How Thorough Do You Clean Estate Pipes?

[Country Bladesmith]

Are you guys using Murphy's directly on the wood?

You just add maybe half a capful to some water and clean the EXTERIOR with a soft toothbrush. I've never noticed any residue, or smell for that matter.

I dilute it as well. No residue in my experience, but I absolutely hate the smell of it. I don’t see how you could miss it.

 

[karam]

My pipes are cleaned after every smoke with twisted kitchen towel until it comes out clean, shank, chamber and rim. Stems are cleaned with pipe cleaners until they come out clean, and then left to dry for 24 hours.

When I notice the taste being a bit off, or they still smell noticeably after a day of drying I give them a warm to hot water wash, rubbing the chamber with an old toothbrush, finally I put a drop of dish liquid on the toothbrush and give them another brush - this brings out tons of crap, but the plus side is that after drying the pipes have the faintest of smells. Stems are cleaned with pipe cleaners dipped in alcohol, usually pharmacy-grade, pure ethanol that we keep in the bathroom.

I had a very persistent Captain Black ghost in two pipes my uncle gave me, he smoked CB in them for 20 years, any time I reached the heel of the chamber the taste of the tobacco would simply change to CB, wasn't chased out by Latakia, Gawith ropes, Lakelands, salt and alcohol - just the dish soap removed that ghost.

 

[mikethompson]

I don’t see

The soap and water is used sparingly and not for a long time. The mineral oil and smell of the wax maybe cover it up? I don't know, but it works for me.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

The soap and water is used sparingly and not for a long time. The mineral oil and smell of the wax maybe cover it up? I don't know, but it works for me.

Sometimes I think I must have a (overly?) sensitive smeller. When I was in college and taking organic structure elucidations lab, I could usually figure out which functional groups were in a compound by just taking a whiff of it. Murphy’s stinks to high-heaven to me.

 

[alaskanpiper]

VERY

 

[BROBS]

Sometimes I think I must have a (overly?) sensitive smeller. When I was in college and taking organic structure elucidations lab, I could usually figure out which functional groups were in a compound by just taking a whiff of it. Murphy’s stinks to high-heaven to me.

Agreed. I can tell when a pipe has been cleaned with it.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Very hot tap water and a bit of dish detergent will go a long way to freshening up a pipe, be it a filthy estate or a prized pipe you keep clean. Saves on pipe cleaners and no worry about alcohol damaging the briar.

Mineral oil and/or wax will be finishing touches if you wish.

 

[karam]

Sometimes I think I must have a (overly?) sensitive smeller. When I was in college and taking organic structure elucidations lab, I could usually figure out which functional groups were in a compound by just taking a whiff of it. Murphy’s stinks to high-heaven to me.

Are you a chemist? I'm a biochemist by training but did two years' postdoc in a chemistry lab, amines, thiols, acetates, phenols all are very distinctive

 

[captainsousie]

Agreed. I can tell when a pipe has been cleaned with it.

+1

 

[Country Bladesmith]

Are you a chemist? I'm a biochemist by training but did two years' postdoc in a chemistry lab, amines, thiols, acetates, phenols all are very distinctive

I have a BS in biochem, with way more hours than it really took to get my degree. Some grad level courses, but never really turned them into anything. But no, I’m not a chemist by trade.

 

[captainsousie]

In my experience, dish detergent can ghost a pipe way worse than the worst Lakeland. Worse than that, the ones suggesting to use dish soap and water...never mind, a substance that dries quickly with virtually no residue used in proper amounts has to be worse than ****ing dish soap.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

In my experience, dish detergent can ghost a pipe way worse than the worst Lakeland. Worse than that, the ones suggesting to use dish soap and water...never mind, a substance that dries quickly with virtually no residue used in proper amounts has to be worse than ****ing dish soap.

Putting any kind of soap in the chamber or airway sounds like a bad idea to me.

 

[BROBS]

Putting any kind of soap in the chamber or airway sounds like a bad idea to me.

Yeah I would not do that.
I’m only suggesting it for the exterior of the pipe.
And you must rinse until all sudsing is gone.

 

[captainsousie]

Putting any kind of soap in the chamber or airway sounds like a bad idea to me.

I will amend my previous statement with the statement that a scent-free detergent may be used in plastic, amberoid or acrylic stems as alcohol can damage those.

 

[captainsousie]

Yeah I would not do that.
I’m only suggesting it for the exterior of the pipe.

That, I can understand. I wouldn't do it myself but I understand.

 

[Country Bladesmith]

I will amend my previous statement with the statement that a scent-free detergent may be used in plastic, amberoid or acrylic stems as alcohol can damage those.

Yeah, I had the stummel in mind when I posted that.

 

[captainsousie]

Yeah, I had the stummel in mind when I posted that.

I figured. However your post got me thinking and I had to amend my previous statement.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I often use a drop of detergent on a scouring sponge to clean the rim. When rinsing it after, a small about of very diluted detergent is flushed through the airway. No muss, no fuss, no trace. But hot water is key.

 

[jhowell]

Plain Dawn (tm) w/ no scent, no emollients, no dye (ie - the clear version)...

 

[logs]

I've used alcohol for an initial cleaning and then just water cleaning forever after. Worked fine on estate pipes until I tried it one of those old Grabow Color Dukes. That was a mistake.