Briar Pipes and Water

[jpmcwjr]

I hope to dispel a myth about the combination of pipes- briar only- and water. Plain, hot tap water. I regularly rinse out pipes with hot water after a few smokes or if there's a lot of ash still in the chamber. Also, after a salt and Everclear treatment. By regularly I mean after a few smokes or whenever I get around to it.
Some fella just PM'd me to say I was spreading misinformation, and ordered me to stop. Rubbish! Also that water was used only on glass pipes, and everyone knew that. Again, rubbish.
Other than Cardogan and perhaps other makers, decades ago, printed that water and briar should never meet, and that it's been repeated by some as gospel since, there's no basis for avoiding water in the care and upkeep of one's stable.
At least, there's no scientific or rational basis I've come across. And not talking about soaking, dishwashers, detergent or other chemicals. If one's house water is heavily treated, there may be a basis for avoiding that, but it'd be marginal.
I'd be glad to hear anyone's rationale for or against. I know a few others do so, but do speak out if you're not afraid of water run through your pipes and dried immediately thereafter.

 

[davet]

Are you saying I shouldn't be running my pipes through the dishwasher? 8O

 

[pagan]

Water has never hurt any of my Briars, just make sure they are dry before smoking

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

I've never done so, and therefore cannot truly speak for or against it. But I would think subjecting the pipe to that much moisture would cause the briar to swell. My concern would be that it might cause a problem with stem fitment over time.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Hasn't with my stable, and I don't think it would unless they were soaked for some time. And there's more moisture gathered in the critical part- the mortise-for a longer time during actual smoking.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Dave- If you have a waterless dishwasher* that has a label "Pipe safe" on it, go for it!
* I read about maybe there being a dishwasher that used microwaves or something to clean dishes.... Don't know if they even exist or not.

 

[mrwestminster]

I have dampened a piece of kitchen roll and wiped the inside of the bowl with that after the occasional smoke, though I don't consider that the same thing. If nothing else, I think running it under a tap is excessive and offers no benefit over a slightly damp paper towel. It actually concerns me that it may soften the carbon, though I'm guessing this is not the case, otherwise you wouldn't do it...

 

[jpmcwjr]

The benefit is it fully removes all ash, and hot water can dissolve some tars and other semi-viscous matter, from the bowl, mortise and airway. When I travel I don't do it, and it's hardly necessary to do so to have a clean pipe, but it's a system that works well for me.
And, no, the carbon/cake doesn't soften at all.

 

[mrwestminster]

I appreciate the insight, I will be sure to try this. It may shorten the longer deep-cleaning sessions that I consider a chore. Why is there such a stigma attached to this in the first place, to your mind?

 

[rfernand]

I got a similar message:

You are spreading misinformation and are hereby ordered to stop. Also, please post your routing and bank account number so we can deposit a prize you just won.
- Nigerian Pipe Prince

 

[wyfbane]

THANK YOU!! I have been contemplating how to clean an Estella 320 that I got off of flea bay. I know alcohol so the inner is clean, but I have been so tempted to just wash and brush the outside of the thing. It has white stuff in the grooves like some old pipes get. Nothing horrid, but I want it gone so I can rock my 320 Estella like a boss!
Hearing you, I will tackle that this weekend. =)

 

[jpmcwjr]

I appreciate the insight, I will be sure to try this. It may shorten the longer deep-cleaning sessions that I consider a chore. Why is there such a stigma attached to this in the first place, to your mind?

Could be as simple as instructions included in some new pipes a long time ago. Could be that folks associate gurgle with water. Could be that someone poured cold water in a hot chamber and it cracked. I'd love to know for sure, but doubt there's a definitive answer.

 

[jpmcwjr]

r- I did send them my bank routing numbers and SS number, plus PIN, as instructed. Then a day later I got an email that went:
"Ha-hah! A fool and his money soon party. That's what we are doing, SUCKER!" I hope it was a joke and that my prize will be sent soon.

 

[mso489]

Forums members have made convincing cases in the past that water isn't a big problem, like dropping a pipe in a pond or in the sink. They pointed out that pipes are often immersed in the process of making them, from briar to the more-or-less finished item. This doesn't mean you want to soak a pipe under any circumstances, but wetting a pipe won't damage it. Dry it out and keep on trucking, seems to be the advice.

