A strange turn of events has me a bit annoyed. Rubbing alcohol is only available by prescription here. WTF? It's not like you can drink the stuff but you can't get it OTC. Here's hoping I don't get a cut that needs cleaning.
The history:
I just got a couple of estate pipes from a vendor which many of the pipers here laud as sending clean pipes...not the case here. They are caked up worse than the pictures show and the stems, mortises and shanks are filled with gunk. I really like the pipes so I don't mind keeping them but I do need to clean them. With that in mind I went down to the pharmacy and inquired whether I could get some alcohol for cleaning. "For hands or before injection" she asked. For cleaning a surface I said. So she brings the alcohol swabs. I said that I needed liquid and she looked at me like I had grown another head and said that it was only available through prescription.
So, apparently I'm screwed. No "drinkable" alcohol over 125 proof and no rubbing alcohol without a prescription. I might be able to get some denatured alcohol but I'm a bit leery of using that for pipes. While great for shellac, it isn't something I will readily put in my pipes at this time.
If you have a solution, I am happy to hear it but if not, I will be able to get some surgical spirits when I go to Austria later this year.
The history:
I just got a couple of estate pipes from a vendor which many of the pipers here laud as sending clean pipes...not the case here. They are caked up worse than the pictures show and the stems, mortises and shanks are filled with gunk. I really like the pipes so I don't mind keeping them but I do need to clean them. With that in mind I went down to the pharmacy and inquired whether I could get some alcohol for cleaning. "For hands or before injection" she asked. For cleaning a surface I said. So she brings the alcohol swabs. I said that I needed liquid and she looked at me like I had grown another head and said that it was only available through prescription.
So, apparently I'm screwed. No "drinkable" alcohol over 125 proof and no rubbing alcohol without a prescription. I might be able to get some denatured alcohol but I'm a bit leery of using that for pipes. While great for shellac, it isn't something I will readily put in my pipes at this time.
If you have a solution, I am happy to hear it but if not, I will be able to get some surgical spirits when I go to Austria later this year.
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