Corn Cob Pipes Maintenance?

[PipeSmokingDude]

Greetings Pipe Smokers,

Genuine Irish from Dublin, living in Canada saying Hello to all you fine lads and gentlemen.

I started smoking pipes about a year ago and I love it. I own about 5 Petersons from my home country and my friend recently introduced me to American Missouri Corn Cobs. I think of them as utilitarian as they distribute heat so well and don’t get hot after a 30 minute smoke. I love them!

I am a n00b when it comes to pipes, I work in IT so please forgive me as I am what me mum calls a “city boy”.

I own 5 Missouri Corn Cobs and was wondering if it’s alright to wash them with dish soap such as Dawn or Palmolive (depending on your region)?

As a general rule what is the best maintenance for corn cob pipes? I am well aware of maintenance for briar pipes but I’m still learning about corn cobs.

Cheers and nice to meet you all!

 

[Chasing Embers]

I own 5 Missouri Corn Cobs and was wondering if it’s alright to wash them with dish soap such as Dawn or Palmolive (depending on your region)?

They're held together with a water based glue. Probably not a good idea.

I am well aware of maintenance for briar pipes

All you need to know right there.

 

[OzPiper]

Greetings Pipe Smokers,

I own 5 Missouri Corn Cobs and was wondering if it’s alright to wash them with dish soap such as Dawn or Palmolive

They're held together with a water based glue. Probably not a good idea

^^^^ this

Hi @PipeSmokingDude

Welcome from Sydney, Oz

Missouri Corn cobs can take some abuse and there isn’t any need to wash them out with liquid soap or rinsing them regularly

After each smoke I run a couple of cleaners through, then fold them over and scrub out the chamber.

If the pipe tastes foul, I use cleaners dipped in a clear spirit for the stem and shank
I use a peach eau de vie(clear fruit brandy) but vodka or poteen will work equally well.
Others advise using Everclear

You can do a salt/cotton ball + alcohol soak for the chamber if you intend to deep clean.

Just be aware that cobs are much more absorbent than briar, so will require more time to dry before your next smoke

 

[JOHN72]

Washing corn cob, with soap, and even washing them with water only, the only thing you will get is to rot, soften the inside, turning the pipe into a real mess. Since the material absorbs moisture and water quite easily. I clean it daily, as this way you avoid that oily tar cake, which will give you a horrible aftertaste when you smoke a good tobacco. That is my personal opinion, with 5 years of using and smoking these pipes. I use a simple napkin, the rougher the better, occasionally 96º alcohol, never water, and of course no soaps.

 

[TakeThisCobAndStuffIt]

Agree with above. I only scrape/ream my bowls and use pipe cleaners in shanks. Every once in a while I will sit them out in the sun for an afternoon if they start to hold moisture. Unlike briar and meer, I would NOT use water or soap on a cob.

 

[FurCoat]

I do the same as John

 

[Sobrbiker]

I clean damp bottle out from bottom of bowl (carefully-don’t pick aggressively, one can poke through bottom of chamber if it’s one that doesn’t have a hardwood plug), cleaners and maybe a nylon brush through shank (I use Everclear as a solvent), and ream chamber as necessary (sheep’s foot blade on a small jackknife held flat against wall).
I have one that was horrible at catching junk under the spoon (stem stub in chamber) and filled chamber below spoon with pipe mud.

I am not crazy about cobs, I’ve found a good lower priced briar will take “utilitarian” use just as well if not better, but they have their place.

Sláinte!

 

[bullet08]

Smoke it, clean out loose tobacco/dottles, clean out moisture with pipe cleaner and paper towel. You can go again at that point.

 

[johnnyflake]

Clean them with a pipe cleaner, and some Vodka and forget about them!

 

[proteus]

I too have MM cobs; I think about a dozen or so. I clean them same way I do my true meers and briar. Swab out air and chamber with pure grain alcohol and dry swab after. Let sit overnight and resmoke it.

 

[Old_Newby]

The key is swap. I cleaned a MM once with a salt and vodka pack overnight and the cob swelled and cracked. I probably put too much vodka or let it sit too long but now I only swab. I am just nervous to soak anymore. Noting I am very inexperienced with deep cleaning pipes.

 

[Snook]

I only have one corn cob pipe that is my driving around beater pipe, so I don't really give it much attention. Just a pipe cleaner through the stem/shank and then folded over to wipe out the bowl after every smoke.