pipe if you don't have to? Great post, newguy.
Further to risks that cobs can avoid - it is amazing how many ways a new pipe smoker can find to burn a pipe, char a rim, chomp a pristine vulcanite hand-cut bit, dent briar or gore a smooth meerschaum chamber. Cobs are good ground to learn, experiment and make cheap mistakes.