*Trying* not to spend too much on this. Always prefer saying what I *saved* rather than what something cost.
So... my tamper is a broken off 6" long 3/8" lag bolt. The hex head is a nice fit for all but my narrowest pipe bowl. That one is snug, so I have a standby bolt of smaller dimensions. And the threads? Sort of a cake file -- if/when you want one. Just flip it over and touch up there and there.
But the other day at lunch I found myself ready for a smoke and who knows where my *accessory* was. So a snapped off a piece of branch for a tamper. And for tending the stem, whittled a piece of green twig to size. Some long-stem prairie grass worked fine for taking out the moisture.
Heck -- the most enjoyable part of this lunch-time smoke was realizing I'm never really without tamper and pipe cleaner. They're all around me. Why buy 'em?
Huck
So... my tamper is a broken off 6" long 3/8" lag bolt. The hex head is a nice fit for all but my narrowest pipe bowl. That one is snug, so I have a standby bolt of smaller dimensions. And the threads? Sort of a cake file -- if/when you want one. Just flip it over and touch up there and there.
But the other day at lunch I found myself ready for a smoke and who knows where my *accessory* was. So a snapped off a piece of branch for a tamper. And for tending the stem, whittled a piece of green twig to size. Some long-stem prairie grass worked fine for taking out the moisture.
Heck -- the most enjoyable part of this lunch-time smoke was realizing I'm never really without tamper and pipe cleaner. They're all around me. Why buy 'em?
Huck