I do, but I don’t smoke every single day and all I do, is a paper towel in the bowl and a pipe cleaner in the stem…. 60 seconds and not that difficult or dramatic.
Am I The Only One?
- Thread starter sandollars
- Start date
I leave the stem on and use the water flush.
I run a pipe cleaner through my pipe after every smoke. At the end of the day after the pipe has cooled, I remove the stem and clean the end of the stem and the shank with a pipe cleaner.
We can’t all just smoke ‘em once then toss them out the back of the wrangler into the desert.
I agree with runscott, cleaning a pipe is part of the ritual. Like cleaning guns, or waxing your car.
Cheers
Cheers
My process is the same, except when I take it apart, I use a q-tip to clean the inside of the tenon (though my tenon is designed for 9mm filters, which I don't use unless I need to tame a particularly harsh blend).
Great.
Now I have an excuse to go to the liquor store.
I am religious in my pipe cleaning regiment after a smoking session. My pipes can use more alcohol treatment. But they taste fine.
Now I have an excuse to go to the liquor store.
I am religious in my pipe cleaning regiment after a smoking session. My pipes can use more alcohol treatment. But they taste fine.
For me it all started with a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label which tastes like pi$$ so that became my "Cleaning Alcohol". I am convinced I am using it for its highest and best use... 
Be sure to test the quality of the alcohol first, before using it on your pipe. May take several samplings...
Pipe cleaners during and after every smoke. But only take them apart every few weeks. I do wipe my bowls out after each smoke also.
When my pipe has cooled sufficiently I break it down and first begin work on the stem. Many of my pipes can take two BJ Long Fluffy Tapered pipe cleaners next to each other and I can drag then through the stem and that gets a lot of dirt. Other pipes I can't use 2 stems at the same time so I use one at a time. I then double over those cleaners and wipe out the inside of the bowl. I make sure I get any loose tobacco or ash. I also inspect my cake to see if anything needs trimming.
Then I take a BJ Long Tapered Bristle pipe cleaner, double it over and begin cleaning out the shank. Cleaning the shank is the more difficult task. They have different sizes so I have to adjust the pipe cleaner to make sure it is scraping the inside the way I like.
Next I take a bristle cleaner double it over twice and go to town on the mortise. The tenon gets clean when I am doing the stem.
When I am done I then put on a coat of Obidisian Stem Oil. The directions say to leave it on for half an hour then rub it off.
I learned through experience that if I coat my stems with the Obidisian and then leave it on till the next time I smoke the pipe, I get a stem that never shows any oxidization. I wipe the stem good before I put it in my mouth and I am off and running. I think they tell you to wipe off the oil after only half an hour is so they can sell you a lot more.
My system for deep cleaning pipes is pretty much the same as above but I use a good amount of Everclear inside the stem, shank and mortise. I check the cake on every deep clean and sometimes it needs a trim but most times it doesn't. I keep my cake to about a dime's thickness and my pipes smoke cool and dry and I get great flavors because I also dedicate all my pipes. I either dedicate to genres like a Vaper or specific blends like 2007 Esoterica Stonehaven that has 2 Rad Davis Lovat's dedicated to that one blend and has been like that for a number of years. There are times when a pipe and a blend are just a magical fit and when I find them them I stick to them. The 2007 Stonehaven is the only blend in my collection that gets 2 pipes. I have a number that get one and most are genre pipes.
Some of you have probably read this and said to yourselves that guy has a bad case of ADD. I wouldn't deny that as with other hobbies I did a lot of the same things.
Then I take a BJ Long Tapered Bristle pipe cleaner, double it over and begin cleaning out the shank. Cleaning the shank is the more difficult task. They have different sizes so I have to adjust the pipe cleaner to make sure it is scraping the inside the way I like.
Next I take a bristle cleaner double it over twice and go to town on the mortise. The tenon gets clean when I am doing the stem.
When I am done I then put on a coat of Obidisian Stem Oil. The directions say to leave it on for half an hour then rub it off.
I learned through experience that if I coat my stems with the Obidisian and then leave it on till the next time I smoke the pipe, I get a stem that never shows any oxidization. I wipe the stem good before I put it in my mouth and I am off and running. I think they tell you to wipe off the oil after only half an hour is so they can sell you a lot more.
My system for deep cleaning pipes is pretty much the same as above but I use a good amount of Everclear inside the stem, shank and mortise. I check the cake on every deep clean and sometimes it needs a trim but most times it doesn't. I keep my cake to about a dime's thickness and my pipes smoke cool and dry and I get great flavors because I also dedicate all my pipes. I either dedicate to genres like a Vaper or specific blends like 2007 Esoterica Stonehaven that has 2 Rad Davis Lovat's dedicated to that one blend and has been like that for a number of years. There are times when a pipe and a blend are just a magical fit and when I find them them I stick to them. The 2007 Stonehaven is the only blend in my collection that gets 2 pipes. I have a number that get one and most are genre pipes.
Some of you have probably read this and said to yourselves that guy has a bad case of ADD. I wouldn't deny that as with other hobbies I did a lot of the same things.
I’m in the clean after every use school. I used up all my JW Blue pretreating laundry stains however so my pipes get Everclear for both shank and stem. Every. Single. Time.
Yes, I do it all the time. I'm still a new pipe smoker (February 2022), and still unsure of the best way of doing it.
What I usually do is that I wait the day after I smoked the pipe to clean it. I take it apart, put a dry pipe cleaner in the steam, then the mortise and draught hole, and after that, I use another pipe cleaner, soaked with alcohol (vodka in my case) to clean the same parts, and the outside part of the stem and bit (lip), that I dry with a cloth or a tissue. I don't really do anything to the chamber yet. Once the cake become too thick, I'll try a reamer.
What I usually do is that I wait the day after I smoked the pipe to clean it. I take it apart, put a dry pipe cleaner in the steam, then the mortise and draught hole, and after that, I use another pipe cleaner, soaked with alcohol (vodka in my case) to clean the same parts, and the outside part of the stem and bit (lip), that I dry with a cloth or a tissue. I don't really do anything to the chamber yet. Once the cake become too thick, I'll try a reamer.
You clean your pipes? That's where all the flavours come from. I bet you clean ur bacon skillet too.
Taken apart after every smoke. Cold water run through the stem followed by pipe cleaner. Paper towel ream of bowl. Pipe cleaners to clean mortise and bowl. Reassembled. A sweet spirit poured carefully into bowl and poured out of stem followed by final pipe cleaner through stem and into bowl with sometimes a second bowl ream with a paper towel. Sounds like a lot but only takes a minute or two and ensures a clean pipe and increases the chance for a good subsequent smoke. Been doing it this way for 30 plus years.