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louiszmich

Lurker
Sep 9, 2013
7
0
Chicago
Hello Everyone,
My name is Louie and I was an avid member to this site for a couple months until running into some serious problems. Long story short, financial and cyber issues caused me to have to re-join with a new login name. In any event, I never stopped smoking my pipes and expanding my tobacco inventory.
I want to start by saying that months ago, a man had messaged me saying that he was going to send me some tobacco samples he had. When I had received them was the same time all my troubles had struck. So if any of you read this and remember sending tobacco samples to a home in Chicago, I just want to thank you with my whole heart. That was an example of the kind of pure gentlemen that is in this world, and to this day I am still enjoying the tobacco you had sent me. Please message me if you are that man, you deserve a proper thank you.
I want to end this post with a question. I have quickly realized that cheap tobacco has got to be a main reason people get turned off to pipe smoking. I now invest in nicer aromatic, English, and Virginia blends alike. Since switching I have noticed a difference in my enjoyment and smoking quality.
That being said, I still am having some trouble with gurgling that then turns into spit flying up the stem and ruining my precious smoking. I have noticed that the slower I smoke, and the more patient I am in packing, my smokes are a lot better with less gurgling. I'm not sure if my observations are correct.
But my question is this, if you cannot run a pipe cleaner all the way through the stem into the bowl, is the pipe deemed for trouble? I have three pipes, a Kaywoodie, so no pipe cleaner will go through that twist system. A pipe from pipes and cigars web site starter pack, and a bent pipe from a local B&M. Both of those pipes have holes in the shank and stem that do not match up, so pipe cleaners will not go through them. These three pipes are the source of my troubles I have listed. The reason this question arose was because I had just picked up two corn cobs, and they both smoked wonderfully today, smoked all the way to the bottom of the bowl with re lights that were not so frequent that it distracted the experience. Corn cobs can have the pipe cleaner run through, and in turn I got a better smoke.
If the pipe cleaner trick is a true test of a good pipe, I feel that my collection is quite useless. I also would rather learn this now, that way I can invest in a nice pipe and thus have a better smoking experience. I saw a beautiful pipe at my local B&M with a beautiful finish and torus shell looking bit, and a cleaner went all the way through no problem, but it was $70. I have no problem spending that much, only if it would be the solution to my problems. But I would rather learn on cheaper pipes before investing.
Thank you for putting up with my long post, and I look forward to reading the responses. I hope everyone is having a wonderful night.
Thank you,
Louie

 

sallow

Lifer
Jun 30, 2013
1,565
4,389
Both of those pipes have holes in the shank and stem that do not match up

If the pipe cleaner gets stuck at the juncture, try inserting the pipe cleaner until it stops, then give it a twist and a slight push. It might go through.
Alternatively, some gurgles can be fixed by blowing gently into the pipe. This will allow the moisture to go back into the bowl and evaporate.

 

pstlpkr

Lifer
Dec 14, 2009
9,694
31
Birmingham, AL
Hi Louie,

Just so you know, no one is allowed more than one Membership. If you provide me or one of the other Mods we'll be sure to have the old Membership deleted.
Second:

If you are having gurgle issues; it is not saliva.... it is going to be the build up of condensed steam created by smoking your tobacco (probably a bit too quickly) and more than likely just a bit too moist.
My recommendations are as follows:

First dry your tobacco more. I use a saucer. I will pull the tobacco that I intend to smoke at least an hour ahead of its intended smoking. I live in the Soggy South, so humidity issues sometimes won't allow me to dry my tobacco as thoroughly as I would like.
Second recommendation: Try to puff less vigorously. If you are smoking slowly; but draw hard, the ember can become too hot. This will lead to less taste, hotter smoke, and more moisture.
Those are just a couple of observations based on the information you have provided.

As for not being able to pass a cleaner from the bit to the bowl, I have several pipes that with that particular issue. I no longer buy pipes that I can't pass a cleaner through. However; if you put a slight bend in the last quarter inch of the cleaner, then pass the bend down the stem you can then rotate the cleaner and hopefully you'll find the draft hole and push it the remaining distance to the bowl.

But, as a hard and fast rule, I wouldn't write off a pipe just because it isn't perceived as perfect.
YMMV and that's just my 2 cents.

:puffy:

 

pipeherman

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 13, 2013
228
2
Welcome back louie,
I don't think the pipes you were talking about are useless. I certainly had the same problem once, yet I never seem to have any moisture in my pipe these days. Which I like to think is due to gaining greater expierence. I'm happy that you found good smokers in the Noble CornCob. A type of pipe which i am yet to own. A technique which I read about, yet never trialled, was to hold the bowl of your pipe aiming the stem to the ground and giving it a firm yet manic shake. The idea is that the moisture should come out of the other end. Before you try I should probably highlight that I have never tested this theory so therefore don't know if it will work. Certainly worth a try though.
Keep Puffing :puffy:
Herm

 

louiszmich

Lurker
Sep 9, 2013
7
0
Chicago
Thank you everyone for your kind responses. I'm going to try to puff more and not draw in like a cigar. I think that might be the main fault in my smoking. No wonder you just see people puffing and pipe and not taking long draws.

 
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