New pipe smokers often have questions on how to clean a pipe, and there is often confusion on routine cleaning after a smoke and cleaning the bowl.
On routine cleaning many like to dip the pipe cleaner in a little alcohol on to run through the stem and shank. Everclear and Bacardi 151 are the most frequently used. Personally I never use alcohol in the bowl with the exception of an initial cleaning of an estate pipe. Bowls just get reamed from time to time when needed, and that is not often.
Here are a couple of articles to get you started:
Cleaning Your Pipe
How to Ream a Tobacco Pipe
Pipe Stem Restoration
If you are interested in cleaning and restoring the outside of the bowl, try doing a Site Search on Wax . You'll find plenty of posts on waxes to shine it up.
Each smoker seems to have his own special techniques, so I thought it might be worthwile to have some ideas gathered together in one place. Please feel free to add to the list.
On routine cleaning many like to dip the pipe cleaner in a little alcohol on to run through the stem and shank. Everclear and Bacardi 151 are the most frequently used. Personally I never use alcohol in the bowl with the exception of an initial cleaning of an estate pipe. Bowls just get reamed from time to time when needed, and that is not often.
Here are a couple of articles to get you started:
Cleaning Your Pipe
How to Ream a Tobacco Pipe
Pipe Stem Restoration
If you are interested in cleaning and restoring the outside of the bowl, try doing a Site Search on Wax . You'll find plenty of posts on waxes to shine it up.
Each smoker seems to have his own special techniques, so I thought it might be worthwile to have some ideas gathered together in one place. Please feel free to add to the list.