Pipe Cleaner Won't Fit

[branzig]

So on one of the estate pipes I just restored it has a replacement stem on it and a very narrow slit in the front of the mouth piece...I really like the pipe, only problem is no pipe cleaner will fit down that little slit! Even my tapered pipe cleaners! There is no blockage that I can see...
I have thought about trying to drill a larger hole but the pipe stem is so narrow and skinny I think it would just crack it...
Any thoughts? It is a screw in stem and the pipe is OLD, so the thought of finding a replacement stem seems impossible.

 

[sablebrush52]

If you are using BJ Long pipe cleaners, check with your local B&M. There are thinner cleaners out there. A screw in stem on an old briar pipe suggests a really old pipe. But since you indicate that the stem is a replacement, then having a new replacement would certainly seem possible. You could also contact a reputable pipe repair, like Tim West, Night Owl Pipeworks, or Walker Briars to see if they can either alter or replace the stem.
If you are encountering a narrowing of the airway somewhere past the bit, it may be built up crud from years of accumulation. Sometimes you can dislodge this with a bit of wire, followed by soaking the build up with an alcohol soaked pipe cleaner for a couple of hours, followed by scrubbing and repeated soaking.

 

[branzig]

It was the opening of the pipe stem. The hole was just too small.
So I ghetto fixed it...with a nail and a hammer! Worked perfect! Now it passes a pipe cleaner straight to the bowl and I can enjoy it!

 

[spartan]

That's what she said...

 

[blueeyedogre]

That's what she said...

Bah-ha-ha!!!