Pipe Storing
- Thread starter 64alex
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I'm somewhere in the middle of the scale generally, but those pipes that I've dedicated to a particular favourite blend get only the most cursory cleaning after each smoke (pipe cleaner pass through stem and shank and a bowl rub).
I have three pre-war Dunhill Shells that smoke only GH Dark Flake/Plug, a G-grade Upshall that smokes only SG BBF, a G-grade Upshall that has only ever smoked SG FVF/FVP (now impregnated with more than 1000 bowls of FVF/VP!!) &c...........
It is my firm (possibly deluded) belief that this 'selective seasoning', with minimal cleaning, makes for a better smoke.
In my hands, these pipes have never been treated with alcohol.........why would I wish to?
I have three pre-war Dunhill Shells that smoke only GH Dark Flake/Plug, a G-grade Upshall that smokes only SG BBF, a G-grade Upshall that has only ever smoked SG FVF/FVP (now impregnated with more than 1000 bowls of FVF/VP!!) &c...........
It is my firm (possibly deluded) belief that this 'selective seasoning', with minimal cleaning, makes for a better smoke.
In my hands, these pipes have never been treated with alcohol.........why would I wish to?
In the case of pipes that you're dedicating to one or more closely related blends, I agree, though I'd still clean out the mortise, just to keep the sour factor from ever cropping up. I don't really dedicate pipes, except to genres. I suppose that it would behoove me to take some notes and dedicate where I pipe does something especially nice for a specific blend. But, I still like a more neutral starting place these days. In any case, I rarely use alcohol and then only sparingly.
After every smoke (pipes rotate every month or two) I scoop out the ash, wipe out the bowl with a paper towel or napkin, run a pipe cleaner through the airway, and polish up the entire pipe with special attention to the stem and bit. I store them stem-up in a stand or cabinet, with the air free to circulate and no pipe cleaners or anything else in the airway or bowl. This routine keeps the carbon layer sufficient but thin, and I don't need to own a reamer, and the chamber stays the same size. When needed, I remove the stem and do a more through cleaning. For storing, I leave them where they are. If I were packing for a move or longer term storage, I would let them dry out well, and then pad them extra and pack them carefully in cartons or plastic bins. I'd be careful, because pipes are something notoriously lost in moves.
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