My First Major Pipe Disaster

[KellyG]

I pulled my 2019 B&B BL LE Franc Morta from my pipe cabinet a few minutes ago to fill it with some Persian Slipper. It looked a bit "off". I discovered a crack in the left side of the bowl from top, nearly to the bottom, all the way through the side of the bowl.
It's been a week or so since I last smoked it and I don't remember the crack being there when I cleaned it after that smoke, although I could have missed it. I have to say I'm a bit surprised and disappointed. I've probably smoked it 25 times or less.
Just now, I very slightly pulled at the top of the bowl, and the whole front fell off; it was cracked clear around. I have not dropped or knowingly abused this pipe, but obviously something went terribly wrong!
Have any of you seen this happen in a similar pipe?

 

[Columbo]

That cracked with the grain. Unless you dropped it or hammered on it, you had nothing to do with it. That looks like a bad blank to me, or perhaps a tight boring that opened up a weak one. A few thermal cycles is enough to split them wide open, especially on a new one.

Sorry for your loss. Perhaps the pipemaker will make good on it.

 

[KellyG]

Thanks for that explanation! No drops or hammering. In the big picture, it is not the end of the world, but disappointing nonetheless. Bad pipe karma.

 

[Hirsute]

Yeah, that looks like it was caused by a flaw in the block. I'd recommend contacting Dustin. I'd bet he takes care of you.

 

[Claudel Xerxes]

That's a bummer. I would definitely contact Dustin to see if what his opinion is on whether or not it was a flawed chunk of morta.

 

[brandaves]

Condolences, very sorry for your loss...

 

[KellyG]

Thanks for the suggestion to reach out to Dustin, I didn't know whether that was appropriate or not. I will do so.

 

[karacha]

That's a bad block, simple as that.

 

[KellyG]

Message sent to Dustin. Thanks for your help!

 

[Isaac]

Let us know how that goes

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Ouch! I hope you can get some support from the maker.

 

[KellyG]

Good news! I corresponded with Dustin, sent him pictures, and he agrees with your assessment that it was a bad block with hidden flaws. He is making me a replacement to be stamped as the original. His customer service is impeccable. I'm reserving a spot in the pipe cabinet for #10.

 

[Hirsute]

Good news! I corresponded with Dustin, sent him pictures, and he agrees with your assessment that it was a bad block with hidden flaws. He is making me a replacement to be stamped as the original. His customer service is impeccable. I'm reserving a spot in the pipe cabinet for #10.

Awesome!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[FarmerTan]

Thanks for that explanation! No drops or hammering. In the big picture, it is not the end of the world, but disappointing nonetheless. Bad pipe karma.

Good attitude my friend. Yeah, my heart would fall into my guts if it had happened to me.

 

[FarmerTan]

Good news! I corresponded with Dustin, sent him pictures, and he agrees with your assessment that it was a bad block with hidden flaws. He is making me a replacement to be stamped as the original. His customer service is impeccable. I'm reserving a spot in the pipe cabinet for #10.

Impeccable is the word. I hope that his "stand up attitude" gains him MUCH new business.

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Excellent news, Kelly!

 

[oc_in_fw]

This is one reason why I wish we would stop making LE pipes out of morta. It is lovely and all, but when they fail they fail big. You don’t see this happen with briar or olive.

 

[radrick96]

This is one reason why I wish we would stop making LE pipes out of morta. It is lovely and all, but when they fail they fail big. You don’t see this happen with briar or olive.

I saw they’ve done morta before too. Have they done a meerschaum? Or is that next year? Hhaha

Good news! I corresponded with Dustin, sent him pictures, and he agrees with your assessment that it was a bad block with hidden flaws. He is making me a replacement to be stamped as the original. His customer service is impeccable. I'm reserving a spot in the pipe cabinet for #10.

That’s great news friend! I’m happy for you. Pipe smokers are the best kind of people.

 

[caskwith]

Wowsers! Never seen a failure as catastrophic as that! The grain orientation is optimum as well, not usually the case in Morta pipes I have seen up until recently.

 

[nortac]

I recently had a Rattray Morta pipe develop a longitudinal crack through the bowl and extending into the stem, but it did not separate into two pieces. I had maybe smoked it a dozen times and had not mistreated it. Smoking Pipes gave me full store credit for it even though I had had it just over a year.