How Do You Avoid Cake In Meerschaum?

[workman]

I keep seeing posters saying that one should avoid cake in a meer. I just purchased my first meer and I am curious as to how you do it.
Paper towel? Dry or wet? Or something else?

 

[timt]

Don't know if my way is best and I'm looking forward to the meer experts to chime in on what they do, but I scrape with the pipe tool blade (dull) after every bowl. I'll ream with a dry paper towel often, usually every 3 or 4 bowls, and finally I get a sharp blade to scrape it every ten bowls or so.

And of course the doubled over pipe cleaner swirly every bowl.

 

[Casual]

Dry paper towel has always served me. I occasionally do a gentle water clean but not often. The detritus comes off the walls easily, seemingly easier than briar. I can’t account for that, but it has been easy to keep them clean with just dry paper towel.

 

[didimauw]

This information is good. Im looking forward to hearing more.....

 

[B.Fee]

All the above for me, but when the inevitable happens.... i use a size just big enough to get rid of the offenders.

 

[warren]

I use my Savinelli fitsall regularly, carefully, after every third or fourth bowl. I've never let "cake" get a start. I do let the pipe cool after an evening of use so the blend residues can "soak" in before a reaming. Until the sheep rut in a couple of weeks I'm pretty much at home so the meers are being worked hard.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

I rinse mine out after smoking it. I know some may balk at that, but it works fine for me. ?‍

 

[F4RM3R]

I don't get the dry paper towel thing as if I just dry wipe I still get cake buildup after a while. I fold a pipe cleaner in half and dry wipe, then wet the pipe cleaner a little and rub the inside of the bowl with it, using my finger in the bowl and a fair bit of pressure and rubbing until it comes fully clean and smooth again. This results in a dirty finger but the pipe stays cake free without any additional cleaning.

If things get out of control or I pick up a caked up estate, I might gently use a knife to knock it down and finish with sandpaper. Starting with 150 grit if needed and work my way up to 1500 grit to get it really smooth.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Hot water flush. Easy, and removes more ash than other methods, as well as cleans the airway.

 

[warren]

I would think sanding residue would fill the pores and slow the coloring. I simply do not understand why anyone would allow any cake in a meer they want to color and enjoy the "benefits" of the mineral.

Now used, unkempt pipes? That's an entirely different problem. I think I'd still take a sharp edge and simple pare the cake slowly until I was back to the rough, natural surface of the mineral. Meerschaum isn't smooth to begin with. The outer surface of a pipe has been treated, therefore it is smooth. The inside is rough to the touch. At least all of my meers started that way. I haven't purchased a new meerschaum in many years.

I have a couple darkened enough, full of the residues that the coloring process has slowed to a "snail's pace." But, they have all been smoked well over 400 bowls. So, from my observations, admittedly anecdotal, the coloring hasn't ceased.

The changes are nearly imperceptible.

 

[mingc]

I use a damp paper towel.

 

[64alex]

[ Hot water flush. Easy, and removes more ash than other methods, as well as cleans the airway. ]

+1 for hot water flush, preceded by a gentle soft towel swipe of the bowl and followed by dry towel swipe of the bowl and cleaner in the stem.