Salt & alcohol treatment, really?

roudoudou · Aug 29, 2012

I went to Blatter & Blatter yesterday to buy my second pipe (a Blatter, of course) and since I've been using the same pipe 4-5 times everday for well over a month, I told Patrick Blatter about the salt & alcohol treatment I intended to do on my Genod.
His reaction? 8O :crazy:
He told me to only use alcohol (no isopropyl) in the shank/tenon (nothing in the chamber) with a special pipe cleaner. This cleaner has some wire in addition to the cotton (it scrubs instead of just wipe).
Since they've been in the pipe making business for at least 4 generations, I just can't dismiss his guidance. I'm quite confused.
Can any of you offer your opinion?

Thanks in advance!

spartan · Aug 29, 2012

A Salt and Alcohol treatment should only be used if you find your pipe is going sour, tasting off, not how you like it to taste, etc.
For regular cleaning just stick with high proof alcohol and pipe cleaners.
Think of it more as a DEEP clean. Mostly used when trying to get rid of a ghost in the pipe, or some are just germaphobes and feel they need to deep clean a pipe (especially an estate) before they smoke it.
I've only done it once, but replaced the Salt with cotton balls instead. Easier to clean up.

numbersix · Aug 29, 2012

He may be saying that because your pipe probably needs no serious cleaning. You do want cake build up to protect the pipe chamber and unless it's very thick, you'd probably do more harm than good.

sparroa · Aug 29, 2012

I'm no expert but using a bristle pipe cleaner in the shank doesn't seem like it will rectify your overuse situation... Using a briar that often may be your biggest problem...
I'll defer to greater authorities than myself for advice on your salt/alcohol solution. It is very common in the online pipe community, so if it doesn't work I'd be greatly surprised... Sometimes the longer people are immersed in a certain tradition, the less receptive they are to new ideas. There's more than one way to skin a cat...

photoman13 · Aug 29, 2012

If you are doing some hard core cleaning on the shank then get a shank brush. This is what I was told at Iwan Ries the oldest tobacco and pipe store in the US. It will prevent you from wasting bristled pipe cleaners as it is reusable.
Everything else Spartan has hit.

shawn622 · Aug 29, 2012

I saw on the method the other day on a pipe refurbishing thread, where a guy too a cotton ball and stuffed the bowl, then he filled it up with cognac. It is supposed to get the bowl as close to new as possible, plus sweeten the pipe. I'm not recommending this as I have never did it. I am just posting something that I saw... Good luck in your pipe cleaning.

baronsamedi · Aug 29, 2012

I use cotton balls and alcohol instead of salt. I'm actually surprised at how often some people do this, although I'm a 1-2 bowl a day guy so YMMV. I just use a plain soft cleaner after each smoke and then rest the pipe for a number of days equal to the number of bowls I smoked in it. If it starts to smell bitter or taste sour, I'll do the full clean with alcohol and then rest it for a few days after. I do this every couple of months or if my wife complains that my pipes stink.

topd · Aug 29, 2012

I have pipes I've been smoking, 20, 30 and 40 years and have never had a pipe go sour. Do regular

cleaning and rotate.

On an estate pipe, deep cleaning...... fill the bowl with scotch over night, then air for a month.

(That's what I do and it works for me... not saying it's the right thing to do).

matchstickman · Aug 29, 2012

If you are doing some hard core cleaning on the shank then get a shank brush. This is what I was told at Iwan Ries the oldest tobacco and pipe store in the US. It will prevent you from wasting bristled pipe cleaners as it is reusable.

What he said. :mrgreen:

photoman13 · Aug 29, 2012

I've heard the cotton ball method doesn't work quite as well. I've never tried it myself so I can't give you a first hand opinion unfortunately.

roudoudou · Aug 29, 2012

Thanks a lot everybody for your input!
The bristle cleaner (Ream n Klean) coupled with gin did improve flavor. I'll probably save the salt & alcohol treatment as last resort (when cake is really thick, as numbersix mentioned). As a few of you said, resting the pipe and let it dry thoroughly will vastly improve the taste. I just need more pipes. Great excuse for TAD!!! :D
Thanks!

mluyckx · Aug 29, 2012

Roudoudou: When the cake is really thick, use a reamer.
As Spartan said: Salt/Cotton ball only should be used to really deep clean a bowl from old funky smells or tastes. I only do it if I really want to restore a bowl to almost like new condition when it's old or gone sour. Remember you will have to start over with break-in, building up cake, etc... I do it on some estates. On others, I've just reamed them down real good. It's definitely not something I do on pipes I bought new. After smoking them for a while I just ream those down, give the stem/shank a good scrub with alcohol and give them regular rests to avoid them going sour. And yes, it's an excuse for PAD ;-)
Also remember that many years ago men smoked one pipe with one blend day in and day out. They just smoked the heck out of them until they fell apart. :puffpipe:

chopz · Aug 29, 2012

i agree with blatter. i use bristled pipe cleaners always. when need be i dip them in booze to scrub. if you smoked the pipe 150 times it's just nicely broken in at this point and needs a good long rest, but the shank is the most crucial part in keeping a pipe sweet, in my opinion.

rigmedic1 · Aug 29, 2012

Just my two cents on this topic: I used to clean my pipes twice a year, whether they needed it or not. In the last 7 years, I took to cleaning them out after two or three weeks of once or twice a day use. I use vodka or Everclear, bristle brushes in the shank, and taper towers and a reamer in the bowl. My pipe somoking has been way more enjoyable since I started doing ti this way.

I save the alcohol and salt treatment for pipes that just begin to taste awful despite cleaning, and when I get a new estate pipe.

photoman13 · Aug 30, 2012

Second rigmedic1

sjpipesmoker · Aug 30, 2012

I've only used the salt & alochol method once, and unless I want to get a very deep clean I won't use it anymore, I might have to go with the cotton ball method for more of a sanatizing clean.
i usually use the Arango pipe spray and the bristle cleaners and never had any issues with my pipes going sour

ruraldean · Aug 30, 2012

I've used salt and alcohol many times on estates and it works perfectly. I keep a bottle of cheap brandy for the purpose and fall in love with a pipe I've cleaned this way.

cigrmaster · Sep 1, 2012

I deep clean my pipes with everclear, shank brush, bristle pipe cleaners, soft cleaners after 5-6 bowls. I use half a dozen soft cleaners after every bowl. I think a clean pipe tastes way better than a dirty one. I don't want to waste good tobacco smoking from a dirty pipe. I have never needed to do the salt treatment. All the estates I have bought were in very good condition and from people who clean their pipes before selling them. I have gotten a few where the shanks were not as clean as I like them, but I am picky about clean shanks.

Salt & alcohol treatment, really?

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