Pipe Water Torture - Winter Vortex Edition

[ashdigger]

The Water Torture Vortex Edition is complete. The shank is back to normal size. The pipe is currently still 3 grams over its dry weight so I'll let it sit tonight an smoke it tomorrow.
Conclusion - Briar is tougher than you think. Water is not the enemy. Some of you will like the results, some will scoff. Some will just live in ignorant bliss.
Comment - Clean your pipes how you will, just don't give the other side shit. Its unwarranted.

 

[olkofri]

Cool experiment.
Personally, I don't worry too much about water damage on the briar, but on the finish. Since different manufacturers may use different processes/substances, I'd rather not risk it and follow the maker's recommendations.
I'll still wash my acrylic/vulcanite/cheap plastic mouthpieces in the sink, but the stummels shall remain hydrophobic.

 

[verporchting]

Little do you know, but you will soon learn, the pipe will now make every tobacco taste exactly like Captain Black Grape. That extra 3 grams is actually the skunk piss reservoir of grapey badness, just waiting to wreck your future piping experiences.
While the briar survived your polar vortex water torture, it's going to hold a grudge and mess with you.
Forever. Bwah, hah, hah, hahah. :twisted:

 

[trouttimes]

Can I choose ignorant bliss?

 

[ashdigger]

I should have added Passive Aggressive as well for some of the members. :nana:

 

[ashdigger]

This pipe experiment is officially over. Here's the latest photo. It shows the tortured pipe next to the control pipe. The tortured pipe is smoking just fine.

It's kinda odd the water rinse folks haven't commented on this. I understand they think this is purely "entertainment", were they only saying this because they were "couching" their beliefs if this went sideways?
Were they prepared with "water only runs through the pipe and minimal gets on the pipe" and other such excuses?
Were the non-water folks only following to see the pipe destroyed by water to justify their side?
Opinion doesn't pick winners and losers in this experiment.
I submitted this pipe to being soaked and being frozen. I get that the sample size is currently one (anxiously awaiting DaveT's efforts), but hasn't anyone been at least "shocked" the pipe survived. This should lead to more research.
Oh well, the pipe survived and the pipe smokes fantastic, again. The "inaugural" bowl is Sir Walter Raleigh.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I just don't think it has anything to do with rinsing a pipe out. First, I can't see any of the images. It is forever blocked. The one image site that all public access servers will block, and most of the forum members use that one.
Second, I am guessing that it turned out alright. That's great. But, it doesn't have anything to do with how I wash my pipes. It would be more fitting if the anti water in pipes folks used it as evidence that they could/would/should wash their pipes with water... but, I am certain that the phobia of rinsing their pipes out with water goes far beyond rational thought or reason. Just like you can't explain to a right winger or a liberal why their ideas have no basis in reality.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Sorry, it did not shock nor even surprise me. I've dropped hot pipes into swimming pools to only temporary grief, left them out in the rain along with a cake whose recipe I'd lost, and recently put four pipes through a dishwasher.
As to commenting, I thought I had! I am very glad you did the experiment, as it may encourage some to try to clean their pipes differently.
Boy, did it do a number on the finish! How about applying a thin coat of mineral oil on stummel and stem, and posting a pic?
The hot tap water flush will not remove a finish unless it's one that'd come off in the hands over a few weeks. And one can be careful and not let it run over the exterior.
In all, A+, all in the name of science and furthering the art and science of pipe smoking.

 

[crashthegrey]

I am more intrigued by the lack of response. I have been neutral in that I don't really want to clean my pipes with water for no good reason, but I always wondered what extreme water exposure would do. I am honestly surprised at the lack of much of any effect besides the finish.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Just this morning my wife said that she had found one of my favorite Nordings in the yard, and it has rained here every day for quite a while. The pipe had suffered no damage at all. I'm smoking it now. I also smoke my pipes while in the hot tub all of the time for years, with no negative results. It just doesn't register to me that water could do any damage at all.
I have just always been amazed at the fishing stories I hear at The Briary that end with... and then my pipe hit the water... with everyone wincing and consoling the story teller. It has just never made any sense to me why someone would think that a pipe would be destroyed by getting dropped into water. The storyteller always gets put on the spot when I ask what water did to the pipe. It's like questioning the truthfulness of that two foot catfish he is talking about.

