Don't Have a Cork Knocker? No Worries!
- Thread starter newbroom
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I've actually made a knocker or two out of corn cob (what can I say, I have a lot of cobs!) and found that it worked just as good as cork. It's a tad harder than cork, but still soft enough not to hurt the rim of the pipe. I just cut through the cob with a band saw and then cut it to length about 1.5". I then sand down the cut ends to leave a smooth surface. I've used them with my cob pipes and clays with no problem and well as a few of my cheaper briars. Haven't used them with my more expensive briars, but I think they would do all right as well.
Sometimes it's great to be an outdoors smoker. No knockers, no ashtrays...
Seriously though, does the majority here really needs to knock on something to empty the bowl? 8O
I usually just tap the bowl with my finger, and all the ashes and leftover tobacco come right out, except fine dust and maybe some bits of tobacco stuck to the walls of the bowl. The dust is cleaned with the pipe cleaner and those tobacco bits won't come off, no matter how hard you knock, I scrape them off with my pipe tool.
Am I doing something wrong? Maybe pack too lightly?
Seriously though, does the majority here really needs to knock on something to empty the bowl? 8O
I usually just tap the bowl with my finger, and all the ashes and leftover tobacco come right out, except fine dust and maybe some bits of tobacco stuck to the walls of the bowl. The dust is cleaned with the pipe cleaner and those tobacco bits won't come off, no matter how hard you knock, I scrape them off with my pipe tool.
Am I doing something wrong? Maybe pack too lightly?
andvary,
No, you're not doing anything wrong. I've found if I get a good clean burn to the bottom of the bowl, I can usually just turn over the pipe and dump the ash right out. However, depending upon the cut of tobacco, some ash falls out easier than others. A knocker is just a convenient accessory when used with an ash tray if you have some residual ash clinging inside of the bowl that you want to "knock" out or perhaps you were smoking a tobacco that was a little too wet or you over packed it and you had trouble lighting and decide to dump it. When smoking outdoors, especially with my cobs, I find the heel of my boot works just as well or tapping it against a neighboring tree or tree stump serves the purpose as well.
No, you're not doing anything wrong. I've found if I get a good clean burn to the bottom of the bowl, I can usually just turn over the pipe and dump the ash right out. However, depending upon the cut of tobacco, some ash falls out easier than others. A knocker is just a convenient accessory when used with an ash tray if you have some residual ash clinging inside of the bowl that you want to "knock" out or perhaps you were smoking a tobacco that was a little too wet or you over packed it and you had trouble lighting and decide to dump it. When smoking outdoors, especially with my cobs, I find the heel of my boot works just as well or tapping it against a neighboring tree or tree stump serves the purpose as well.
Some old timers used to use the sole of their boot or shoe. The heel of a hand always seems a little too shock absorbing, doesn't deliver quite the jolt to something as small as a pipe, although it is time-honored. A porch rail or fence post does pretty well, gives a nice sharp knock.
I mentioned the palm, first knuckle area. The heel of the hand is, as you observed, a little too fleshy. At least on my hands. Can't speak for any other person's palm or heel. The face of one's wristwatch is another handy spot. I've also used my knee when scrunched up in small blind, behind a camera.
I have an ash tray with a cork knocker, but I end up using my spade or rounded knife tool anyway. Some pipe trays which I've seen have a pike standing above the center, and I would never, ever use that because I do care about controlling what whatever it is that I'm using does inside the bowl! Also, I fear that I am likely to do more damage to a pipe than my palm.
"The face of one's wristwatch is another handy spot."
I can't believe you would do that Warren.
I glued an old champagne cork into my ashtray and it worked wonders until one day I got a strange stink coming from that area. It was the bloody cork smouldering away! Reduced in size by two thirds I am now on the hunt for a replacement :roll:
Regards,
Jay.
I can't believe you would do that Warren.
I glued an old champagne cork into my ashtray and it worked wonders until one day I got a strange stink coming from that area. It was the bloody cork smouldering away! Reduced in size by two thirds I am now on the hunt for a replacement :roll:
Regards,
Jay.
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