Been smoking my Missouri Meerschaum hardwood pipe a lot lately. What I've learned is that cobs have spoiled me!
Now that it has seen some moderate use, I am getting clogging and gurgling. I guess that the Missouri Meerschaum hardwoods require the same maintenance that a briar would, or more. Cobs' ability to absorb moisture makes cleaning a periodic instead of regular chore. I have 8-10 cobs and usually give them a lot of rest, smoking one all day and then not at all for a week or three.
I usually just remove the bit and poke the stem out with a stick (bark whittled off) occasionally, then smoke the pipe and use a pipe cleaner while it's warm. "Reaming" is as needed with another stick so as to avoid gouging. (not a country boy, am I)
I give my briars much more maintenance, running a pipe cleaner through every few smokes and wiping the bowl out.
The hardwood is a nice enough pipe so... live and learn. It'll be worth the maintenance. I just found out the bent is supposed to be cherrywood. I've added a longer reed stem so I can smoke it when I'm in a disputatious mood.
"You have erred, perhaps," he observed, taking up a glowing cinder with the tongs and lighting with it the long cherry-wood pipe which was wont to replace his clay when he was in a disputatious rather than a meditative mood --"
Sherlock Holmes - The Adventure Of The Copper Beeches
Now that it has seen some moderate use, I am getting clogging and gurgling. I guess that the Missouri Meerschaum hardwoods require the same maintenance that a briar would, or more. Cobs' ability to absorb moisture makes cleaning a periodic instead of regular chore. I have 8-10 cobs and usually give them a lot of rest, smoking one all day and then not at all for a week or three.
I usually just remove the bit and poke the stem out with a stick (bark whittled off) occasionally, then smoke the pipe and use a pipe cleaner while it's warm. "Reaming" is as needed with another stick so as to avoid gouging. (not a country boy, am I)
I give my briars much more maintenance, running a pipe cleaner through every few smokes and wiping the bowl out.
The hardwood is a nice enough pipe so... live and learn. It'll be worth the maintenance. I just found out the bent is supposed to be cherrywood. I've added a longer reed stem so I can smoke it when I'm in a disputatious mood.
"You have erred, perhaps," he observed, taking up a glowing cinder with the tongs and lighting with it the long cherry-wood pipe which was wont to replace his clay when he was in a disputatious rather than a meditative mood --"
Sherlock Holmes - The Adventure Of The Copper Beeches