What Do Y'all Use To Scrape Your Pipes?

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navypipe23

Might Stick Around
May 23, 2015
64
0
What does everyone use to scrape their pipes? I've heard of knives being rounded off. Pics appreciated.

 

voorhees

Lifer
May 30, 2012
3,834
937
Gonadistan
I do not scrape any of my pipes. After every bowl I take a paper towel and twist it into the bowl. That cleans and removes any heavy cake buildup.

 

aldecaker

Lifer
Feb 13, 2015
4,407
42
For very small bowls, I use an old pocketknife with a blunted blade ground to about a 1/2" radius. For larger bowls, I use a Butner-style reamer I purchased from Pipes&Cigars online. What Voorhees says is true; I only use these tools for knocking off any small, hard bits that start to protrude after a few smokes.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
I do like voorhees with the paper towel -- or take-out paper napkin, etc. But I do lightly scrape out the bowl with the scoop end of a pipe nail. The pipe nail with its tamper and scoop is the essence of simplicity, economy and design. As much as I appreciate little folding pipe tools like pocket knives, made of stainless steel, but the pipe nail rules.

 

rigmedic1

Lifer
May 29, 2011
3,896
75
I have a metal pipe reamer, allegedly made by Cook's in Conneticut. It looks like an inverted pair of large tweezers. Since it isn't sharp, I use it on all my pipes to keep the cake down.

 

cortezattic

Lifer
Nov 19, 2009
15,147
7,637
Chicago, IL
For years I used a humble pipe nail like mso489, but now I like the Mitchell Thomas Smoker's Knife Pocket Pipe Tool much better.

It's sturdy, and longer than the nail, so there's more leverage -- especially on deeper bowls. Thank you Ol' Cajun, for the tip.

pm-tnail-1.png
pm-mtmttool01.png


 

jkrug

Lifer
Jan 23, 2015
2,867
8
I too use a wadded up piece of paper towel stuffed into the bowl and twisted around a few times. Once in awhile a light scrape with a pipe nail to loosen any chunks. I use the stiff brown paper towel typically found in the washroom towel dispensers as it is crunchy and stiff and provides a bit more scraping action than the soft white absorbent towels. :puffy:

 

ssjones

Moderator
Staff member
May 11, 2011
18,317
11,068
Maryland
postimg.cc
I don't like a lot of cake, so I screw in a paper towel after every smoke. That eliminates the need for reaming. When I ream an estate pipe for restoration, I use a Castleford reamer set.
(note: Fixed the thread title, Capitalize first letter of each word please)

 

tarak

Lifer
Jun 23, 2013
1,528
15
South Dakota
I don't scrape - use a check pipe tool to gently clean. If I ever can smoke enough to build up problematic cake, I'll get back to you :)

 

cortezattic

Lifer
Nov 19, 2009
15,147
7,637
Chicago, IL
Some time ago a forum member suggested that an sheet of ordinary typing printer paper, stiff as it is, will make a nice, somewhat abrasive wad for cleaning the bowl if it is scrunched-up and re-shaped to the purpose. I tried that, and it works well. It's a good way to recycle used printer paper too. I'll bet a lot of paper found in junk mail would work as well.

 

seacaptain

Lifer
Apr 24, 2015
1,829
7
After each smoke, I run a pipe cleaner through the stem, then twist it in a loop, and then twist it around the bowl. That takes care most of the buildup and since I don't smoke that often, I expect it will be many years (if ever) before any cake gets built up to the point of needing to ream it.

 

scottgaran

Lurker
Oct 14, 2014
2
0
This may be bad, but a simple pen works for me! I can get it in there and scrape everything loose. Of course I can't write with it later, but who cares!!!

 

perlasca

Starting to Get Obsessed
Mar 11, 2015
120
20
Lately I have just been using the pick from the Czech Tool to get what's left out of the bowl, then blow through the stem, then post it back up on the pipe rack.
Or I will loop an end of a pipe cleaner and swab the bowl. Nothing too extravagant.

 
I have a Czech pipe tool and every once in a while I will scrape any extra cake after I've put some alcohol in the bowl with a qtip to soften the carbon and scrape it very lightly.
After smoking a pipe I take a Qtip and clean the ash and any moisture from the bowl, insert a pipe cleaner and let it soak up the moisture from the shank and stem and let it rest.
Every month I will deep clean my pipes with alcohol with a pipe cleaner and qtip dipped in alchol to clean up the shank, bowl and stem. I'll use a drop of extra virgin olive oil and rub it on the rim, outer areas of the pipe and the stem, let it rest for 15 minutes and then rub it with a soft cloth. I also wont smoke the deep cleaned pipe for 48-72 hours to let it dry completely.
Every 3 months I use the cotton ball and alcohol treatment for the pipe and then let it rest for 2 weeks before smoking.

 
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