So I recently acquired an estate Peterson System, supposedly made in the 50s, according to the serial number. Exciting, right? Unfortunately, it has the worst ghosting I have ever encountered. Moreover, it’s not just your average drug store cavendish ghost, it’s something more nefarious, which I can only think to describe as… soapy. It’s like someone poured a bad Negroni - or just some straight up Dawn - into every bowl I have from this thing. I have reamed, and swabbed, and rinsed, and soaked, but to no avail. I’m trying to just smoke through it, but, man, it’s rough. Does anyone have any experience or advice with this? Is there some magic cleaning technique I’m overlooking? And how on earth is it soapy?
Bubble Pipe
- Thread starter shughes0212
- Start date
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Sounds like someone smoked a lot of English Lakeland blends in it. Just go buy some Ennerdale and enjoy the ride!
Did you try wet coffee grounds in the chamber? Fill the chamber with wet coffee grounds and let it sit until they're dried out...a few days. I've never tried it, but some members here swear by it. It's worth a try.
Latakia would counteract the old ghosts best, it may not evict them but if they're locked in a closet it might not bother you so much.
Here's a thread that mentions coffee grounds with a pic.
Barling's Make Clean-Up and Restoration :: Pipe Repair and Maintenance
Thank you gentlemen, it is coming along slowly but surely. I wish my tablet could take better pictures. The grain and colour look really nice in person. As for the stem @scloyd, I'm going to try to clean it up as well. If I keep it, it may just go to Briarville for a different stem. Now that...
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I exercised a pretty nasty ghost with some Vincent Manil La Volute. Took a few bowls but I came out victorious.
Ooh, yeah! I’ve got some Petit Robin socked away somewhere.
I knew I was saving that Presbyterian for something.
Presbyterian is actually pretty light on the Lat, I classify it as an Oriental blend that happens to have some Latakia.
C&D Star of the East is my personal favorite Bulk English, or you can kick it up a few notches with Pirate Kake.
I had the same experience as well with 2 estate pipes I'be bought. I reamed them, sand papered, salt treated and used coffee ground. Nothing helped. It was too nasty for me to smoke through. I hope your outcome will be better.
You might have one of my reject briar pipes circa 1986! In all seriousness it sounds like someone ran a lot of either Condor or St Bruno through that pipe. The best advice I could suggest is buy yourself a tin of Ennerdale and start the party!
Salt and Everclear (grain alcohol, no other kind). Ream the pipe really well. Then fill the bowl with salt and pour alcohol in till it's full. Let it sit overnight and by the next morning the salt should be brown. Repeat the process until one morning the salt is still white. Clean the pipe thoroughly and give it a try. I might take a few smokes before you can tell if it worked. Good luck.
