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grouchy

grouchy

Can't Leave
Jun 26, 2011
314
0
now i know im going to get some wise azs replies here, so here goes.

do different pipe cleaners have particuliar uses?

where ever i am and think to pick up a pack of whatever is behind the counter is what i usually buy.

however i am aware and experienced at buying toilet paper, you know, the "good stuff", just not the john wayne brands. jw brands dont take crap from anyone, especially me.

 
bootlegbonvivant

bootlegbonvivant

Lifer
Nov 14, 2009
1,194
2
Flowery Branch, GA
Actually, there are different uses, but they're all meant to accomplish the same thing. Some of it just depends on how grimey the pipe is.
The bristle cleaners are meant to scrub more, helping to get the built up tar, and other yuck out of the stems/shanks.
Other large fluffy cleaners help with the larger holes of some stems and shanks, then the thinner ones, of course, help clean the smaller pipes better. Try sticking a fluffy cleaner in one of those small pipes and I bet you'll have a battle, lol.
And I'm sure your pipes will appreciate you buying the right cleaner to wipe their arses with. :nana:

 
zunismoke

zunismoke

Starting to Get Obsessed
Nov 3, 2010
179
0
NC
I have used a lot of different cleaners over the years but have settled on BJ Long brush cleaners about 10 years back. I found that a lot of the cleaners would bend before I could get them all the way in. Other stronger ones were too big to get in at all ie: Vauen tapered. The BJ Long brush seem to work with any pipe I have.

 
romeowood

romeowood

Lifer
Jan 1, 2011
1,942
155
The Interwebs
I find that a good variety is necessary, both for the various requirements of differing pipes, as bootleg mentions, as well as satisfying my inherent need to have every possible tool for the job at my disposal. Right now I have

Long's regular, bristle, and extra-absorbent;

Comoy's (rayon chenille; excellent for the narrowest bores);

a bulk roll of 20 feet of regular gauge;

Dill's regular, bristled and tapered;

Bryn Maur 'reem n clean' extra rigid tapered;

Zen regular;

and last but certainly not least, Gloredo, a superb new offering from smokingpipes.com that are thick, sturdy and actually as remarkable as the ad copy makes them out to be. I may regret telling you all that, in fact, because I can imagine a run on them and the stock being depleted before my next order. I sent a few over to jlee, I'm sure he'll concur with my opinion.

 
mlaug

mlaug

Part of the Furniture Now
May 23, 2010
908
2
Iowa
Has anyone noticed a distinct quality decline in BJLong's the past year or so?
I am getting a lot of fuzz balls and shedding and I never used to see that.

 
romeowood

romeowood

Lifer
Jan 1, 2011
1,942
155
The Interwebs
Not that the wheel necessarily needs reinvention, but after using the Gloredo pipe cleaners I can see that there's always room for an improvement. Here's a free idea for any manufacturers that may be out there--but if you do it and make a mint, I expect some free schwag: apply the smallest bit of wax or latex or something at one end of the pipe cleaners; the scrape of twisted wire making tiny gouges in my bowl is a minor peeve, but nonetheless it becomes a set of fingernails on the chalkboard of my soul. When I have the ambition I do it at home with a candle to a handful at a time, and it really does improve usage a measurable amount, particularly in bent stems that may be tough to thread a cleaner through.

 
viceroy

viceroy

Starting to Get Obsessed
Dec 22, 2010
141
2
mlaug I have and I haven't even been smoking that long. I bought some in September they where good stuff, in one of my more recent orders I noticed about 5 or 6 where shedding

 
igloo

igloo

Lifer
Jan 17, 2010
4,083
5
woodlands tx
I got a whole box of Comoys with the taper end and they are nice for tight stemmed pipes . I do prefer BJ Longs as they are more absorbent . Rayon just does not seem to do as good a job as good old cotton pipe cleaners .

 
rick777

rick777

Lurker
Jun 16, 2011
43
0
I have been using Gloredo cleaners lately. Lint free, fairly stiff, a bit longer than usual, the wire ends are rounded slightly, and each pack comes with a stiff nylon shank brush. Quite happy with them.

 
unclearthur

unclearthur

Lifer
Mar 9, 2010
6,875
5
I always use BJ Longs. Both the regular and bristle numbers. I have also noticed a bit of quality deterioration.

 
pstlpkr

pstlpkr

Lifer
Dec 14, 2009
9,694
31
Birmingham, AL
I use BJ Longs also Arthur; regular and bristle. I use the tapered as well.

I also keep a supply of long - Long's Extra Absorbent for my churchwardens.

 
ranger

ranger

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 2, 2011
198
5
I like Falcon extra thins..only available in England (as far as I know)...I like them because they are the only cleaners that will go all the way through the small holes of my Kaywoodies.
They are somewhat rare, thus somewhat expensive also as far as pipe cleaners go...but I really do need them.

 
jlee

jlee

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jan 1, 2011
216
0
Denver
I concur with Romeowood. The Gloredo cleaners are superior to their peers. I like BJ Longs fair enough and never cared for the Dills much(which is what I end up with usually, naturally). The Gloredos are so luxurious that I almost feel a little guilt while running them through one of my cobs... almost.

 
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