Thanks .No. Depending on how you do it, it may make it softer and easier to trim. If you stuff the bowl with cotton balls, soak with Everclear for a day, then remove everything, the cake should be easier to trim. And your pipe should be clean.
Thanks I know about that. I was just scared the alcohol or salt could eat through my cake.Don't scrape all the way to the bare wood. Leave about 1mm of cake. Unless you are restoring estate pipe. Even then, don't dig into the wood.
Not a must for me, I thought I had to. I normally run a pipe cleaner through the stem and shank, lightly rub the bowl inside after every smoke. Is that enough? I was confused on how often to deep clean. Are you saying I don't need to deep clean at all if I do that after every smoke?Salt and alcohol is unnecessary if you regularly clean your pipes. If you must though, cotton balls are an easier cleanup than salt and less likely to crack your pipe's bowl.
YesIs that enough?
Excluding estate pipes I've not deep cleaned a newly purchased pipe for thirty years. I do however disassemble the pipe after each smoke, run a pipe cleaner through the airway and draft, clean the mortise with Q-tips, and wipe out the chamber with a paper towel.Are you saying I don't need to deep clean at all if I do that after every smoke
Okay great thanks for the information.Yes
Excluding estate pipes I've not deep cleaned a newly purchased pipe for thirty years. I do however disassemble the pipe after each smoke, run a pipe cleaner through the airway and draft, clean the mortise with Q-tips, and wipe out the chamber with a paper towel.
+1 on the cotton balls over salt. I personally find the cotton balls to work as well, and as has been said, it's an easier clean up. Now, if anyone has a scientific reason, with chemical reasoning, maybe I'm wrong about this? There's also a retort process and scrubbing with soap and water for certain situations, but if you're fearful of water, or don't have a retort, cotton balls and alcohol certainly have a place.
I used to smoke cigars. Water will mold cigar boxes and cigar tobacco if it's not distilled, so I been avoiding all water with my pipes. I wasn't sure about it.
I thought the idea behind the salt was its crystalline structure draws out and traps the funk . Cotton balls have no such structure?+1 on the cotton balls over salt. I personally find the cotton balls to work as well, and as has been said, it's an easier clean up. Now, if anyone has a scientific reason, with chemical reasoning, maybe I'm wrong about this? There's also a retort process and scrubbing with soap and water for certain situations, but if you're fearful of water, or don't have a retort, cotton balls and alcohol certainly have a place.
Could be. I do know the cotton balls "pull in" something. Depending how well you cut the cake, and sand down the walls if necessary, the cotton balls come out yellow, from light to dark. Kind of the same visual results from my experience. I came to like the cotton balls because of how much easier they're to deal with at all stages and because I feel they leave no residual flavor. There's no pipe or two of smoking away that brine note. I always hated cleaning up the salt. To be honest, for me, it was also a lot to do with "sanitizing" estate bowls, and the cotton balls give me that peace. Now that I used running water and soap, the salt wouldn't be much of a hassle either. I follow up the alcohol soak with a scrubbing anyway. I feel like I'm repeating myself. Apologies.I thought the idea behind the salt was its crystalline structure draws out and traps the funk . Cotton balls have no such structure?