Pipe cleaning

[Tim_Haggerty]

I was writing to get some feedback about pipe cleaning, which is a topic that's not much talked about here, curiously, since we all do it, one way or another.

I smoke usually 7-10 different bowls a week on average, and usually let then pile up. Then, once a week or so usually, I sit down and clean them out (this is basic cleaning, no polishing, buffing, or treatments). This tends to be over the weekend, when I'm balancing my checkbook and doing other sundry tasks.

Usually, I find this to be a good exercise: first, it gets my favorite pipes back in the rack ready to go, and secondly it provides interesting data, which I might not accrue if I were cleaning after each smoke : which bowls tend to smoke down more readily, which tend to clog up more in the stem, which get charred more, etc.

Finally, I enjoy this part of the hobby: it's another ritual, it smells good and it's another excuse to fill up a bowl. It also facilitates a general cleanup of my office, which is where I smoke the most, as well as go on a hunting-gathering expedition in other rooms, in the car, in coat jackets, etc. for pipes I may have laid down elsewhere.

Any other thoughts?

 

[Kyle Weiss]

It's a good point you bring up, cleaning is the not-as-fun part of pipe ownership (though that may be different with some folks) and it is infrequently discussed. Archives here bring up some interesting searches/reading now and again...

...as for me, I usually do an end-of-the-day cleaning, when I do smoke, that is. Whatever the "pipe of the day" happens to be, once I'm done that day, apart it comes, out come the tools, newspaper wads, spirits and pipe cleaners. Polishing and more intense maintenance is reserved for those times when notice and/or have the time.

 

[MisterE]

I tend to let them pile up- maybe 10 to 15 at a time. The bigger the pileup, the lower my drive to clean them all. I'll maybe clean the 4 worst offenders, than add fresh ones to the pile. I'm then dealing with about 8 semi clean (or semi dirty, take your pick) pipes at a time in my rotation. I'm far less compulsive about the appearance of my pipes than I used to be. The only thing that really bugs me is gunk on the rims. I will get that before it gets out of hand!!

I agree that cleaning is part of getting to know my pipes better. I don't consider a pipe "broken in and mine" until I've reamed it once.

 

[Lesath]

On briars, I tend to do a cursory cleaning right away, then rest them. If they need more, they can have it later. Clays I wipe out fairly quick, but I'm cautious of how aggressive I am running a cleaner through the stem. I really like how you can wash the Lepeltiers.

 

[LIPIPE]

I'm definitely in tune with you men. I pile up the week's pipes and clean them assembly line style on he weekend. It's a chore that I really like to put off. I have not set up a plan yet to really maintain my bowls other than keeping them reamed. Is a buffing wheel and wax the way you guys handle the chore or do you just use a natural nose rub to shine up your bowls?

 

[Lesath]

On the briars, the nose rub generally does the job. I rather like that patina you get on a well appreciated pipe. I do tend to maybe go a bit overboard on vulcanite stems; that stem cleaner/deodorizer that Walker sells is a nice product to have around.

 

[LIPIPE]

Lesath: Thanks for the reply. I have noted many guys turn thumbs down on the use of olive oil. They all say that it turns rancid. I've used olive oil for years on my vulcanite stems and there is never a problem. I also have bit cushions on all of my stems and I don't rub the oil on them. Perhaps that is why I have never tasted any rancid oil. The olive oil does the trick for me. I do a thorough inside the stem cleaning with pipe cleaners dipped into apricot brandy or scotch.

 

[Lesath]

LIPIPE: I do a thorough inside the stem cleaning with pipe cleaners dipped into apricot brandy or scotch. [/quote]

I use Bacardi 151 that I've tossed some vanilla beans in. Sometimes I have to test it to maintain quality standards. I also use it for rum sauce and in the homemade eggnog. Yet another useful substance to keep around the house.

Pray tell, what manner of scotch do you prefer for this task?

 

[MisterE]

I used to do the "nose rub" on smooth bowls but not anymore. I prefer to just let the oil from my hands do it over time. With rusticated or blast finishes a good wipe down does the trick- no oils or agents. I'll do a nose rub on Vulcanite stems after I polish them sometimes to "seal it" from the air. Especially if I won't be using them for a while.

 

[LIPIPE]

Lesath and Mr. E: My scotch is either Pinch or Johnnie Walker Red. As far as oils from my hands...that does not work for a guy who clenches. My hands don't spend very much time on my bowls. The nose is the "oil applicator" of choice in my case.

 

[s.ireland]

I also use whatever scotch I have around. A little scotch on the end of a cleaner after each bowl seems to keep things pretty clean. Deep cleanings are almost a quarterly affair for me.