 

[mayfair70]

Every time I get a new estate I do the same thing. I separate the stem from the bowl and wash both pieces in hot soap and water to get rid of the germs on the outside, especially around the mouthpiece. I rinse them well and towel dry. Then, I remove cake as necessary and clean the innards with alcohol. I see no problem whatsoever with using water in any part of the process. I have run hot water through the bowl and out the shank with no ill effects. As MSO said, there have been experiments done by weighing pipes, submerging them in water for hours and weighing them again, to see how much water they absorb. They return to normal weight rather quickly in conditions with low humidity; I think a day or two. Splitting can occur in old, very dry pipes which are saturated too quickly after having not been used in a long, long time.
Water will only cause wood to deteriorate if exposed for long periods of time with heat, microbes and bugs helping the process. Drying out the wood completely beforehand makes this rotting process take longer in most cases. The fact boats were made of wood for thousands of years should be an indicator of how well it can handle water with a little attention before and after the fact. I hope the person who sent you that very rude post awakens to find an army of angry ants in his panties. I don't care what people believe as long as they don't push it on me. To be that pushy, especially when they have no facts to back it up, is behavior unbecoming a gentleman pipe smoker.

Carry on, Jpmcwjr, and know you are in the right !! ::

 

[didimauw]

My biggest problem is keeping my pipes dry, so I will not be one to try that...

 

[igloo]

Cleaning your pipe

Use a pipecleaner to clean out the stem and shank periodically. I suggest doing this just after you've finished a bowl, or periodically throughout your smoke with a churchwarden. Churchwarden pipes require more frequent cleanings, in my opinion, due to the cooling of the smoke as it travels up the stem. As the smoke cools, it tends to lose moisture, and that moisture has nowhere to go except the inside walls of the stem.
I don't suggest trying to clean the stummel of your pipe at all. Most cleaners will remove the wax that gives the pipe its shiny surface, and make it susceptible to water damage. Also, water can seriously damage your pipe. If a pipe become wet, it may crack and deform as it dries out. Periodicaly buffing your pipe with a soft cloth will keep the finish strong and shiny, and that should be all your pipe needs under normal use. Link http://www.pipecrafter.com/pipecare.php

 

[igloo]

I don't suggest trying to clean the stummel of your pipe at all. Most cleaners will remove the wax that gives the pipe its shiny surface, and make it susceptible to water damage. Also, water can seriously damage your pipe. If a pipe become wet, it may crack and deform as it dries out. Periodicaly buffing your pipe with a soft cloth will keep the finish strong and shiny, and that should be all your pipe needs under normal use. Link http://www.pipecrafter.com/pipecare.php

 

[igloo]

Proper Caring of the Pipe
Pipes made of briar are required to do two things: expel heat and absorb moisture. If you allow ample rest and clean your pipes regularly they will accomplish their duty efficiently. With reasonable care your pipe will last long after you are gone. If of good quality your pipe will always provide a great smoke when properly cleaned and rotated.
If convenient, cleaning the pipe should be done after every bowlful. Good cleaning solutions are regular unflavored brandy and 190 proof grain alcohol like Everclear. You start by dipping a pipe cleaner in ½ inch of either liquid. Running it through the shank and stem will cut the build up, keep the draft hole unobstructed and keep the pipe tasting sweet. The more you stay on top of this procedure, the easier and less time consuming it will be. The stem and mouthpiece should rarely be taken off because it is the only moving part in a pipe. The more you take it off, the more wear you create which may cause it to become loose fitting. Excess moisture also causes swollen mortises and loose tenons, so remember to use dry pipe cleaners during the course of a bowlful.
No matter how much you pay for a pipe or how good the quality, if you overwork the pipe it will not perform to its potential. Rotating your pipes is extremely important. Smoking the same pipe all day long every day will create a wet, sour, bitter smoke. Obviously the more pipes you have, depending on your smoking frequency, the more you can maximize this rotation. Allowing the pipe to rest and dry out is crucial. The bottom line is, the more time in between bowls in any particular pipe the better it will smoke.
Reaming the cake that forms on the inside of the walls is only necessary when it becomes thicker than a dime in width. Never ream all the way down to the wood. Cakes over this thickness can risk cracking the bowl because the carbon cake expands and contracts at a different rate than the briar. If a cake becomes lumpy due to unsmoked tobacco or uneven due to inconsistent burn, it can be reamed with a good three-sided blade like the Savinelli Fitsall Reamer. Your tobacconist might be preferred for this job of dealing with the cake.
As for the outside of the pipe and the mouthpiece, there are products that polish the briar and retard oxidation of the mouthpiece like Briar Pipe Wipe. But remember that keeping the inside of the shank and stem clean is what aids smoking performance. Link http://www.mccranies.com/pipes_pleasure.html

 

[igloo]

