Deep Cleaning...Do I Need To Do It Again...

[Scully]

I recently acquired 6 estate pipes, and they have some 'patina' to them to say the least. That said, I started cleaning them a few days ago, and I started with the one that I've been smoking myself since 1983, with only pipe cleaners and some alcohol of some description as a solvent. After the salt and alcohol treatment on it, the next morning the salt was quite literally 'black' not brown...black. Question I have is; 'Should I give it another round of salt and alcohol, or leave it alone'... It has been forty years without a good bath after all.

 

[trouttimes]

It never hurts. Just don’t get the alcohol on the outside. It will remove the stain.

 

[Coreios]

I've done it 4 or 5 times to a pipe before. It won't damage anything just keeps getting cleaner.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I'd swap out the salt with cotton balls. Easier clean up and less risk of cracking the briar.

 

[georged]

The best "bowl fill material" is neither salt not cotton balls.

Activated charcoal granules (the "grit size" that's about the same size as coarse salt, NOT the fine powder) will draw out and hold more crud than any other substance on Earth.

Cheap and easily obtainable, too.

 

[SBC]

I'd do it again until the results are less gross.

As for material, I always used salt, but since coming here I've learned that some others have had tragic experiences with it. I'll try one of these alternatives in the future.

 

[georged]

That was supposed to be "...neither salt nor cotton balls", of course.

(The timer-controlled edit lock out on this forum is by FAR the most irritating thing about it, imo.)

 

[fireground_piper]

Are you saying you have smoked it for 40 years yourself without a deep clean? What made you want to start?

If it was just for the sake of doing it, I guess it would depend on what you are looking to get out of it.

I’m in the cotton ball camp.

 

[Deano]

The best "bowl fill material" is neither salt not cotton balls.

Activated charcoal granules (the "grit size" that's about the same size as coarse salt, NOT the fine powder) will draw out and hold more crud than any other substance on Earth.

Cheap and easily obtainable, too.

Like what you can buy for aquarium filters?

 

[FurCoat]

What I've done in the past with estate pipes is sand down the cake with 200 grit sandpaper until it's almost bare wood. I find this to be a safer alternative to reamers. Then I clean it with Everclear.

 

[georged]

Like what you can buy for aquarium filters?

Not having seen the fish tank variety in hand, I'm not sure.

All I know is the Right Stuff is like sand. Not pellets, and not flour-fine powder.

 

[Deano]

Not having seen the fish tank variety in hand, I'm not sure.

All I know is the Right Stuff is like sand. Not pellets, and not flour-fine powder.

Ah. The aquarium stuff is small but sort of chunky

 

[Scully]

Like what you can buy for aquarium filters?

I'll give it a try. I use charcoal in filters for another one of my illicit hobbies, when I need to clean up a nasty aftertaste. Thanks.

 

[Scully]

What I've done in the past with estate pipes is sand down the cake with 200 grit sandpaper until it's almost bare wood. I find this to be a safer alternative to reamers. Then I clean it with Everclear.

I started another one this morning and I just gave it a good scrape with my pocket tool, and some 220 grit, and then gave it the salt and alcohol... I'm using Everclear as well. It's pretty easy to get here. It's also a very old pipe.

 

[Scully]

Are you saying you have smoked it for 40 years yourself without a deep clean? What made you want to start?

If it was just for the sake of doing it, I guess it would depend on what you are looking to get out of it.

I’m in the cotton ball camp.

I grew up as the son of a fisherman in Nova Scotia, and every fisherman I know smoked a pipe, and told fish stories, and usually pretty entertaining ones too. The smell of the tobacco and black rum, still comes back to me when I sit there and smoke. I'm not sure what exactly I wanted out of it; if anything. The taste and smell of the tobacco, is what did it. I didn't get to a point where I smoked daily.... still don't, however, being retired it's certainly more often.

 

[ThermionicScott]

I recently acquired 6 estate pipes, and they have some 'patina' to them to say the least. That said, I started cleaning them a few days ago, and I started with the one that I've been smoking myself since 1983, with only pipe cleaners and some alcohol of some description as a solvent. After the salt and alcohol treatment on it, the next morning the salt was quite literally 'black' not brown...black. Question I have is; 'Should I give it another round of salt and alcohol, or leave it alone'... It has been forty years without a good bath after all.

I've done back-to-back salt and alcohol treatments on a pipe before, but I'd suggest letting the pipe dry and then smoke something really mild in it. Let it "tell" you if it needs more cleaning.