Ghost of Tobaccos Past

[Slow Puffs]

I know there are stories of erinmore and 1972.

A couple months ago, I opened McBaren Cube and smoked it in a "new", unsmoked pipe. I would estimate that perhaps I smoked 6 bowls in this pipe. I like the pipe very much and have been using it as a "va" pipe, but even with my insensitive taste buds, the Cube is still haunting it.

I've never had this expeience before. I know that I could easily turn it into a latakia pipe, but I wanted it as a va or vaper pipe. I'll keep smoking va/vapers for the time being and see if it will come around.

Does part of the theory of ghosts of tobaccos past involve the tobacco you use to break in the pipe? I suspect that if I had laid a firm foundation of a virginia, it would be less problematic.

Then again, I should have used a cob in the first place.

Paul

 

[pipetongue1]

yo Puffs, Try the "don Alfredo" alcohol treatment, cotton balls soaked with alky, use a eyedropper, and let it stay that way for a couple of days Ken.
Pacem en No Alky! :tongue: irat:

 

[stevalla]

Hi Paul,
Before taking any drastic measures with this new pipe, I would suggest cleaning with pure grain alcohol or as close as you can get. Primarily the stem and shank area and a light swish with soaked pipe cleaner in the bowl. I have found that a lot of the ghosts reside in the residue of past smokes in the shank area where they find some moisture present to combine with and adhere to the wood. Try it, may not remove all of the ghost but I bet it knocks him down a bunch. Regards,
Alan Stevenson
Wausau, WI
Stevenson pipes at www.mrcspiperoom.com

 

[Justpipes]

I agree with the old pure grain alcohol cleaning. I usually ream the bowl pretty good first. I would only use the alcohol cotton ball or salt treatment as a last resort. I have done it and it does work but unless you read up on it and do it properly it can ruin a pipe also.

 

[Slow Puffs]

Thanks guys. I don't have any pure grain alcohol and kept forgetting to get some the last few days. So today, I used some vodka.

Alan, yours words "Try it, may not remove all of the ghost but I bet it knocks him down a bunch." just about describes it perfectly.

Being a fairly new pipe there wasn't much grime to clean but it improved significantly.

Paul