Pipe cleaner in or out? New discovery for me.

[Lakebound]

After smoking one of my briars, I try to always clean them after they are cool enough to do so. I usually finished the cleaning job with leaving the last pipe cleaner inside the pipe and running through and out of the end. I did this to help soak up in remaining moisture at the bottom of the bowl.

A week ago, I got a little ahead of myself and loaded/packed one of my pipes and failed to remove the pipe cleaner until right before getting ready to light it (of course). What I discovered was that it actually helped a great deal with making it an almost perfect packing for my smoke.

I am now doing this (leaving the pipe cleaner inside the pipe and stem) since then and am finding that every bowl is a much better packed bowl in my experience.

Anyone else do this on purpose or by accident?

Cheers,

 

[DrT999]

On the whole, I've found it doesn't do much one way or the other on most of my pipes. However, there are a couple where it does help, and one where it's almost necessary. Oddly, they are all some of my less expensive meers.

 

[Richard Burley]

As the Dr. above states, yes, it does work on some pipes. You can even double it if the pipe is apart.

 

[KevinM]

When dinosaurs roamed the earth and I was a pipe noob,I had a similar experience. Looking back, I think the core problem may have been poorly drilled bowls that let the tobacco — which I packed too firmly from the beginning — clog the air passage. Then I got better at checking drilling and packing loose, especially the first pinch. But, no, there’s no harm using a cleaner as you describe.