Pipe cleaning routines?

[Fbones24]

I wanted some suggestions on pipe cleaning routines and a critique of mine. I have been pipe smoking for over a year now and never thought to question my cleaning routine. Here is what I do post smoke:

I put the pipe down to cool for approx. 24 hours. Not sure if this is too long, but it is what I do. Then, I dump out the ash and any tobacco left at the bottom. I scrape the bowl gently with a tool to get residue out. I then take a pipe cleaner and dip both ends in a little bit of bourbon and run it through the bowl end of the pipe and then the mouthpiece. Before tossing the cleaner, I gently cleanse the inside of the bowl. I then leave the pipe out to dry and 24 hours later, it is ready to smoke again.

Curious what some more experienced smokers think of this routine and if there is anything I could/should be doing differently.

 

[joshua1970]

lots of variables to deal with - a few off the top of my head:

1) what kind of tobacco you are smoking (aromatics and cased tobaccos create a lot more moisture than natural english blends or VA flakes for instance)
2) the quality of the briar pipe is made from will determine how much moisture the pipe will soak up, how many pipefuls one can smoke in it before it needs a rest etc.
3) your smoking style (faster puffing= more moisture)
etc etc

that said, your system seems to work for you

I generally don't smoke the same pipe more than once a week to give it plenty of time to rest, I've had pipes sour on me in the past and it's a whole entire procedure to fix that problem (sea salt, everclear - eh I can give details if needed)

I
run cleaners through the pipe immediately after smoking, and then run a whisky/vodka/everclear soaked cleaner through the next day (or the next week, if my pipes pile up w/o being cleaned properly as they often do)

I usually don't mess with inside the bowl except to be sure all ash and dottle is 'knocked' out or manually pulled out - only if the cake is growing too thick do I then use the cake removal tool (many are available online - or even a knife can work if you re careful) to keep the cake thickness under the thickness of a nickel, maybe even closer to a dime - this is to avoid any possibility of cracking the pipe as cake expands faster than the wood does when heated

be sure to take OFF the tenon (doesn't matter if you remove it clockwise or counterclockwise so long as you remove it the same way each time -despite what many say about always holding bowl in left hand and removing tenon with right hand in clockwise motion -away from body....again it matters not, the important thing here is consistency. and when you collect a number of pipes consistency helps as you know EVERY pipes' tenon is removed same way AND REPLACED THE SAME WAY (this may be counter-intuitive but it's how I was taught and its' never caused any loose tenons)

and be sure to clean out the tenon/mortise area - most pipes have a very small gap between teh two and that can cause an off taste in time if nevert cleaned..

and once or twice a year I'll get out my carnauba wax and linen/flannel/muslin discs and apply a small coat of carnauba wax (especially on smooth pipes but also helps shine up any sandblasts or rusticated finishes too.

hope that helps!!

Joshua

 

[Kentos]

Great info there above.

I similarly run a pipe cleaner immediately post smoke, and then do the alcohol cleaning after it cools.

I recently have been smoking Kirsten's, and I like being able to pull everything apart immediately to clean.

 

[joshua1970]

thansk Kent, Kirstens and falcons are a trip unto themselves LOL

love the modularity of them - briar bowl, or meer? and they tend to be really good smokers!

alas I've sodl my last kirsten and falcons many years ago. missing them right now though!!

 

[KarlMaldensNose]

Like Joshua and Kent, I like to use pipe cleaners immediately after the smoke so the moisture doesn 't get a chance to dry and turn to sludge. I ran into a problem with alcohol, though. I used isopropyl (maybe 70%, I forget) on the stem of my Lorenzetti and it clouded the areas that aren't polished, like the tenon and the little piece that fits inside the tenon if filters aren't being used. I'm not sure what material the stem is made from -- vulcanite, acrylic...? Anyone know about this? Is all alcohol bad for it, or just isopropyl?

 

[Kentos]

I think all alcohol if left on vulcanite for a while dulls the finish. I am just careful not to over saturate the pipe cleaner. I just moisten the first 1/4" or so, as opposed to dunking half of it in the drink.

 

[jwhite]

It will dissolve any wax but shouldn't hurt the stem material itself. Hit the tenon with a bit of magic eraser and see if that doesn't take care of it for you.

 

[joshua1970]

It will dissolve any wax but shouldn't hurt the stem material itself. Hit the tenon with a bit of magic eraser and see if that doesn't take care of it for you.

+1

vulcanite will oxidize over time as opposed to acrylic stems, but they have such a nice feel in the teeth

never heard of alcohol affecting either - but as mentioned it can take the wax off the briar if used to liberally

 

[Kentos]

Maybe it removed all the oils that camoflauged oxidation on my estates?

