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cigrmaster

cigrmaster

Lifer
May 26, 2012
20,249
57,280
66
Sarasota Florida
I was just sent this video by a guy who sold me a couple of pipes and was wondering if anyone else uses it? It looks like a real easy way to clean the shank and stem.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SV-blwz7wKE

 
shaintiques

shaintiques

Lifer
Jul 13, 2011
3,615
228
Georgia
I use one, but mainly for cleaning stems. It is pretty much impossible to not ruin the finish on the pipe if you try to clean the shank or bowl with it, the boiling alcohol comes out of the bowl or at the stem joint as steam and eats the finish or stain right off, generally I only use mine either for a really nasty pipe that I plan on refinishing anyway or I take the stem off of the pipe and just use it on the stem. It works awesome for cleaning stems especially clogged stems, but it makes a big mess so I normally use mine outside when just doing stems.

 
lankfordjl

lankfordjl

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 29, 2011
611
2
Texas
If you were using this method to clean a stem only...wouldn't it be easier just to submerge the stem (alone) in alcohol? If you make sure the stem is filled with alcohol when submerged, the residue will diffuse out.

 
spartan

spartan

Lifer
Aug 14, 2011
2,963
7
The forum really got into these about a year ago. We had a member custom make some and ship them out at cost.

A True Alchemist.
http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/pipe-retorts-on-sale

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/retort-report#post-116119

 
jpberg

jpberg

Lifer
Aug 30, 2011
2,956
6,709
Retorts are spooky. They REALLY clean a pipe, like there's no spirit left once you use one on a pipe. I cleaned an Ascorti a few years ago, prior to selling it - honestly it freaked me out a little, like it took the soul out of the pipe.

 
pipedreams101

pipedreams101

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 1, 2012
125
0
I love my retort. I use it on my grabows after about a months worth of smoking through them to get all the hard to reach places. i always blow the cotton ball out the end and get alcohol all over my pipe, but i quickly wipe it off and have had no problems with it hurting my finish. but if i was to use a retort on a cherished pipe i would be real careful. no reason for it to be "the one i messed up."

 
deleon

deleon

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 7, 2011
663
218
Texas
I had one retort system but it didn't work as easy as the videos. I followed the steps and the damn thing popped! after that no more.

 
photoman13

photoman13

Lifer
Mar 30, 2012
2,825
2
Pretty popular on youtube as well. The benefit of it is there is no waiting time like there is for the salt and alcohol treatment. At least that's what I hear.

 
tbradsim1

tbradsim1

Lifer
Jan 14, 2012
9,104
11,066
Southwest Louisiana
Harris I have one, you ought to see the crap that comes out of a pipe that is supposed to be clean, small bits of tobbaco trapped for God knows how long, cleans the shank super clean, you still need to do alcohol and salt to get the heavy tars and crap out the bottom of the bowl, I put cotton rounds my wife uses in bowl to seal the top, she"s a hair dresser and uses that to take off nail polish, you can find that at the dollar store, if you got a high end pipe blue tape around the rim, I"ve never did that , the bowl gets hot and the glue on the blue tape might stick to the bowl , don"t know.? Saying that if you don"t retort an estate or pre-smoked pipe it is DIRTY. The old cajun

 
mp31guitar

mp31guitar

Lifer
Jun 28, 2011
1,156
1
I just used my retort. I was looking on Walker Briar Works site and it says he has an ozone generator. It wont get the gunk out but it removes odors from ghosted pipes. That looked interesting to me.

 
photoman13

photoman13

Lifer
Mar 30, 2012
2,825
2
A lady died in my apartment next to me last year and her body was there for about 2 and a half month. They had to use an ozone generator to get the terrible smell out. It actually worked really well but you are not suppose to breath it in.

 
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