After smoking -details

[mithridate]

I have just bought my first briar pipe. I just wonder, as the shopkeeper instructed me to let the pipe cool down before taking of the stem and after that let the pipe rest the cleaner stuck in the bowl.

So questions in my head are as follows:

1. Should I keep the stem attached and put the cleaner through it in to the bowl, or keep the stem separated until I get the cleaner off - and if so, how long should I keep the cleaner in?

2. If I'm traveling or outdoors away from home, is it okay to put the pipe in to the artificial leather pouch the stem still attached, let it cool down there and clean it after it has?

3. Is it better to keep stem attached when the pipe is resting longer periods?
If these are stupid questions with bad English, please forgive me. I just wish to ensure I'm not doing bad things to my dear friend.

 

[Civil War]

Welcome to the Forums!
Keep the stem attached most of the time.
If you need to remove the stem for cleaning (ie it won't pass a pipe cleaner) wait for the pipe to cool down.
It's ok to put your pipe in a artificial leather pouch when traveling, just make sure the pipe has cooled sufficiently (cool enough to not melt the pouch).

 

[bassbug]

Welcome aboard,
With most pipes, you should let the everything cool down before cleaning. The exceptions are army mounts.
Once everything is cool, my procedure is to take the stem off and run a pipe cleaner through it and even run some warm water through it. Next, I clean the mortice area with a twisted up paper towel to absorb any moisture and wipe off any residue. After that, I run a pipe cleaner through the draft hole and do the push pull thing to clean it. I leave the very tip of the pipe cleaner protruding into the bowl and wipe the inside of the bowl with a paper towel.This keeps any ash from going back into the draft hole. Now I take the other end of the pipe cleaner and run it through the draft hole again...done.
It sounds complicated, but it only takes a minute. If I'm out, I dump the ash out and just put the pipe in its sock to keep my pocket clean and go through the procedure when I get home.
Full disclosure...sometimes after a late night smoke, I just dump the ash and leave the cleaning to the next day.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

If you can keep the stem attached when you put a cleaner through it. If the pipe won't allow you to pass a cleaner from stem to bowl, then remove the stem after the pipe has had sufficient time to cool down. I don't believe you have to keep the cleaner in the pipe. I just run a cleaner or two using both sides of the cleaner, corkscrew a paper towel in the bowl, and then put it back on the rack. I recommend removing stems as little as possible for multiple reasons. Frequently removing it can cause a loose stem over time. And leaving it off, can cause it to no longer fit as the wood swells or shrinks due to humidity changes. Welcome to the forums.

 

[mso489]

mith', in general, don't take the stem off after every smoke. Removing the stem is only necessary from time to time for more extensive cleaning of the pipe, or to address some blockage in the airway like a piece of tobacco stem or pipe cleaner fluff. Some Forums members regularly remove the stem from a warm pipe (when they do it) and claim no harm, but the old truism is, don't do it. My regime is, I scoop out the ash, I wipe out the bowl with a paper towel (I don't build cake); I run a pipe cleaner through the airway to the bowl (or as far as it will go, sometimes not all the way through with some bent pipes). Then I polish up the pipe with a cloth -- bowl and stem. How often you do a more thorough cleaning is up to you. Probably every twenty to forty smokes, but some do it much more often. I don't build cake, so I don't ream my pipe. If you go the cake-building route, get lessons from your pipe shop on reaming, don't do it too often. A misguided beginner can ruin a rack of pipes in short order with a reamer.

 

[mithridate]

Thank you so much for fast, helpful and friendly answers!
I have heard that there are so many ways than there are people, and likely I'll find my way as well in the long run. Still, this gets me very well started. I'm just a bit stressed having read some articles about starting the briar pipe correctly. I have a straight stem Peterson, so I think I can put cleaner through it without getting off the stem, and if I didn't get it really wrong, I don't necessarily need to get the stem off when cleaning, at least not every time.

The first bowl of this pipe was something really inspiring, though I have heard the first bbowls aren't so enjoyable. Still, having smoked a cheap pipe, the material of its unknown to me, for some practice, I truly understood there is a difference between pipes!! I'm a piano technician, and I couldn't help thinking that smoking a briar after my first pipe was like tuning well cared Yamaha C7 after very old and bad cared piano - I won't mention any brand to avoid any accidental offenses.
Have it ever happened that you've put the pipe in the pouch and the stem has been broken due to it? Of course I'll be careful with it, but I have been toldl so much about sensitivity of the stem that I'm propably a bit jumpy about it...
Ahaa! Writing this I noticed the last message, and while it cleared the matter very well, it arose a question as well:

The shopkeeper adviced me not to scrape the bowl with the pipe tool for first five times, so that there would be some carbonized tobacco in the walls - I expect that's cake. After those five he instructed me to scrape the walls. Does this sound correct to you? Is that the cake-building route or is it not?
Happy pipe regards from Finland!

 

[bassbug]

The topic of building or not building cake has been discussed many times here. Some like it, some don't. I don't. I generally keep a very thin (1mm) layer of cake in my pipes, but others prefer more. In the end, its whatever you prefer and I don't think it affects anything drastically. If you build cake and then decide its not for you, it can always be reamed. If you don't build cake and then decide to do it, its easy too.
Try both ways and see which you prefer. This is the beauty of our pastime

 

[mso489]

Two advantages of not building cake is that you don't have to ream so you don't have to own a reamer, and the chamber of your pipe remains essentially the same size. You just need that thin coating of carbon inside the bowl that pretty much takes care of itself.

