It is thanks to this excellent article from Al that I got notice that not only the flame shape, but the flame temperature was different in a butane and matches. A little research showed me that the temperature of matches (or zippos) are very unlikely to char hardwood in one or two seconds of exposition. Butane, would char in just one second.
But today I learned pipe care from an unexpected source: My housemaid, who knows nothing about pipes, but cares deeply about all my things.
I often clean my pipes after use, but some times they are left in the ashtray with ash or tobacco inside. Instead of reaming with... well, the reamer, or the nail, she has cut in diagonal a wooden chopstick, and cleans the inside of the bowl with it. She also uses a toothpick for some parts... I asked her why she didn't use the pipe tools I have, and she said that it was crazy to clean wood with metal because it gets scratched. You scrape wood with softer wood, so that you don't scar the furniture... After she said it, it came to my mind how much damage the metal tools do to the pipe, and that it can be avoided using wood. At least for daily basis. Not the deep cleaning.
She also washes the cotton pipe cleaners, until they are like new, straightens them and dries them. At least, they last many, many bowls. For her, it doesn't matter how cheap things are, wasting is shameful.
And finally, she puts the ash from the ashtrays into an empty tin of tobacco. When she has the tin full, she mixes it with the soil of the plants, before watering them... They look healthy, so far.
This has brought to my mind how careless we are, out of habit, about our pipes. A lot of attention to the cake and the tobacco, but too indifferent to what happens to the wood. I intent to be much more careful so that even a daily pipe should be called almost new.
But today I learned pipe care from an unexpected source: My housemaid, who knows nothing about pipes, but cares deeply about all my things.
I often clean my pipes after use, but some times they are left in the ashtray with ash or tobacco inside. Instead of reaming with... well, the reamer, or the nail, she has cut in diagonal a wooden chopstick, and cleans the inside of the bowl with it. She also uses a toothpick for some parts... I asked her why she didn't use the pipe tools I have, and she said that it was crazy to clean wood with metal because it gets scratched. You scrape wood with softer wood, so that you don't scar the furniture... After she said it, it came to my mind how much damage the metal tools do to the pipe, and that it can be avoided using wood. At least for daily basis. Not the deep cleaning.
She also washes the cotton pipe cleaners, until they are like new, straightens them and dries them. At least, they last many, many bowls. For her, it doesn't matter how cheap things are, wasting is shameful.
And finally, she puts the ash from the ashtrays into an empty tin of tobacco. When she has the tin full, she mixes it with the soil of the plants, before watering them... They look healthy, so far.
This has brought to my mind how careless we are, out of habit, about our pipes. A lot of attention to the cake and the tobacco, but too indifferent to what happens to the wood. I intent to be much more careful so that even a daily pipe should be called almost new.
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