Caveman discovers tobacco, smokes pipes, starts thread.tonight on the news at 10!

[captaincaveman]

Continued from derailed thread...

My Missouri Meerschaum has pipe cleaner fuzz in the wooden stem. How do I remove said fuzz? I tried a damp paper towel rolled into a stick shape, it didn't do the job. I'm sure flushing with water would suffice but I figure that would damage the pipe.

 

[Hirsute]

Continued from derailed thread...

My Missouri Meerschaum has pipe cleaner fuzz in the wooden stem. How do I remove said fuzz? I tried a damp paper towel rolled into a stick shape, it didn't do the job. I'm sure flushing with water would suffice but I figure that would damage the pipe.

Try some bristle pipe cleaners to remove it. If that doesn't work, I would worry too much about it. Just use a higher quality pipe cleaner in the future. BJ Long cleaners are pretty free of fuzz.

 

[captaincaveman]

These?
http://www.amazon.com/Longs~-Longs-Cleaners~-Bristole~-Cleaners/dp/B002DH0ID2

 

[Hirsute]

Any bristle cleaner should work, and those would be fine. My reference to bJ Long was for a regular cleaner. Eventually, you'll want regular, tapered, and bristle cleaners--they all have their place. I use bj longs for all of my pipe cleaner needs.

 

[COHunter]

I wouldn't sweat it at all, worst thing that'll happen is it ends up in the mouthpiece and you can rinse it out. And while you're peeking inside your cob you'll notice the wooden tenon in there from the stem...let it burn. Once you smoke several bowls out of it that stem will burn and combine with the other carbon from the tobacco and form a nice heel in the bottom of the bowl.

 

[captaincaveman]

I would think that the worst, and most likely thing, is that I would inhale said fibers. I could throw a filter in it for a while and let the filter catch them, actually...just thought of that.

 

[captaincaveman]

I would think that the worst, and most likely thing, is that I would inhale said fibers. I could throw a filter in it for a while and let the filter catch them, actually...just thought of that.

Wait a second...I'm not inhaling anyway, except incidental and accidental inhalation. What was I thinking? Nevermind, I'll just go ahead and smoke it.

 

[Shave_Rat]

One thing I do is I pull my pipe cleaner between my fingers before I use it to remove any errant fuzz that maybe on it.

 

[captaincaveman]

Improved cadence has definitely improved my excessive re-light issue. I used 8 matches and completed a bowl. I'm happy with that.

 

[Shave_Rat]

Cadence is really the big factor after getting loading down, for sure. Even then, better many relights than smoking it hot and getting tongue bite, by far.

 

[the_edski]

Cadence is really the big factor after getting loading down, for sure. Even then, better many relights than smoking it hot and getting tongue bite, by far.

+1. This should be a mantra.

 

[nortac]

I would think that the worst, and most likely thing, is that I would inhale said fibers. I could throw a filter in it for a while and let the filter catch them, actually...just thought of that.

Or you could blow through the empty pipe and dislodge any fibers/debris back out of the bowl.

 

[ciderguy]

Cadence is really the big factor after getting loading down, for sure. Even then, better many relights than smoking it hot and getting tongue bite, by far.

+1

I'm a fan of modified breath smoking (link provided so you can read about canonical breath smoking). I put the pipe in my mouth and breathe in and out through my nose with my mouth closed. Every few breaths, I exhale a small amount through the pipe instead. Every 5-20 breaths I'll take the pipe out, open my mouth, exhale, take a breath or two and then put the pipe back in my mouth. I tamp very genlty as necessary - mainly when I feel a change in the draw (becomes more airy), change in temperature (too cold), or change in smoke volume (not enough).

I like to do this with pipes that are comfortable to hold in the mouth. I have the little soft bits on many of my pipes. This helps to keep my hands free and my pipe lit when I'm reading. I often manage to smoke 75-95% of the pipe like this without a relight, unless I get distracted. This is my preferred method of smoking Carter Hall.

 

[MrSmith]

Interesting read on breath smoking as that has been essentially my natural smoking method and rhythm for some time now. The only real difference in my method has been that I'll take a long sip/draw or two rather than just the passive venturi? effect that is taking place there about once or twice per minute. keeps my relights to a minimum and provides for a very flavorful smoke.

 

[ciderguy]

Interesting read on breath smoking as that has been essentially my natural smoking method and rhythm for some time now. The only real difference in my method has been that I'll take a long sip/draw or two rather than just the passive venturi? effect that is taking place there about once or twice per minute. keeps my relights to a minimum and provides for a very flavorful smoke.

I think a good number of pipe smokers naturally discover their own variation on breath smoking over time. I really enjoy how long I can make a pipe last. I can smoke my Mizzou for almost 90min. It has a chamber diameter of .625 in/15.875 mm & chamber depth of 1.25 in/31.75 mm. This is a great way to conserve the brown leaf.

 

[captaincaveman]

For about a week I've been messing with a mixture of blends. I started with 50/50 Sultan's Blend and Stokkebye Proper English. Unlike previous mixtures involving Sultan's Blend, it didn't take on the other's flavor. Instead, Proper English kowtowed to Sultan's Blend. I decided to throw some straight blending Latakia at it, a slightly smaller serving than the other two components. First smoke was kinda harsh and not the greatest taste. Second was pretty darned good. Third was back to harsh.

That's when I realized: That second smoke was in a different pipe, a cherry MM Ozark. If continued experimentation supports this pattern, then maybe it prefers cherry wood to briar, or it prefers that one pipe over the other, or it prefers a filter.

 

[poorboy]

This guy perhaps? Find at P&C under Pipe Tools / Pipe Cleaners

 

[captaincaveman]

The 5-pack of those comes out to the same price at P&C as Harbor Freight. Not bad!