Cleaning a Cavalier

[madox07]

Recently I bought this baby, for cheap. Needed little restoration, smokes well, and the stem seems to be .. bone. Any way, cleaning it is a bit problematic, since inserting a pipe cleaner from the shank part towards, what I was hoping to be, the bowl ends up down to that screw cap area in the bottom. I tried inserting a pipe cleaner from the inside of the bowl towards the mortise, but the hole - while not too narrow, won't pass a pipe cleaner from that direction due to the curve. How would you guys go about this? Of course ... there is always bathing the pipe with warm water, but I don't want to do that since it has a number of non removable metal parts, that don't seem rust free.

 

[Chasing Embers]

The stem is horn, and try bending a curve in the pipe cleaner and turning it until it goes into the draft hole.

 

[madox07]

Embers right, horn, it makes sense - it has the right texture. I wonder how they managed to bend that into a stem like this. Any idea on how old this may be? The tenon is also metal, which I find interesting. The pipe has no markings on it what so ever.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Probably just drilled a curved piece of horn. I have a Bruyere St. Claude

bent billiard with a horn stem and metal tenon that has a cork mortise liner. As for the age it's hard to say. Such pipes are still produced.

 

[mikethompson]

I've had my eye on picking up a pipe with a horn stem just because. I wasn't aware of any specific cleaning procedures for it. Is it just the curvature of the stem that is an issue?

 

[mso489]

I'm not seeing a cavalier. Those usually have the bowl sprouting off a shank that bends into the stem at the top. The photo is a bit dark, but as it is, it looks like a Dublin with an ornate wind cap. Is this a different version of a cavalier I don't know, or is it just lost in the shadows? Just to see what I'm talking about, check out the Dunhill/White Spot version of the cavalier online -- looks different from this.

 

[rdavid]

Yeah it's a Cavalier. The forward extension on the stummel blends in with the ashtray but I can barely make it out.
Cavalier

 

[mso489]

OK. Old computer and old eyes, I guess. It is a stunning looker, with the metal work and horn stem. That lighter is a bit of a showpiece too.

 

[anthonyrosenthal74]

I wonder how they managed to bend that into a stem like this.

Horn becomes malleable when heated. That is one of the coolest pipes I've seen on this forum! Enjoy the heck out of it! :clap:

 

[madox07]

Here is a close-up, in a less of a darker background.
anthonyrosenthal74 thanks.

 

[mikethompson]

Originally, I thought of this:

 

[pappymac]

When I was restoring the Mauro Armellini Cavalier I found in a junk shop, The draft hole was actually clogged a bit and I couldn't get the pipe cleaner into it. I removed the stem and then used a straighten paper clip to clear the draft hole enough to get a pipe cleaner into it. I also ran a pipe cleaner from through the shank.
This is one of the pipes that I rinse with warm running water after it cools just so I don't have to worry about the draft hole getting plugged.

 

[lightmybriar]

I have no experience with cleaning a peculiarly drilled cavalier, but wow is that a beautiful pipe!

 

[shermnatman]

What a beauty! I'm suffering from "Pipe Envy" LOL! - Sherm Natman