Estate Calabash cleaning

[Thorin Pipenshield]

Recently, I picked up an estate Calabash pipe with a gourd body and a ceramic cap. I used a deoxidizer on the stem, alcohol on the ceramic cap, and a nylon bottle brush for the gourd. My question is: is there a better way to clean the gourd itself? I've tried several different blends in it, but they all have a very odd flavor that I suspect is coming from the gourd. Should I use alcohol in the gourd? Has anyone had success with deep cleaning these?

 

[Chasing Embers]

Should I use alcohol in the gourd?

You can.

Has anyone had success with deep cleaning these?

Yes

 

[TheIronMonkey]

I have filled the gourd of my Kaywoodie Calabash with activated charcoal (not powder):

https://www.amazon.com/Filter-Coconut-Granular-Activated-Charcoal/dp/B07K1RX3S3

I added denatured alcohol with a dropper to ensure I stayed below the cork; let it sit a few days until the alcohol fully evaporated. The surface area of the charcoal is very high and a lot of gunk gets absorbed.

 

[sablebrush52]

Cleaning my 1908 Barling calabash was quite a job because the meerschaum bowl is permanently fixed under a sterling silver cap. I made cleaning pads by affixing cotton to shaped wires and gently scrubbing the interior by going in through the small end. Took several days to clean it out without damaging the gourd or the meerschaum, but it worked.

 

[Ahi Ka]

Cleaning my 1908 Barling calabash was quite a job because the meerschaum bowl is permanently fixed under a sterling silver cap. I made cleaning pads by affixing cotton to shaped wires and gently scrubbing the interior by going in through the small end. Took several days to clean it out without damaging the gourd or the meerschaum, but it worked.

Was it an army mount? Or did you have to remove the bone tenon?

 

[sablebrush52]

Was it an army mount? Or did you have to remove the bone tenon?

It was an army mount.

 

[OzPiper]

Remove the bowl.
Stuff the gourd with cotton balls
Soak the cotton with alcohol
Leave overnight
Remove cotton balls and repeat until they come out clean

 

[smudgersmissingleg]

Recently, I picked up an estate Calabash pipe with a gourd body and a ceramic cap. I used a deoxidizer on the stem, alcohol on the ceramic cap, and a nylon bottle brush for the gourd. My question is: is there a better way to clean the gourd itself? I've tried several different blends in it, but they all have a very odd flavor that I suspect is coming from the gourd. Should I use alcohol in the gourd? Has anyone had success with deep cleaning these?

I bought a Strambach off ebay and it absolutely stank. Fuck knows what the dude had been smoking in it. If I didn't know better i'd swear it was skunk weed. I thought i'd never get rid of the smell but pouring some warm high strength Vodka into the gourd and leaving it overnight did the trick. Iirc I repeated that about 4-5 times and then let it rest for a month with the meerschaum cap off so the air could get inside the gourd. After that it didn't smell of anything. Nothing at all. I was surprised how well it worked.

 

[Thorin Pipenshield]

Was it an army mount? Or did you have to remove the bone tenon?

Army mount

 

[OzPiper]

Recently, I picked up an estate Calabash pipe with a gourd body and a ceramic cap. I used a deoxidizer on the stem, alcohol on the ceramic cap, and a nylon bottle brush for the gourd. My question is: is there a better way to clean the gourd itself? I've tried several different blends in it, but they all have a very odd flavor that I suspect is coming from the gourd. Should I use alcohol in the gourd? Has anyone had success with deep cleaning these?

Is the ceramic cap removable or fixed to the gourd ?
If it is removable, then proceed as per my earlier post.

If it is fixed, remove the stem first
Drip in alcohol (@ 5mls) and swish around for some minutes.
Let sit over night, then pour out
Repeat until the alcohol runs clear
Let the gourd dry out thoroughly (several days) before smoking

 

[NookersTheCat]

Recently, I picked up an estate Calabash pipe with a gourd body and a ceramic cap. I used a deoxidizer on the stem, alcohol on the ceramic cap

Just a point of order (not to be a know-it-all) but as others have already alluded to, it's almost assuredly a meerschaum cap, not ceramic. Esp if it's older. I believe there are many modern calabashes that use ceramic/clay inserts as it's cheaper but they tend to also be cheaper pipes made of wood in calabash shape rather than an actual gourd.
Just a friendly fyi so you don't end up using something that may damage it being for a different material