Which reamer to get?

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ericusrex

Lifer
Feb 27, 2015
1,175
3
I'm looking to clean up a few pipes in preparation for sale. Looking to get a good quality reamer to clean up the bowls. Which one do you pros use? Thanks!

 

andrew

Lifer
Feb 13, 2013
3,042
400
I use a butner style reamer but it's not good for the bottom of the bowl usually. I would get a castleford t-reamer set, I've heard senior reamers you can do damage if you don't know how to use it.

 

framitz

Can't Leave
Oct 25, 2013
314
0
Any reamer can do damage if used incorrectly or aggressively. I use a forerunner of the senior Shel

 

pruss

Lifer
Feb 6, 2013
3,558
370
Mytown
I use the PipNet Reamer and am super happy with it. Here's a review on the PipNet and it's cousin the Castleford I did a year ago... Or so.
http://rebornpipes.com/2014/07/20/castleford-pipnet-reamer-side-by-side-comparison-pat-russell/
-- Pat

 

aldecaker

Lifer
Feb 13, 2015
4,407
42
Are you wanting to ream back to wood, or just give them an even cake of reasonable thickness? The reason I ask is because I use a Butner style (read Light duty) to regularly maintain the thin cake I prefer. Estate buyers sometimes want a well-maintained cake; some want bare wood. What no one seems to want is a coal mine in the bowl that leaves room for only a pinch of tobacco. If that is what you have, by all means invest in one of the deep-overhaul reamers like a Senior or Castleford. If you're just selling some of your own well-maintained pipes, I would just even up the cake with a Butner or pipe knife and let it go at that.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
Take time to learn to use a reamer. I had an elderly friend who commended his pipes to another friend for reaming, I think about twenty pipes, and the guy ruined every one of them. It was too bad because this man didn't have time to break in a whole new rack of pipes. I bought him a cob and then later a briar, which he really appreciated. If you don't feel confident after reading up and watching videos on reaming, I'd find an experienced pipe restorer or repair guy who can do this right. If you go it alone, be conservative and cautious. The Butner (light duty) mentioned by aldecaker might be the right one.

 

philobeddoe

Lifer
Oct 31, 2011
7,403
11,569
East Indiana
Buy every style you can find. There are situations in which each is handy, I use the Buttner style most, but I have the Pip-Net set for estates that are in dire need, I also use the Senior reamer quite a bit and the Dunhill adjustable spoon is useful for certain chamber shapes. The more the merrier, you won't ever regret having extra tools at your disposal. BTW, these are only necessary when I'm cleaning estate finds, as my pipes do not require reaming because I do not let my pipes accumulate any cake. I let the inside of the chamber carbonize and that's it, I do not think a properly made pipe needs a cake to smoke properly.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
I'm with philo' on not building cake. I scoop and wipe them out after every smoke. A thin layer of carbon is all you need. Some of my pipes that were bought new and are about 40 years old are doing great. I don't own a reamer.

 

fnord

Lifer
Dec 28, 2011
2,746
8
Topeka, KS
Eric:
I'm all in with MSO and Philo when it comes to leaving carbon and no cake. But, I also have just about every reamimg tool available. My favorite is the compass style and it's used regularly.
Years ago, when I was buying estate pipes to build up my collection, I bee-lined to the heavily caked monstrosities. The original smoker didn't know squat about basic pipe maintenance but he probably knew a burner that smoked well. (Most were vintage OTC pipes and they really were chunks of decent briars.) Those smokers got a hammer and chisel, the Senior Reamer and the Castleford system.
You just have to develop a light touch because what you remove cannot be replaced.
I also clean the stem and shank with a brandy soaked pipe cleaner after every smoking session.
Fnord

 

ericusrex

Lifer
Feb 27, 2015
1,175
3
Thanks for all the fine recommendations! A quick ebay search yielded this gem which looks like it's definitely the safest to use...no bowl damage here:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Alfred-Dunhill-smoking-pipe-reamer-cutter-/161763585933?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item25a9dc6f8d
What the hell was old Al thinking?!?!

 

gambit88

Can't Leave
Jan 25, 2015
341
2
I use an old kaywoodie reamer. Works really well. They pop up on ebay from time to time

 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,621
44,833
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
Buy every style you can find. There are situations in which each is handy, I use the Buttner style most, but I have the Pip-Net set for estates that are in dire need, I also use the Senior reamer quite a bit and the Dunhill adjustable spoon is useful for certain chamber shapes. The more the merrier, you won't ever regret having extra tools at your disposal. BTW, these are only necessary when I'm cleaning estate finds, as my pipes do not require reaming because I do not let my pipes accumulate any cake. I let the inside of the chamber carbonize and that's it, I do not think a properly made pipe needs a cake to smoke properly.
+1000
But, don't buy Castelford, which is a cheap Chinese rip off of Pip-Net. Their quality is, well shall we say...nonexistent? Pip-Nets are harder to find, but, unlike Castleford, they won't gouge out the wall of the chamber because the blade wasn't finished off properly.

 

okiescout

Lifer
Jan 27, 2013
1,530
6
Sable, I just scored an older Pip-net set off of e-gotcha. Was $19.00 more than the new black kits, but it is a Swiss Made set in great condition from back when it actually came in a hinged box. I have been looking for one for a while but everyone is selling the cheapo's or the new black kit. All the tortoise colored ones are back ordered. Do they even still make them? I saw some on a Euro site but could not get my interpreter to work with it. I like the looks of this one it is a great and welcome edition to my pipe care tools and has a rather antique look to it. The tools are actually a butterscotch color.

 
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