Briar Pipes and Water

[sablebrush52]

Debate? What debate. If you want to have a debate about what is detrimental to a pipe, how about human beings? Think about it.
A pipe starts out looking like this:

and winds up looking like this:

And who's responsible for this sorry state of affairs? Human beings, that's who.
Pipes get no respect. Oh sure, everybody talks about their "faithful friend" and how much they love their pipes, all the while subjecting the defenseless victims of their affections to a never ending series of degrading abuse. Pipes are dropped on concrete, off railings, overboard, or in the toilet. They're sat on, run over, banged against concrete, or the sole of a shoe still crusted with Pomeranian poop. Pipes are hit with torches, scarred and burned with lighters and matches, filled with noxious blends of tobacco like Holly's Non Plus Ultra or Germain's Balkan Sobranie. They're charred and fried by fat smiling bearded youtubers smoking like freight trains. They're "accidentally" kicked across a room, slobbered and chewed on by people with garlic breath or left to become chew toys for Fido. Pipes are displayed mercilessly in direct sunlight, like so many fetishistic bimbos, while their stems turn green and their stains fade. Compared to this, water ain't nuthin'.

 

[davet]

See ! I didn't want to know that :mrgreen:

 

[warren]

I have never had a tobacconist tell me water was bad for a pipe. That said, I never inquired as to water, pipes and cleaning. But, no one ever said not to smoke in the rain or snow so, the question never came up. As far as cleaning, water apparently works well for all that have tried/adopted the routine. I like sitting in my chair on Sunday afternoons cleaning my pipes with a couple of cleaners, soaked in an acceptable adult beverage, wiping them down when clean, feet up in the lounger totally relaxed without a care in the world. Standing at a sink, roll of paper towel handy, rinsing the bowl, etc. just seems ... well ... so unnecessary. In my world anyway.
At least the water cleaning saves the booze for other uses. That, in and of itself, seems to be the main selling point I get from the debate. Er ... discussion.

 

[jaytex1969]

In 30 minutes, I will have spent a half century on the planet.
In keeping with the scientific spirit of this thread, I have weighed myself. 200.4 pounds.
I will now submerge myself in a variety of alcoholic beverages for the next 24 hours. For science.
I will then re-post my weight and report on any changes to my fit and finish... ::

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

That's a smashing idea, Jay! :mrgreen:

 

[cosmicfolklore]

As a control for the experiment, it would be interesting to have one soaked in regular Vodka and one in PGA for comparison. Especially to compare damage to the finish.

 

[mikethompson]

Haha Jay! Happy birthday!
This thread makes me want to grab some basket pipes and perform my own experiments.

 

[ashdigger]

Fantastic Jay!!!
Here we are roughly 24 hours AFTER the pipe was pulled from the water. The stem now fits perfectly into the shank.
I'll let it dry for 24 hours and smoke it.

 

[davet]

I will now submerge myself in a variety of alcoholic beverages for the next 24 hours. For science.

We thank you for all your time and hard work .....for science :rofl:

The stem now fits perfectly into the shank.

I never would have thought it would fit so soon after it's bath 8O

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I should have said “thank you” as well. Thank you.

I’m sort of surprised the stem fits so soon also. But, I did learn a few years back to soak my loose hammers in antifreeze instead of water. It helps expand the wood, but unlike regual water, antifreeze leaves behind crystals in the wood to help keep the fit to the head tight for longer. When I was soaking them in water, the heads would begin to slip as soon as the wood was dry.

 

[pappymac]

Cosmic - I did a test last summer where I soaked one pipe in pure grain alcohol (everclear) and the other in 91% isopropyl for 24 hours. Both pipes used were ones I had picked up at a junk shop specifically for the purpose of the test. One of the pipes seemed to have a thin lacquer or varnish on the bowl, the other didn't. The finish was softened enough where it was easily removed in the wet sanding phase. Both pipes came out considerable lighter than when I started. I have smoked both pipes without problems or any residual taste for the alcohol.

 

[davet]

soak my loose hammers in antifreeze instead of water.

Does that work for briars as well? :mrgreen:

I soaked one pipe in pure grain alcohol (everclear) and the other in 91% isopropyl for 24 hours.

Both pipes came out considerable lighter than when I started.

Perhaps Jay will have lost weight after his experiment. :rofl:

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Well, on a hammer, the wood and metal are reversed from the wood and stem. If you wanted a stem to remain loose, you could use antifreeze, but if a stem was too tight to begin with, there are better ways to fix that.

 

[techie]

At this point, I'm much more interested in Jay's report than anything regarding pipes in water.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Fantastic Jay!!!
Here we are roughly 24 hours AFTER the pipe was pulled from the water. The stem now fits perfectly into the shank.
I'll let it dry for 24 hours and smoke it.

Cool! But smoke it right NOW- you know, for science!

 

[ashdigger]

John, You are right. I'll smoke it right now. I'll put some Sir Walter Raleigh in it.

 

[ashdigger]

I'm smoking it NOW. I can report this. This pipe has never been cleaner. AND it DID NOT smell of tobacco AT ALL prior to filling it. SO, water works. The pipe is smoking just like it used to.
THIS MYTH IS BUSTED
Conclusion drawn.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Hah! Well done.
I can also report also that a dousing in 75º water (as in a swimming pool) a pipe that was smoking hot- in fact it was being smoked at the moment it fell from the smokers mouth directly in to the water. It survived just fine. I observed this first hand, and in fact repeated the experiment some weeks thereafter. Smoking those pipes today.
(The careless dude was me, and it was an accident or two, not an experiment. Who would do that on purpose??)

 

[davet]

Who would do that on purpose?

Many things have been launched into our pool, cell phones, various bluetooth devices but no pipes as of yet. The only survivor was a Samsung phone, unscathed! :mrgreen:

 

[unadoptedlamp]

No offence, but you guys are a bunch of pussies.
I clean my pipes with a heavy blast of warm water AND use soap with a shank brush to scrub them out. At least a minute with each pipe on a deep clean.
But, yeah, fun little experiment for the kids here. Talk to me when you bring out the lysol or borax or draino... until then, you're just pissin' around.