 

[jwhite]

could do

 

[Jeff C]

With briars I usually smoke one bowl a day a few times per week. I have some pipes for English blends, some for Aeros, and some for VA and VApers. I'll say smoke a bowl of a Va on Monday, then another of the same tobacco and same pipe on Tuesday. After every smoke, I immediately clean out any unsmoked tobacco and dottle from the pipe. After every two smokes, I take apart the pipe after it has cooled and run through a couple cleaners through the mouthpiece with Everclear on it. Then I run a few cleaners with Everclear through the stem. I'll also take a cleaner, fold it in half and use it to scrape out the bowl.

Then depending on the pipe I'll take a few Q-tips, wet one end with my saliva and use it to clean any char from matches or tobacco off the top of the bowl. This works really well to get any char marks off, better still just be mindful when you light your bowl that the lit match stays away from the outside part of the bowl.

Next, if the stem oxidizes, I'll use one of those Magic Eraser marker pads (normally used to remove marks from walls) to rub down the stem, rub it dry with a paper towel, then rub some chap stick on the stem and let it sit there a few minutes. Then I rub off the chap stick and I have a nice clean stem. I've been meaning to get some of this stem cleaner called Obsidian but have not got around to it.

Finally after several months, I'll do a more extensive cleaning with salt in the bowl and alcohol to really pull out tars.

 

[Argonaut]

Basically, I run a pipe cleaner through them after a smoke and put them away. If they start getting an off smell, I'll go for the full out cleaning with everclear.

 

[conroygc]

Basically, I run a pipe cleaner through them after a smoke and put them away. If they start getting an off smell, I'll go for the full out cleaning with everclear.

This is what I do as well. I don't use the everclear each time.

 

[KarlMaldensNose]

I've heard that repeatedly removing the stem can loosen the fit in the long run. Is that why you leave it in, or you just find it gets sufficiently clean with stem left in?

 

[joshua1970]

I've heard that repeatedly removing the stem can loosen the fit in the long run. Is that why you leave it in, or you just find it gets sufficiently clean with stem left in?

the more one removes the stem, the looser the tenon joint can get - one reason it's important to build the correct removal memory into the tenon itself. and if one dfos it while the pipe/tenon are still warm from smoking it increases that chance.


if the tenon gets loose (which commonly happens if you move from a humid/hot environment to dry or cool one, then there various tricks to tighten them

some use outside products to increase the friction (ie Beeswax).. I generally avoid that. If I have a loose tenon, I use the tip of a match or butane lighter and (VERY CAREFULLY) heat the tenon tip by holding it ABOVE the actual flame -just enough to allow it to heat the tenon and body in small incriments and then I gently but firmly press the tenon downward flat against a hard surface (kitchen counter, usually) then try reinserting into the mortise. it's a small margin to get the tenon just right that it will be sturdy, but remove-able. if you press/widen the tenon too much you can always reheat (in stages) and roll it against the edge of the counter - or even within one's hands.

this can also be used if you move from dry/cool environment to hot/humid to prevent the tenon from getting jammed in mortise, and possibly splitting the thin wood at the mortise.

many of the premium pipe makers ar so precise there is little to no space between tenon and wood to allow tars to build up.

like anything YMMV!

 

[Jeff C]

My stems only loosen if I don't regularly smoke my pipes which happens unfortunately given my current life style situation--too many demands on my time.

If the stems get tight, Vauen makes this product you can rub on the stem. It's the kind of thing like a styptic pencil in that you'll probably only need one your entire life unless you lose it. I think you could find one on Ebay, I bought mine in Germany 15 years ago and it is barely half gone.

http://www.bollitopipe.it/vauen-pipe-service-stick-p-2620.html?language=en

 

[joshua1970]

My stems only loosen if I don't regularly smoke my pipes which happens unfortunately given my current life style situation--too many demands on my time.

If the stems get tight, Vauen makes this product you can rub on the stem. It's the kind of thing like a styptic pencil in that you'll probably only need one your entire life unless you lose it. I think you could find one on Ebay, I bought mine in Germany 15 years ago and it is barely half gone.

http://www.bollitopipe.it/vauen-pipe-service-stick-p-2620.html?language=en

I've never seen that particular product before, though recall similar products on the market a number of years ago.... have used beeswax once, and it worked, but in severe cases I find it easier to reset the width of tenon - though I admit it can be risky too.... if one chooses the heat/pressure method the best caveat I can give is to go SLOOOOOOW

 

[PugslyCat]

I dump the pipe and scrape it after every smoke, unless there is quite a bit of tobacco left in the bowl that I will smoke later that day. That scraping after every bowl is probably why I have never had enough of a cake build up that I needed to ream my pipes.
I'll run a dry pipe cleaner through if I have any problems with gurgling or drawing through the pipe, usually disassembly the pipe as I do it.
I've done the full out cleaning only once in the past decade, more out of curiosity than anything else.

 

[COHunter]

I just dump out the ash/dottle, and if I remember I'll put a pipe cleaner down the stem. I rarely use alcohol unless I'm restoring a pipe or trying to go all Ghostbusters on it!!

What you're doing will be just fine, if not a bit overkill but it should keep you from souring a pipe so if it works for you, just keep goin!..

It's a pipe, not a rocket.