Alcohol Treatment
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Salt and everclear treatment for all estate pipes for me with some issues of stem fit after. Several reasons I'm sure due to where the pipe is from compared to where I live in a very humid climate. Main thing is after emptying salt from the bowl is to flush pipe with hot water to dissolve remaing salt. Once cleaned, coffee treatment usually brings pipe back to neutral if one gets funky for me.
The salt is only there to contain/absorb the alcohol and whatever smelly ghosts comes from the briar, as is the cotton. Or the AC .
I used to clean with alcohol on a regular basis. Shank brush, pipe cleaners, etc.
Have tried the bowl and shank packed with salt, adding alcohol, letting sit for a day or two.
Worked fine, but time consuming with the salt treatment.
Now -going on several years- I just use soap and water. Shank brushes for the shank and bowl, pipe cleaners for the stems.
Soap is the environmentally friendly kind, unscented. Brands change, but the idea doesn't. A good lather, lots of scrubbing, and warm water.
It's very quick.
Freaks some people out, but I've never had a pipe come out more clean with any other method. A little wipe down with mineral oil and a buff with a pipe cloth and they always look brand new. No ill effects yet.
Have tried the bowl and shank packed with salt, adding alcohol, letting sit for a day or two.
Worked fine, but time consuming with the salt treatment.
Now -going on several years- I just use soap and water. Shank brushes for the shank and bowl, pipe cleaners for the stems.
Soap is the environmentally friendly kind, unscented. Brands change, but the idea doesn't. A good lather, lots of scrubbing, and warm water.
It's very quick.
Freaks some people out, but I've never had a pipe come out more clean with any other method. A little wipe down with mineral oil and a buff with a pipe cloth and they always look brand new. No ill effects yet.
Simply leave the stem in place when doing either heavy cleaning.
I'm confused ; are we talking about cleaning/deghosting the chamber with water and soap ?
Hot water can discolor many vulcanite materials.
Once in a blue moon if pipe taste different i will dip the pipe cleaner in 95% Everclear(some states allow only sale of 75%)and clean the shank with it...Rarely need to touch the bowl with it...usually shank is the problem in most cases
In my experience, it will reveal oxidation, but a touch of mineral oil will restore it just fine. I've posted tons of photos showing that over the last 4-5 years.
I have no idea what you've posted over the past five years, John. I've been in alcohol treatment.
I treated myself with alcohol this weekend and definitely don’t feel cleaner.
i did by some 151 and went and cleaned all of my - the stems, a couple estate pipes i haven’t smoked yet that were “clean and ready to be smoked” were absolutely disgusting, which is when i decided to do them all.
Love this place and all of the east knowledge sharing.
i did by some 151 and went and cleaned all of my - the stems, a couple estate pipes i haven’t smoked yet that were “clean and ready to be smoked” were absolutely disgusting, which is when i decided to do them all.
Love this place and all of the east knowledge sharing.
Siri voice dictation can suck and always should be checked before hitting post. Eep.
If you say that you don't feel cleaner after treating yourself with alcohol, then I am glad that I gave up completely on alcohol. My health was in a very bad condition recently, and the reason was because I drank too frequently, and it damaged my stomach and some other organs, and now I have to follow a long treatment process and take no alcohol. The hardest part is just when you stop drinking, because I was kinda addicted to it, but reading this theluckiestclub.com made me feel way more motivated.
I've done it many times on estate pipes, and to be honest I don't know how much effect it has but it seems to be worth doing. The dark brown salt is satisfying to see but as sablebrush52 pointed out to me once, "You'll never get back to brand new, that ship has sailed with the first smoke"
Just alcohol or alcohol and a cotton ball won't hurt the chamber. The salt treatment can dry out old briar and crack it, and for that reason, even if only a tiny percent possibility, I usually warn against it. I'd rather a retort than salt. But the best way is to use a little alcohol on a pipe cleaner more regularly and avoid the need for a deep clean, but if restoring estates you can't really control the previous owner's cleaning habits.