cake tools - what do you use?

[Zeno Marx]

I've tried a bunch. A couple different Dunhill tools. Modified pocket knives. The reamer kit. And even when any of those has done a decent job, I have to finish off their work with the Savinelli 3-sided knife. I'm curious to know what other smokers use. I'm really happy with the Savinelli, but if there is something better, I'm all for trying it.

I like that the Savinelli is controlled by my own feel for the cake. The edges are sharp, but they're not so sharp that you have to worry about doing damage if you get a little distracted, impatient, or rambunctious. You can also get all the way down to the round bottom of the bowl, whereas the others always leave some area untouched or cut shapes into the cake.

Just recently, I picked up a pipe that had been clearly cleaned and prepared for sale, but whatever tool they used had taken a perfectly circular chunk of the cake at the dead-center bottom of the bowl, down to the wood. That's great, but it didn't touch the cake at the sides of the bottom of the bowl. It felt, and looked, like someone drilled a counter-sink hole into the cake. Weirdest cake cutting I've maybe ever seen. It was clearly the shape of the tool, too.

The Savinelli has a briar handle. Around 5 inches long. Stainless steel blade.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Neglected estate pipes: Kleen Reem

Daily use (which leaves no need for the above): 99¢ pipe nail

8)

 

[riff raff]

I have the four piece Castleford set and use that most of the time. Sometimes none of those four inserts works and I pull out an adjustable Senor Reamer. For working on estate pipes, I prefer the Castleford and the t-handle, as I can keep it perfectly perpendicular to the bowl for an even reaming. The Senor takes a little more effort to keep it straight and I invariably also loosen or tighten the jaws in that process.

Here's a pretty thorough essay on reamers on the Reborn Pipes blog:
http://rebornpipes.wordpress.com/2012/05/31/my-choices-in-pipe-reamers-a-review-6/

 

[dkj42]

What Kyle said works for me. :cyclops:

 

[Anonymous]

Daily use (which leaves no need for the above): 99¢ pipe nail

This.

:cat: :face: :study:

 

[bosun1]

For daily use I use a small blade on a pipe tool. For serious work a Kleen Reem. If the cake is all buggered up I'll get out the Kabar (pocket knife) and reem/chip out the old cake as needed. Just have to be careful working in the area of the bottom of the bowl with the knife..

 

[Harlock999]

Neglected estate pipes: Kleen Reem

Daily use (which leaves no need for the above): 99¢ pipe nail

Kleen Ream for heavy cake.
The end of a match stick for daily maintenance. Cost: approximately 1 cent.

 

[TonyS]

The Castleford would seem to get at the bowl's bottom better than the Senior Reamer("SR") types because its "blades" span across the rounded face. I don't own one but judging from pics the SR's blades will just hit the sides and maybe shoulder of the bowl's bottom. The problem with the Castleford types is unless one of the "heads" fits your bowl properly you're SOL cleaning the bowl well, thus needing to keep another type of reamer on hand like a SR. I don't have any type of cleaner right now but will get the Castleford type first and see how that goes. My good luck karma is zilch so I'll pro'lly have to get the SR too. :roll:

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Kleen Ream for heavy cake.
The end of a match stick for daily maintenance. Cost: approximately 1 cent.

Weird skinny rock from the field next door... free... :monkey: *puts up dukes*

:lol:

8)

 

[TonyS]

Weird skinny rock from the field next door... free... :monkey: *puts up dukes* :lol: 8)

You still into stealing skinny rocks eh Kyle?

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Is this a pop-culture reference?

 

[Wet Dottle]

Zeno,

I think the best reamer is the Savinelli you're already using, followed by the Pipnet (I think it's identical to the Castleford others mentioned). For those wanting a lot of precision and perfection, nothing beats sandpaper.

 

[Zeno Marx]

I see 4Noggins has the Savinelli Fits All for $35.

Thanks for the replies, everyone.

I should probably shift to using a dowel rod and sandpaper for the finishing touch. It's always that very last little bit that gets hairy. I speak mostly of estate pipes. I don't have a lot of cake build-up on my regular rotation. I worked on a newly acquired estate pipe for around an hour the other morning. I hit a really hard patch of cake, and rather than battle it, I lightly, slowly went at it. It probably would have been smarter to use sandpaper at that point.

 

[williamcharles]

I've got a Senior and the Castleford set but this is what I actually use most often.

Mine is a Roland - cost me $20 years ago.

 

[Harlock999]

Kleen Ream for heavy cake.
The end of a match stick for daily maintenance. Cost: approximately 1 cent.

Weird skinny rock from the field next door... free... :monkey: *puts up dukes*

Alright, you win... :roll:

 

[KevinM]

I'm with the keep it simple school. Pipe nails/and or tools are fine. I was once looking for a particular pipe, found a promising example on the Internet, had card in hand, but asked the Q: "Anything wrong with it?" The answer was that someone had performed DIY reaming and removed some briar. So I passed. Freqent cleaning, timely chipping and the occasional light touch up with sandpaper does the job. Remember, all you need is a thin, even coat of carbon. And whatever you choose to do, Dremel tools and their high rpms are great for removing grout, but are poorly suited to maintaining your briar buddies.