Ghosts Of Lakelands Past?

[drbenway]

Hello

So I picked up a nice little Peterson 999 bent bulldog off of Ebay. Didn't pay much and the pipe is the perfect size and shape and smokes great.
But I have a problem.
The pipe tastes like I am giving my Grandma a kiss goodbye. There is a dry perfume taste emanating from this pipe when smoked.

I thought maybe it was just a cleaning solution that was used when the pipe was sold(pipe came clean with just a bit of cake). I also found that the stem was a very tight fit when removed and put back in.
So far I have done a salt and alcohol treatment on the pipe 3 times and did a toothpaste scrub and white vinegar soak on the stem. It has reduced the perfume taste a bit.
A few questions then---

1.)Is this "Lakeland" that I am tasting or some other foul poison?
2.)Is it possible that the ghosting could be in the stem and shank more than the bowl? (the stem is very tight going in and out of shank of pipe. Tar buildup maybe?)
My current solution is to keep smoking Gawith Dark Birdseye in it until the stank is gone.
Any other suggestions would be much appreciated.
Thanks!

 

[mso489]

Try exorcism. You'll need herbs, crystals, several drummers, a remote location, and a knowledgeable pipe exorcist. Or, I think this may be your designated Lakelands aromatics pipe.

 

[drbenway]

Say it ain't so MSO!
If this is any indication of the taste of Lakelands I may have to burn the pipe.

 

[spartan99]

My current solution is to keep smoking Gawith Dark Birdseye in it until the stank is gone.

Not a bad approach. If that doesn't work, get some Kendal flake and smoke it until you like it.

 

[bigpond]

I smoked one bowl of ennerdale and two years later that pipe is still ghosted. If you are dedicated to exorcism you might try washing the pipe out with water, an alcohol retort, and an ozone treatment. Or several.
I find dbe to have a bit of violet essence, so, I think you’re part way toward a less painful solution. Which, of course, is to fight fire with fire. You’ve got ennerdale on the floral, sweeter end and coniston on the spicy end....teach that ghost who’s the boss by getting deep in the sauce, Lakeland sauce, that is! Kendall’s finest.

 

[drbenway]

Is it common for the stem to be ghosted more than the bowl of pipe? Does vulcanite absorb like that?

 

[Chasing Embers]

Is it common for the stem to be ghosted more than the bowl of pipe? Does vulcanite absorb like that?

Yes. Coat a bristle pipe cleaner with toothpaste and scrub it out. Been the only way I have gotten rid of lat ghosts in estate stems.

 

[drbenway]

Thanks. Will start scrubbing.

I just ordered a retort from ebay so that is the next and nuclear option.

 

[greeneyes]

I think you ought to scrub vigorously, re-do the salt/alcohol treatment (possibly over several days), and then consider putting the pipe in the oven with activated charcoal (GL Pease covers this in an article in near scientific detail).
Also, you ought to use bristled pipe cleaners. I've found that regular pipe cleaners absorb moisture but don't actually scrub out the tougher, caked-on residue.
On another note, would you happen to be the famous Interzone doctor I've heard do much about?

 

[lordofthepiperings]

That more than likely is the ghost of Lakelands past.
It happened to me once. I tried Ennerdale Flake in a Savinelli Caramella 920 KS (a group 4ish 1/8 Zulu shape). I didn't even have a full bowl of it and when I tried to put 1Q through it next I still got that terrible soapy perfume like flavor of the Lakeland. It took multiple salt/alcohol treaments and a number of bowls of strong Perique blends like Escudo and Luxury Bullseye Flake to finally rid the briar of the ghost.
If you aren't familiar with the salt/alcohol treatment I'll explain it. Take a 151 rum or Everclear (if you can't get that where you are any high alcohol content spirit will do). Dip the tip of a bristle cleaner in the alcohol and run it through the stem. You might want to put a dry washcloth over around the button of the stem, because the alcohol will discolor a stem to a degree. Run the bristle cleaner through stem and shank. Then repeat the process until the bristle cleaner is pretty clean. After that I take a regular cleaner through the stem to soak up any of the spirit. On to the bowl. I'll usually use cleaner from the stem/shank bend it in a U shape and dip the bent part in the spirit to clean out the bowl. Like with the stem/shank I'll once the bristles are fairly clean I'll go in with a regular cleaner to soak up the alcohol. Next it's on to the salt. Use coarse sea salt to fill the bowl. At this point I put the bowl in one of those plastic pipe stands. I then put a Q-tip in the shank to soak up any excess alcohol. Once the salt is in the bowl (not all the way to the top cause the alcohol can remove the stain of the rim) take an eye dropper and drop in about 15-20 drops of the spirit. Let it sit over night. You'll see the white salt take on brown colors. That means the oils from briar are being pulled out. Last step for me is to take a the poker bit of my tamper and work out the now hardened salt. After the treatment it's good to let the pipe sit a day or two before the first bowl in it.

 

[saltedplug]

ozone treatment

 

[pipeman7]

latakia

 

[jpmcwjr]

drbenway- Success? Any report you can make?

 

[thomasw]

The lakeland ghost haunts like no other. Even sending two ghosted ebay estates for the Ozone didn't completely exorcise those estates. And that was after alcohol retorts and coffee ground treatments multiple times on my own. I gave those pipes away to guys who didn't mind the faint taste. What pissed me off the most was that I had asked the seller about the previous tobacco used and I was told just VAs! I hope you have been more successful in exorcising your lakeland ghost.

 

[drbenway]

Hello Gents
So yes SUCCESS!!...I went and bought a retort off of ebay. Figured out how to use it and after about 4 turns with it got the stank out.

I think most of the ghost was lurking in the shank because the stem was always getting stuck, requiring a trip to the freezer every time I tried to remove it to clean.

Since the retort, stem comes out clean and smooth and I don't have a strange taste in my smoke anymore.