 

[mithridate]

Okay. So if I start scraping the inside of bowl with pipe tool after some times of smoking, I've built a bit of cake and am not building anymore. I suppose that is my way, as I'm not very good keeping the cake in control, since I'm visually impaired and so poor to estimate the thickness of cake. At least I expect it's a matter of sight.

On the other hand, I likely ask some of my friends to check it now and then to be sure I'm not building it too much and risking to break the bowl.
Thank you again!

 

[olkofri]

If your pipe has a filter, you have to remove the stem.

 

[mikethompson]

Thank you so much for fast, helpful and friendly answers!

that's what we do around here

I'm just a bit stressed having read some articles about starting the briar pipe correctly

Stress is the enemy of pipe enjoyment. Take your time and don't worry about things too much.

The first bowl of this pipe was something really inspiring, though I have heard the first bbowls aren't so enjoyable

is yours a new pipe? If so, briars tend to need to be 'seasoned' before they start to shine. Estate pipes (used pipes that is) are fairly ready to go.

I expect that's cake. After those five he instructed me to scrape the walls. Does this sound correct to you? Is that the cake-building route or is it not?

yes that's cake. As for its benefits, that is a subject of much debate. Like MSO, I don't build any cake on my briars. You will find that with pipe smoking, much is subjective and based on personal preference.

 

[mithridate]

Yes, that's a new one and need seasoning, about which I'm doing my best.
So to be absolutely sure, if I scrape the bowl with a pipe tool after smoking, the cake will not be built.?

 

[olkofri]

Most likely not. I wouldn't scrape it. Look what I did to mine: Eroded chamber
Not only no cake, but I scraped off the coating and got all the way to the briar.

 

[scloyd]

Welcome mithridate, I have a Savinelli with a balsa filter. I change the filter after every two smokes. Since I usually smoke that pipe only once or twice a week I remove the stem and change the filter about once a week. I have a briar pipe that a pipe cleaner won't pass thru to the bowl so I remove that stem after every smoke. My other two pipes...I just remove the stems whenever I feel like it.
I also twist a paper towel around the inside of the bowl after every smoke.

 

[mithridate]

Thank you! Very helpful thread! Likely I'll clean my one with a cleaner bent a dozen times or so and use Czech tool just now and then.
And as I got started with questions, though this might be a bit off topic, the stem of the pipe tends to move very, very slightly up and down whilst attached. Is this normal with briar pipes (this one is Peterson)? Is it some tiny little extra mobility for stem warming and changing size?

 

[olkofri]

I wouldn't say that's normal. None of my pipes do that, not even the cobs, which have by default cheap stems.

 

[bassbug]

mith,
Go back to your tobacco shop, maybe buy a tin of tobacco and ask them to show you how to properly scrape the inside of the bowl. Its an easy thing to learn. I'm sure they will be happy to help a regular customer. Once you get the hang of it, you will lose all the stress and enjoy your pipe.

 

[crashthegrey]

Another option for keeping the cake down is to use the pipe cleaner folded into a U-shape, or a paper towel, after the smoke. It will allow for carbonizing without building cake so you do not have to try to scrape it or ream it. As to the stem moving around, that is not good. If it is loose whilst smoking, that is really bad. I would go back to the store and seek replacement if it really is a loose stem.

 

[mithridate]

Thank you so much everyone!

I'm not sure it's a loose stem, it might be I'm not just pressing it tight enough. While and after smoking it seems to be pretty tight - that's what made me ponder about the changing temperature issue. But propably I take another tour in tobacco shop and discuss the matter over there.

 

[cigrmaster]

My procedure for cleaning my pipes is as follows. I let my pipes cool overnight then break the pipe down. I will take one or 2 fluffy cleaners depending on size of the bowl doubled over and wipe the inside of the bowl and then blow through the shank. I then take either one or 2 bristle cleaners again depending on the size of the shank, double them over and run them through the shank, first twisting them and then running them back and forth. I will then use fluffy cleaners on the shank and mortise until they come out clean. I then take one or two fluffy cleaners and run those through the stem. Many of my pipes have stems that can take two cleaners. I then use Obidisian stem oil on my vulcanite stems before putting the pipe to rest for at least 24 hours but normally 48. I do this every time after I have smoked one bowl of tobacco in a pipe. I never use the same pipe twice or more in a day. I have plenty of pipes so I use them. Some might think this is over kill, but in 20 years I have never had a pipe sour on me.
For deep cleanings I use Everclear, shank brush, bristle and fluffy cleaners along with Obidisian Stem Oil and pretty much do the same as above. I have never or will I ever use anything that is not drinkable on my pipes. Isopropyl alcohol has never touched one of my pipes. I also never rub the inside of my bowls with any type of alcohol. When needed I will take a pipe knife or my Senior reamer and use those to scrap and even out my cake. I rarely have to ream a pipe more than once in a year and sometimes not for a couple of years.