Do you remove the stem for each cleaning?

[sablebrush52]

Generally, I remove the stem at the end of a day's use, not after every bowl. The water rinse does it for me, followed by scrubbing out the mortise and airway. Never had a problem with the fit or snapping of the tenon, with the exception of acrylic tenons on estates that had been cleaned with alcohol and developed micro fractures. I've had to replace several of those acrylic tenons.

 

[Zeno Marx]

It's rare that I remove the stem. More often than not, it is because I need to deep clean the airway and cut the cake. I used to clean like crazy after every smoke, but I honestly haven't found my pipes perform any better with the occasional deep cleaning.

 

[paulfg]

I am one of the lazy ones,I remove my Peterson system pipes stem to clean the well after each smoke,and store for a day with it out.Any other pipe gats the stem removed maybe once in 10 bowlfuls when I clean stem,mortise and draught hole with alcohol

 

[butsiethesungo]

While some smokers will say that it doesnt matter, I was always afraid that I would break the tennon if I removed the stem. Even though that never happened, I usually would just run a pipe cleaner through it!

 

[Blue ridge smoke]

No