Anyone Else Love Maintenance Day?

[hauntedmyst]

Spent part the day reaming, cleaning and buffing my pipes. Once I start, I love doing it. I'm amazed at how much carbon come out even when there doesn't seem to be much cake. My favorite part is buffing and shining. and seeing an old pipe go from drab and dull to polished. I like the look of a polished older pipe even better than new. These are just some of the bowls from earlier.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I do that after each smoke.

 

[craig61a]

I just give them a good cleaning, wipe the outside down, and buff with a soft cloth, swab the bowl with a bent pipe cleaner after it’s cooled down, or wiped out with a micro fiber cloth.

Every so often I’ll buff with wax. A lot of my pipes probably don’t get smoked more than 10 times a year. A few get 50 tops. So it’s not like they build up lots of cake.

 

[hauntedmyst]

I do that after each smoke.

really? You take a buffer with you wherever you go?

 

[logs]

I do that after each smoke.

You must be a newbie. I do it after each puff

 

[Chasing Embers]

really? You take a buffer with you wherever you go?

I'm only ever at work or at home. I smoke one pipe at home before work which is broken down, cleaned with paper towels, Q-tips, and pipe cleaners then my smooth pipes (very few as for the most part I find them unattractive) buffed. My second pipe on days that I work is partially smoked on the way to work, during my three breaks, and on the way home at which time it gets cleaned as described above and more often than not, it's the same pipe.

 

[Chasing Embers]

You must be a newbie. I do it after each puff

Nope, been a pipe smoker for thirty years.

 

[skeeter456]

Yup! I only have 7 or 8 pipes so each one gets smoked once a day and then cleaned on sundays (i have rotation days off)

 

[Umberto]

I just bought a vintage Kleen Reem tool...paid way too much but it works okay, the mechanism feels a little crunchy when adjusting, but it does the job well and seems like it will last forever. I always wipe with a pipe cleaner and paper towel...but now with covid, paper towels are really on ration.

I don't think I will need to do any reaming of my pipes for at least a year or two. I had a heavily caked pipe that was given to me and I overly reemed it scuffing the inner bowl a little bit...now I know not to use so much pressure and just let the tool scrape. It squeaks like a banshee.

 

[Mr.Mike]

They look great!

 

[seanv]

It’s a labor of love

 

[kcghost]

I just run a pipe cleaner through it and then use pipe cleaners to clean out the bowl. That's pretty much it for me.

 

[danimalia]

I HATE doing pipe maintenance. Easily my least favorite part of the whole thing. Especially cleaning shanks. Just mind-numbing. Boozy bristle cleaner in-and-out, fluffy cleaner in-and-out, repeat over and over.

I did get a knock-off of the Pipnet reamer tool from Amazon for like 20 bucks that makes trimming cake a breeze. So that helps!

 

[coming to_falling too]

I HATE doing pipe maintenance. Easily my least favorite part of the whole thing. Especially cleaning shanks. Just mind-numbing. Boozy bristle cleaner in-and-out, fluffy cleaner in-and-out, repeat over and over.

I did get a knock-off of the Pipnet reamer tool from Amazon for like 20 bucks that makes trimming cake a breeze. So that helps!

I too kind of loathe the cleaning. Mainly because I'm new and have read many different ways: alcohol, no alcohol, warm water flush, etc. I was using 91% alcohol when I first started, but then read somewhere its not necessarily good for the briar. So, Idk. For now I just stick with a dry pipe cleaner after the smoke and periodically cleaning the tenon and monetise when needed.

 

[coming to_falling too]

I too kind of loathe the cleaning. Mainly because I'm new and have read many different ways: alcohol, no alcohol, warm water flush, etc. I was using 91% alcohol when I first started, but then read somewhere its not necessarily good for the briar. So, Idk. For now I just stick with a dry pipe cleaner after the smoke and periodically cleaning the tenon and monetise when needed.

Mortise** darn autocorrect

 

[hauntedmyst]

It’s like getting your shoes polished. Same shoes but they just feel better!

 

[Gecko]

I just run a pipe cleaner through it and then use pipe cleaners to clean out the bowl. That's pretty much it for me.

+1
If a pipe starts to sour I'll wipe it out with a whiskey soaked paper towel. But otherwise my cleaning routine is as yours.

 

[Spinkle]

I don’t mind it so much, but putting up with the wife’s complaints about the smell gets to me. Condo living is not ideal for any part of this hobby.

 

[hauntedmyst]

I too kind of loathe the cleaning. Mainly because I'm new and have read many different ways: alcohol, no alcohol, warm water flush, etc. I was using 91% alcohol when I first started, but then read somewhere its not necessarily good for the briar. So, Idk. For now I just stick with a dry pipe cleaner after the smoke and periodically cleaning the tenon and monetise when needed.

The alcohol has no effect on the Briar unless you get it on the finish. I use Everclear because it leaves a sweet taste.

 

[didimauw]

I do that after each smoke.

It must take you all day just to smoke one bowl! With all the cleaning, polishing, and wiping. And then not to mention you clean your lighter every time too? Sheesh!!!