Ha! In the time B.P.C. (Before Pipe Cleaners)? Hell, half the time I cannot find a pipe cleaner handy and have used a feather or a twig the long stem on a leaf of a tree, or even a strand of soft electrical wire myself in the current time too!!! ?
But, more seriously... I had read about the feather before too. It seems logical, and I suspect before pipe cleaners people used all manner of things they coupe jury-rig for the task. And, of course, small knives of all sorts back then and now were used to ream bowls.