LIPIPE & misterE
I'm very fascinated by the "nose rub" technique... You use the oils on your nose to shine up stems and bowls? First time I've heard of it. Although, now that I think about it I've inadvertently done that while smelling the bowl after a smoke. A common practice of yours?

 

[MisterE]

The oil from around your nose and on your forehead can be used to help shine up the pipe a little. I first read about it in Richard Carleton Hacker's "The Ultimate Pipe Book" back in the early 90's. I did it to a lot of my bowls back then and it works nicely. At that point his book was the only resource for pipe expertise that was available to me. I have since rethought some of the things he suggests, namely the nose wax and the breaking in process.

Now I avoid putting anything on the wood other than what comes off my hands. I just don't like the idea of treating the wood in any way anymore. To get smooth bowls shiny I'll just use a dry cloth and give it a good polish. I never use commercially available treatments either.

With those pesky Vulcanite stems I might give them a rubdown with my nose once I've gotten them shiny to help keep them from oxidizing while in storage. Vulcanite is such a pain that I hope to preserve my efforts for a little while at least, lol.

 

[LIPIPE]

S.Ireland: Yes, you do understand. The oils that are naturally produced by the skin on the nose and forehead are ideal lubricants for the smooth briar bowl. Either rub your thumb and index finger on the nose and then massage the bowl or just rub the warm bowl directly across the forehead and around the nose. Either way you will find that the result is a shine on your pipe. I'm a guy who has a collection of pipes strictly for the purpose of smoking them. I limit my "fussing" with them to what is absolutely necessary and I focus more on the pleasure of a good smoke.

 

[s.ireland]

Thanks for the replies, gentlemen. I plan on trying it to see if I like it. Seems like a good idea though... Going green instead of buying polish

 

[R.A.]

Interesting, I tend to delay cleaning to the once a week / till a group accumulates also, For others who do that, Do you also leave the spent/unsmoked tobacco in the bowl untill the mass cleaning as well?

Generally I empty the bowl and blow through the stem, after each smoke but sometimes I get distracted when a smoke ends and the reminants are left in the bowl.

I aspire to do better and give a more detailed cleaning after each smoke just haven't got on board with it. :scratch:

 

[deepbass9]

Since I've only been smoking for about a year, I'm still feeling my way around.

In the summer months, I switch over to stogies...at least I did this year. Dunno, something about the warmth and the image ofCuban men in panama hats gets my in the cigar flavor mood. It also has to do with the mouth feel. Pipes seem to leave more oil on my tongue than cigars do, and I find it distracting in the heat. Because of this, this year all my pipes received a complete rest from about April until Sept.

Fall & Winter tend to be my more pipe months. This being my first full trip around to another Fall season, I find myself puffing about two pipes on average per day. My habit thus far has been to always run cleaners through any pipe while I'm smoking it if I feel or hear moisture gathering. My drier lat blends don't usually need anything, but Penzance and other more moist blends do. As do some VA's and, of course, just about all aromatics.

After I'm done with the bowl, I dump and scoop to make sure the draft hole is clean and run as many cleaners through as I need to until they come out dry with barely any coloration. Then, whilst still warm, I hit them with my Briar Wipe impregnated cloth (assuming I'm at home..if not, it's the fist thing I do before I shelve the bowl). I make sure to do the stems and buttons very well, to help seal out oxidation. Additionally, I'll hit my vulcan stems with some bamboo or mineral oil once or twice a year to seal the pores.

After that, I let the pipe sit until fully cooled, and then separate the stem. I give the draft hole another go through to make sure I get in there good, then double up some cleaners and clean out the shank, too. Then, it's back on the shelf (or in my case, back on the credenza top).

I cleaned them all once with spirits, but since I'm still teething, I really didn't them get too much cleaner. I'm under the impression that I'm trying to avoid my pipes getting sour. Since any pipe I smoke sits at least a day, and usually more than that, the general cleaning I do and the evaporation have kept my pipes smelling like...pipes.

Ultimately, I feel like all the pipes on my shelf are shiny, clean and ready to go. If it's on my pipe stand, then there's either tobac still inside DGT'ing or it's waiting for me to pull the stem off to do the final cleaner runs. Only occasionally does an empty pipe stay on the stand until the morning (last pipe right before bed) and then I clean it in the morning, whether it be before work or on the weekend.

Thus far, I'm happy. Of course my happiness may unexpectedly end and in one fell swoop I may have a sour briar, but it doesn't seem likely at my current rate. Since I rotate so much, I think it'll be another year or two easy before I need to ream my first pipe.