To start this cleaning, carefully remove the stem of the pipe from the bowl and lay the two pieces on a paper towel. Dip a regular pipe cleaner in alcohol and run it through the stem, from the tenon to the mouthpiece, pulling it through. It will most likely come out with a bit of black or brown gunk on it. Follow this pipe cleaner with a dry one, and repeat the process until the moist pipe cleaner comes out the same color it was when it went in. Push one final dry pipe cleaner through to remove any moisture and set the stem aside. Using bristle pipe cleaners, moistened with alcohol, vigorously swab out the airhole of the pipe, alternating with dry, regular pipe cleaners. Don't be afraid to use a lot of pipe cleaners doing this. Pipe cleaners are cheap; new pipes aren't. If the airhole of your pipe is large enough in diameter that there is little resistance when you do this, you may want to fold the cleaner in half in order to scrub the sides of the airhole properly. Once your dry pipe cleaner comes out of the airhole the same color it was when it went in, run one more dry cleaner through the airhole to absorb any residual moisture. Using a cotton swab or shank brush, clean out the mortise, the portion of the pipe where the stem attaches to the bowl. A doubled over regular pipe cleaner will do in a pinch. If your stem or bowl has a band, now is the time to polish it, using a good silver, or other metal, polish, depending on what your band is made of. Carefully reinsert the stem into the bowl, and give the pipe a good wipe with a soft cloth, perhaps impregnated with a compound such as the Savinelli Magic Cloth. Cleaning over, allow your pipe to sit for a day or so before smoking it, to allow the alcohol to completely evaporate. If you have cleaned most or all of your briar pipes at once, now is a good time to smoke your meerschaums and corncobs you have been neglecting. Link To start this cleaning, carefully remove the stem of the pipe from the bowl and lay the two pieces on a paper towel. Dip a regular pipe cleaner in alcohol and run it through the stem, from the tenon to the mouthpiece, pulling it through. It will most likely come out with a bit of black or brown gunk on it. Follow this pipe cleaner with a dry one, and repeat the process until the moist pipe cleaner comes out the same color it was when it went in. Push one final dry pipe cleaner through to remove any moisture and set the stem aside. Using bristle pipe cleaners, moistened with alcohol, vigorously swab out the airhole of the pipe, alternating with dry, regular pipe cleaners. Don't be afraid to use a lot of pipe cleaners doing this. Pipe cleaners are cheap; new pipes aren't. If the airhole of your pipe is large enough in diameter that there is little resistance when you do this, you may want to fold the cleaner in half in order to scrub the sides of the airhole properly. Once your dry pipe cleaner comes out of the airhole the same color it was when it went in, run one more dry cleaner through the airhole to absorb any residual moisture. Using a cotton swab or shank brush, clean out the mortise, the portion of the pipe where the stem attaches to the bowl. A doubled over regular pipe cleaner will do in a pinch. If your stem or bowl has a band, now is the time to polish it, using a good silver, or other metal, polish, depending on what your band is made of. Carefully reinsert the stem into the bowl, and give the pipe a good wipe with a soft cloth, perhaps impregnated with a compound such as the Savinelli Magic Cloth. Cleaning over, allow your pipe to sit for a day or so before smoking it, to allow the alcohol to completely evaporate. If you have cleaned most or all of your briar pipes at once, now is a good time to smoke your meerschaums and corncobs you have been neglecting. Link To start this cleaning, carefully remove the stem of the pipe from the bowl and lay the two pieces on a paper towel. Dip a regular pipe cleaner in alcohol and run it through the stem, from the tenon to the mouthpiece, pulling it through. It will most likely come out with a bit of black or brown gunk on it. Follow this pipe cleaner with a dry one, and repeat the process until the moist pipe cleaner comes out the same color it was when it went in. Push one final dry pipe cleaner through to remove any moisture and set the stem aside. Using bristle pipe cleaners, moistened with alcohol, vigorously swab out the airhole of the pipe, alternating with dry, regular pipe cleaners. Don't be afraid to use a lot of pipe cleaners doing this. Pipe cleaners are cheap; new pipes aren't. If the airhole of your pipe is large enough in diameter that there is little resistance when you do this, you may want to fold the cleaner in half in order to scrub the sides of the airhole properly. Once your dry pipe cleaner comes out of the airhole the same color it was when it went in, run one more dry cleaner through the airhole to absorb any residual moisture. Using a cotton swab or shank brush, clean out the mortise, the portion of the pipe where the stem attaches to the bowl. A doubled over regular pipe cleaner will do in a pinch. If your stem or bowl has a band, now is the time to polish it, using a good silver, or other metal, polish, depending on what your band is made of. Carefully reinsert the stem into the bowl, and give the pipe a good wipe with a soft cloth, perhaps impregnated with a compound such as the Savinelli Magic Cloth. Cleaning over, allow your pipe to sit for a day or so before smoking it, to allow the alcohol to completely evaporate. If you have cleaned most or all of your briar pipes at once, now is a good time to smoke your meerschaums and corncobs you have been neglecting. Link https://www.smokingpipes.com/information/howto/cleaning.cfm