Where do people get these ideas? Is there some new pipe smoker booklet that says, "never take a stem out of a warm pipe, and never, ever let it get wet"?

 

[didimauw]

I had a Dr Grabow go through the washing machine once, and I believe it smoked better after the fact lol.

 

[crashthegrey]

Where do people get these ideas? Is there some new pipe smoker booklet that says, "never take a stem out of a warm pipe, and never, ever let it get wet"?

There is, and it is called the internet. You'll hear those things repeated so often as a newbie, but never even really pay any attention to them later.

 

[unadoptedlamp]

As a confirmed water cleaner, I agree with cosmic and jpm.
I think that perhaps the people who clean their pipes with water have already confirmed for themselves that nothing bad happens. I had a bamboo shank loosen once. I have no idea if it was related to water. Could have been poorly glued on. That's it.
It's just not surprising that water doesn't kill wood that quickly. The freezing? I thought perhaps it could crack the shank or something, because of the expansion from inside.
But... fantastic experiment. It was interesting to see and check back on. You beat the hell out of that pipe and it kept going. Not a rigorously controlled experiment, really, but it adds to the evidence.
Wood is tough stuff. It's been confirmed in other interesting engineering experiments where wood outperforms steel for durability and wear and tear, for example.
I'm not surprised at all that wood is durable. A lot of people already knew this, particularly engineers.
Water being kryptonite to pipes just a weird myth in the "pipe community" - whatever that is. I don't put much stock in to what the "pipe community" puts out because frankly, I'm not sure it's represented by enough diversity or fact checking to be a reliable source of information... which is why you read about all of this crazy shit and odd techniques that seem detached from reality.
Take it all with a grain of salt or a drop of water. The sacred cows will always live on.

 

[sablebrush52]

It's kinda odd the water rinse folks haven't commented on this. I understand they think this is purely "entertainment", were they only saying this because they were "couching" their beliefs if this went sideways?

I just glanced at this thread. Since all of this bears no resemblance to an actual warm water flush, there's nothing to comment on, so it is entertainment and good entertainment at that. But I get the reticence of those phobic about the process. John had been evangelizing cleaning his pipes in water for a year before I took the plunge.
Having performed this procedure hundreds of times I have no doubts about it.
I'll be interested in hearing what the anti-water crowd have to say after they have actually tried it and found it harmful. Until then, they don't really know what they're talking about.

 

[jeff540]

This thread was a great read, thanks Tim! I converted to water cleaning a few months ago. My pipes have no sour tastes, never need the monthly salt soak overnight (which now seems so ludicrous), cake develops very slow, and best of all: whisky is only for drinking now :wink:

 

[seldom]

This is interesting and I have started trying the warm water rinse on a couple of my pipes. A big Vauen pot is one of them and I seem to notice that the finish has dulled somewhat but that may just be my imagination. If a warm water flush works without negative consequences it could make cleaning easier and perhaps do a more thorough job. I'm wary of using alcohol on my pipes because I've had some spill over the bowl and that definitely did impact the finish; no chance of it just being my imagination.

In summary, thank you for torturing your pipes for our collective edification. The results are helping to inform my future pipe cleaning habits.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Seldom, if the finish is a thick layer of wax, then warm water will create a haze, which is where the wax melts, but as the outer layer of wax cools, it does so at a different rate than the inside of the layer. Just give the pipe a brisk buffing with the towel right after the rinse. This will bring the layer of wax to a thinner, tighter layer, and eventually the wax won't haze as it gets drawn tight over the surface. A thick layer of wax is more susceptible to losing it's shine after smoking also.

 

[judcasper]

Well, it's backed up my beliefs - for what they're worth - that a pipe will come to no harm after coming into contact with the old H2O.

 

[seanv]

Thanks for the experiment, it was an enjoyable read. I’ve washed a few pipes with the hot water rinse and surprise...... nothing bad happened. Lots of lurkers will read this and maybe it can help some new smokers out

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Well, since no one else is claiming it, I want one dollar for everyone who still posts that water is dangerous everytime someone mentions water rincing. I need me some new Beckers, and I predict it will still come up again and again. ::