Sometimes there can be a buildup of cake at the very bottom of the bowl which can block the draft hole. And, it might be too thick or stubborn to remove with a pipe cleaner. I use the rounded tip of the knife to remove it by scraping it in a vertical motion, followed by a pipe cleaner. If the pipe cleaner won't get through I use a piece of coat hanger about 6" long and folded to make a handle, to push any goop out of the draft hole and into the bowl for removal.
I understand. I usually run a pipecleaner down the draft after each smoke, so I rarely get caked over drafts. So, the OP where you mention jumping right to the knife had me confused.Sometimes there can be a buildup of cake at the very bottom of the bowl which can block the draft hole. And, it might be too thick or stubborn to remove with a pipe cleaner. I use the rounded tip of the knife to remove it by scraping it in a vertical motion, followed by a pipe cleaner. If the pipe cleaner won't get through I use a piece of coat hanger about 6" long and folded to make a handle, to push any goop out of the draft hole and into the bowl for removal.
Uhhhh... I can send you one of my pipes. The heal is where I don't usually scrape back much, so the heals of my pipes seem to cake over, sometimes completely. For me, I don't understand why some people's heals DON'T cake over. Isn't it interesting.
Cake as far as I know. Why? I have no idea, as I thought everyone had this problem. But I am one of those that hardly ever has to relight my pipes as keep them in my clench down to the very bottom. I know, I know... we tell the newbies that relighting is not a shame, and so it is not. But, I don't feel as though I have had a decent smoke if "I" have to relight my pipes. I just figure that telling newbies not beat themselves up over relighting is like a fairy tale, or something you tell children. If I was constantly relighting... I'd just smoke cigars. Relighting is for beginners (for me) and may explain why I cake my heals so fast. Maybe...
Man, you're really going to suggest that it is not cake in the bottoms of my pipes. Seriously, if you'll PM me your address, I am glad to send you one of my pipes. I have plenty, and I totally trust you to send it back.Maybe we have different views on what cake is. To me, it's a hard layer of carbon, or at least a firm layer of carbon and ash that doesn't come out with a light reaming or scraping of the dottle.
Heal your heel!
Definitely need some small level of skill. I've seen hundreds of what would have been fabulous vintage pipes, ruined by the clumsy knife skills of their pea brained owners. Much worse than arming the average pipe smoker with a buffer.
Heck, I stopped recommending people could take stems out while the pipe was hot after I watched a few meat handed people with sausage fingers just rip them out like a gorilla opening a banana.
Those folks are going to split some shanks anyway!
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