Is it asking too much

[fishnbanjo]

to have a pipe cleaner run through to the bowl? I don’t mean just your ordinary basket pipe because there are high $ pipes that suffer this as well, I know a bit of twist this way, or that, may not mean much but really shouldn’t that be a part of being correctly made. Rant mode off.

banjo

 

[mikethompson]

Nope, in fact there are a lot of folks here who pass on a pipe if it can't pass a pipe cleaner.

 

[carolinachurchwarden]

in fact there are a lot of folks here who pass on a pipe if it can't pass a pipe cleaner.

That one is hard to determine if you purchase your pipes online. Case in point, I have a pipe that should pass a cleaner, but due to a slight imperfection that must have occurred during the stem design for at least my particular pipe, the button has a slight droop, if you will, near the top. Was it designed to be that way? I doubt it, but it happened and this pipe won't pass a cleaner until I do a little work on the opening. That's only if it was some slight defect, but even more expensive pipes have this issue, more in the line of bent stems, than straight, I've found. If the cleaner gets caught on the mortise, for example and won't pass, you might not know that until you buy it and try it for the first time. I don't necessarily believe they are designed that way, but I believe it's just a slight imperfection that occurs during production.

 

[mso489]

fish', straight or slightly bent pipes should always pass a pipe cleaner unless they have a stinger or filter or some other intended blockage. I think bent pipes can be drilled correctly and well designed and still not pass a pipe cleaner, although I have a number that will. I use the various methods of jimmying through a pipe cleaner, but I believe that some airways turn enough to block a pipe cleaner. The bent pipes that do not pass pipe cleaners can simply be cleaned to their limit, then the stem removed from time to time to clean both halves, and they come up just fine. There may be Oom-Pauls that pass a pipe cleaner, but mine doesn't, and it smokes and cleans just fine.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I take mine apart and clean them every time I smoke. Not an issue here, it's just a pipe.

 

[carolinachurchwarden]

I take mine apart and clean them every time I smoke.

I do too, once it cools, but if you get a blockage or if for some reason, like in my case sometimes, you get a little extra moisture in the bottom of the bowl, it would be nice to run a cleaner down inside to free it up or soak it up. Not all the time, but it has happened before.

 

[Chasing Embers]

you get a little extra moisture in the bottom of the bowl, it would be nice to run a cleaner down inside to free it up or soak it up

Cap the bowl with your palm with the stem pointed toward your thumb. Hold the pipe tightly and flick it like cracking a whip to expel the moisture.

 

[thomasw]

Nope, in fact there are a lot of folks here who pass on a pipe if it can't pass a pipe cleaner.

I have a semi-hard rule about this. A pipe should pass a cleaner to remove moisture during a smoke; gurgling can happen especially if you smoke outside most of the time like I do, even if one breath smokes. The qualification is there in my personal rule because I do have one full-bent that smokes so dry and I have no need for moisture removal.
A meer-piper likely has little need for moisture removal? I don't know. Perhaps metalhead or some other meerschaum user will say.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Gents: If you are regularly gurgling your tobacco can be dried more before loading. Better taste, better smoke, no waste, no excess moisture. Try it!

 

[Chasing Embers]

Bone dry tobacco will build up moisture when smoking in high humidity. I only smoke mine bone dry and with the damp weather moisture still builds up.

 

[carolinachurchwarden]

Especially here in the South. I'll try that method next time, embers, and hopefully I'll sling the moisture right out...and hopefully the pipe won't go flying across the porch with it.

 

[warren]

If it's due to design and not an imperfection, yes I think it is asking too much.
It could be an defect of engineering. Cosmic?

 

[Chasing Embers]

and hopefully the pipe won't go flying across the porch with it.

Just hold on tight and sharp flick of the wrist should do you right. Crap that rhymed. :mrgreen:

 

[madox07]

Cap the bowl with your palm with the stem pointed toward your thumb. Hold the pipe tightly and flick it like cracking a whip to expel the moisture.

Chasing Embers that's a good tip, I may actually try this ...

 

[jaytex1969]

My favorite VaPer pipe, a Stanwell 185 will only pass a pipe cleaner if I turn it about 90 degrees after it meets resistance at the tenon/mortise area.

It will pass the cleaner reliably with that little twist. I consider it a small price to pay for the good smoke it delivers. Some day, I may look into whether a bit of filing will fix it, but I lose no sleep over it.
That was a $65 pipe. If it were $650, my outlook might be different...

 

[Chasing Embers]

I may actually try this ...

Works like a charm.

 

[sablebrush52]

Personally, when it comes to bents, I think this "pass a pipe cleaner" thing is overblown. If I need to swab out the airway I just pre-bend the cleaner slightly and that takes care of the issue in almost all cases. But if it doesn't I just remove the stem and take care of it. Since I tend to smoke well dried tobaccos to get more flavor, moisture is rarely a problem.

 

[fishnbanjo]

I should have been much clearer, if a pipe has a super long shank that even a 12” cleaner is too short or is bent like no tomorrow it would be unrealistic of me to make the question I did. I’m talking straights and bents no more than 1/4 and less than 6” from chamber hole to end of stem, regards and thanks for all the input thus far.

banjo

 

[pianopuffer]

banjo - I smoke almost exclusively straights or very slightly bent pipes. Passing a cleaner is a must in my book. If you can't drill a straight line with a straight pipe then I don't think I want it in the first place!
My only exception to this rule is if the pipe is a cheap knock around pipe. Fortunately, I have only two of these in my current collection and they smoke just fine.
embers - I do like the flick trick for moisture. It has only backfired on me once when my pack was too loose and I ended up scorching my hand.

 

[Chasing Embers]

if a pipe has a super long shank that even a 12” cleaner is too short

That's when churchwarden pipe cleaners come into play.