Clean Before Smoking
- Thread starter Briar Lee
- Start date
I admit that, if an estate wasn't visibly gross, I used to feel no squeamishness about smoking it straight away, and getting to the cleaning later.
I figured that that no virus or bacteria lived very long on an antique store's shelf.
But then I'm not squeamish about trying a friend's beer or whatever, either.
Anyway, that changed after an annoyingly restrictive smoke in an estate whose bowl had seemed barely smoked. I went to investigate with a pipe cleaner and it would barely pass through just the removed stem. I finally dislodged globs and globs of gunk... and went on to blow through dozens of cleaners.
I had been sucking hard on that thing too.
Now I get to the cleaning before smoking.
I figured that that no virus or bacteria lived very long on an antique store's shelf.
But then I'm not squeamish about trying a friend's beer or whatever, either.
Anyway, that changed after an annoyingly restrictive smoke in an estate whose bowl had seemed barely smoked. I went to investigate with a pipe cleaner and it would barely pass through just the removed stem. I finally dislodged globs and globs of gunk... and went on to blow through dozens of cleaners.
I had been sucking hard on that thing too.
Now I get to the cleaning before smoking.
I at least wash the outside of the stems with soap and water on every new pipe I get. Estate and brand new unsmoked. The most recent estate I got was from Dave Neeb. It was immaculate.
I just purchased my first estate pipe from Blue Room Briars.
It is gorgeous, and as far as I can tell it is immaculate. It came disassembled in the packaging, so it was very easy to inspect, and pipe cleaners came out pristine, from both the stem and shank. The bowl was clean and smooth.
The hand written note from Scott & Jesse welcoming me to Blue Room Briars was a classy gesture as well!
I am using an antique travel desk as my pipe station. I still need to jar my tobacco samples I picked up the other day. I just got a 5-pipe stand from Amazon today, and rounded out the open slots with a couple if Missouri Meerschaum pipes, a cobb and a hardwood.
It is gorgeous, and as far as I can tell it is immaculate. It came disassembled in the packaging, so it was very easy to inspect, and pipe cleaners came out pristine, from both the stem and shank. The bowl was clean and smooth.
The hand written note from Scott & Jesse welcoming me to Blue Room Briars was a classy gesture as well!
I am using an antique travel desk as my pipe station. I still need to jar my tobacco samples I picked up the other day. I just got a 5-pipe stand from Amazon today, and rounded out the open slots with a couple if Missouri Meerschaum pipes, a cobb and a hardwood.
Can I assume this reply was meant for me? If so, at the risk of going off topic from pipe cleaning, I will reply!
The roundish white object beside the desk is a salt lamp. Here it is lit up.
Can I further assume that your question about the base being upside down and facing the wall is in regard to the antique travel desk? No, the travel desk is neither upside down nor facing the wall. Travel desks such as these actually fold up in multiple layers for easy travel, with a lot of compartments for various writing utensils and accessories, documents, etc. This particular desk dates back to the mid to late 1800's. I picked it up at an antique shop in Santa Barbara about 10 years ago. I love it, and wish I had a better place to present it completely opened up, but space is limited.
You saw it only partially unfolded. Here are some additional photos of the desk, fully folded and unfolded.
Fully folded:
Fully Unfolded:
Unfolded with lower compartments open:
My current plan is to turn this into a travelling pipe desk, with all of my pipes, accessories, and selections of tobaccos in jars in the compartments.
Hmmm... I never thought of storing my pornography in there! But yes, there are a lot of different travel desks. This one was in excellent condition. I really couldn't afford it back then, and my ex didn't speak to me at all on the drive home. But such is life... she is gone, but I still have the desk!