Ebay Clean May Not be Clean

[jndyer]

Well, tonight I learned a valuable lesson; just because an ebay seller tells you that they have cleaned an estate pipe and that it is ready for smoking, it does not mean that they actually fully cleaned a the pipe. Recently I won and auction for an estate Dr. Grabow freehand (by the way got this for a great price even after you factor in shipping.) Today the pipe arrived in the mail and it appeared to be a decently restored pipe; so, with much excitement I soon was setting in my favorite chair smoking a wonderful bowl of my favorite tobacco. The only problems I encountered was that they pipe was a bit ghosted, no worries as I knew I could smoke that out; however, not to far into the smoke the draw became severely restricted.
So, after I was finished and the pipe had cooled I ran a pipe cleaner through it which came out a bit more dirty than I was expecting (by the way, I had ran a dry cleaner through it before I had started smoking the pipe). I then disassembled the pipe and shone a light down the bit and through shank, and to my surprise the interior of the airway was absolutely filthy. After twenty plus pipe cleaners I soon realized that I was going to need to purchase a shank brush and give the pipe a true interior cleaning.
I am really not that upset because I got a decent pipe for a great price; however, I did learn a valuable lesson centered around this truth: Just because an estate pipe has had the bowl reamed and had the exterior waxed and polished does not mean that the pipe has been truly cleaned. The next time I purchase an estate pipe that is reportedly ready for smoking I am still going to give the pipe a thorough inspection. Actually, I think from now on I am going to give any used pipe I purchase a complete cleaning before I attempt to smoke it.

 

[sablebrush52]

With the exception of 3 of the pipes that I've bought on eBay, all have needed cleaning, most have needed really extensive cleaning. It's rare that the airway gets more than a minimal cleaning. The time it takes to deep clean an estate simply isn't repaid in a better sales price.

For the most part I discount seller claims, unless I know the seller, or the item in question. When I buy any pipe on eBay I assume that I will have a few hours of crap removal to perform before the pipes is fit to use.

 

[huntertrw]

eBay-clean is rather like hotel-room-clean, a dubious proposition at best...

 

[newbroom]

Unless you're buying from someone like our own pipestud, you really should always at least check the interior for cleanliness and expect to retort an estate acquisition.

In this short retort video, the presenter mentions the salt treatment for ghosted pipes. He suggests that retort is better than the salt treatment, but a retort doesn't typically address the bowl, only the stem and shank or 'the airway'.

retort

 

[huntertrw]

newbroom:
Pipestud does not clean the estate pipes which he sells on eBay and his Website. Rather, he presents them as they are, and leaves any cleaning/restoration to the purchaser (which I believe is the proper thing to do).

 

[newbroom]

huntertrw....that may well be, that he doesn't work his consignments, but his descriptions are accurate and truthful, so that if he says it's unsmoked or whatever condition, you can believe what he says. (so far as I've been able to see from comments from his customers)

 

[huntertrw]

newbroom:
Personally I have found Pipestud's descriptions to be both accurate AND truthful; however, I was pointing out that (unlike certain other on-line purveyors of estate pipes) he sells them as they are and makes no attempts at either "cleaning" or "restoration." I wish those other purveyors would do likewise.

 

[ssjones]

Whenever I buy a pipe from anyone, I assume that I'll have to clean it and perhaps fine tune the restoration. "Cleaned" is pretty subjective. For pipes I sell, they are always listed with:

"The pipe has been cleaned and by my standards, ready to smoke.
Ghosting is impossible to determine when selling an estate pipe, without smoking it. You can always smoke through a ghost.

 

[pappymac]

Ebay does sell clean pipes. They are about as clean as a motel on Airline Highway outside of New Orleans back in the 70s. You know, one of those hourly rates motels.

 

[deathmetal]

If I find any bodily fluids in a pipe, it's for display only from then on...

 

[gloucesterman]

Both Sable and SS are right in line with my experience. I don't think I've ever received a pipe from an Ebay seller I thought was fit to smoke on arrival. I too always figure on a couple of hours clean up. I have on occasion been lucky enough to score an unsmoked pipe but even they sometimes need some cleaning.

 

[mawnansmiff]

I read on another forum the other day a guy telling another that no way should he put too much effort into cleaning out the shank as if he does he will find the stem no longer fits snugly!!!
In other words to leave some tar in there otherwise you will have problems later. I re-read the post to see if he was joking but he was very serious.
I wonder how many gullible folks actually took that nugget of misinformation as read.
The mind boggles :crazy:
In my short experience of refurbishing estates I have found the shank to be by far the dirtiest part of a pipe, just inside the button being a close second.
Regards,
Jay.

 

[ssjones]

Yep, the shank is always my #1 target to get clean.

 

[jackswilling]

I find ebay seller coopersark "lightly cleaned and restored" to be pretty good.

 

[sablebrush52]

I find ebay seller coopersark "lightly cleaned and restored" to be pretty good.

I did too, until I got a Becker that took a shank brush,40+ pipe cleaners, and alcohol to get clean. I wrote to him about it and he said that he'd already put considerable time into cleaning the pipe (evidently the original owner didn't bother with cleaning, just bought another high end pipe when one got clogged for a total of 600 filthy pipes) and that it didn't pay him to do more. I get it, but clean the pipe wasn't.

 

[jackswilling]

I don't doubt it. Consensus, cleaned, sanitized, and ready to use, probably not.

 

[codecreatively]

I always assume they're filthy and sterilize estate pipes I get. Pipe cleaners go through until they come out clean. Alcohol soak if they're ghosted. I pay a lot of attention to the stems too.

 

[ejames]

Whenever I buy a pipe from anyone, I assume that I'll have to clean it and perhaps fine tune the restoration. "Cleaned" is pretty subjective.

Same here.

 

[jndyer]

Well, it only took 40ish pipe cleaners get the pipe clean. Miraculously, that also took away the old tobacco smell from the pipe, so maybe there wont be as much of a ghosting issue. Thank you all for your input.

 

[instymp]

I have 3 pipes on ebay & all I say that they are used, not cleaned or sterilized.