Reaming Briar pipe

[James8855]

I know you should ream the side walls of a briar pipe bowl but what about the very bottom of the bowl? Should you ream that too?

 

[mso489]

All I know about reaming is go easy. People do more damage to briar with reamers than anything else. I scoop out the ash and wipe out the bowl with a stiff paper towel, and don't own a reamer, with scores of pipes, some of them about 40 years old, all doing fine. A devoted minority of Forums members do likewise.

 

[Simmerdown☕️]

I occasionally use my Case and gently ream my pipes when the cake gets a bit much. I lightly apply the edge of the blade to the bottom only when the airway is obstructed which can not be remedied with a pipe cleaner. Otherwise, I leave the bottom of the bowl alone. If you clean your pipes with a couple pipe cleaners properly after each use...you very rarely need to ream the bowl. ️

 

[philobeddoe]

As MSO said....go easy. If you don’t ream enough, no sweat, do it again, but you cannot put briar back. If you are going to keep a cake, determine the thickness you want before you begin to ream. Go slow and try to keep the reamer centered so that your cake will be even. I and several others, do not keep any cake in our pipes and simply wipe out the bowl with a paper towel after each smoke as mentioned above. Good luck.

P.S. I have found the PipNet reamers the easiest to use, as I sometimes need them to clean up estates.

 

[jdb67]

I'm with mso489. I'm not letting the cake build up much. Once I have a thin-ish layer of carbon on the walls, I wipe out the bowls after each smoke. I doubt I will ever ream a pipe.

 

[sandollars]

If you clean your pipes after every use, you will never need to use a reamer.

"The Cake is a LIE!" (reference video game "Portal")

 

[Old School 3319]

I was starting to wonder why i didn't have cake build up as i only started smoking briar's about 6 months back( only cobs before that). But I clean my pipe after each use.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I was starting to wonder why i didn't have cake build up as i only started smoking briar's about 6 months back( only cobs before that). But I clean my pipe after each use.

I've got pipes that were bought new thirty years ago that barely show any cake. I disassemble my pipes after every smoke and clean them. For estates clean ups I use a Case knife and sandpaper to remove the cake.

 

[bullet08]

I don't ream. Did it once with bionic looking tool. Had to search Google on how to use it. Came out well. But I do what has been posted already. Break down my pipe right after smoke and clean everything and shine silvers. Paper towel "ream" the chamber.

 

[anotherbob]

better always to ream less then perfect versus more then needed. Why cause it's like adding salt to a dish you can add more salt if you need too but you can't take salt out of a dish.

 

[anotherbob]

and when you ream just make sure to go slow and not push it. It's easy to do and easy not to hurt the pipe right up until you stop taking your time.

 

[kcghost]

And don't be afraid to send them to a repair guy to do the reaming. I'm fortunate that I live near George Dibos and that is what he recommends and it's what I do.

 

[augiebd]

Spot on advice, the only pipes I need to ream are estates. If reaming, remember the goal is to remove cake not briar. Once you get near the briar, as many suggest go slow. If you do like a layer of cake, that can be maintained without having to ream. The small amount of maintenance necessary after each smoke to avoid excessive cake isn’t too much bother.

 

[James8855]

Here’s after my first time reaming. Did I scratch the briar at the bottom of the bowl or did I just take too much carbon cake off?

 

[didimauw]

I love cake. Always prefer a huge amount of cake in my pipes. However, it always tapers like a cone down to the bottom of the bowl. Almost so much that there's never any actual cake down there. Just a layer of wet tar.

So when I do ream, I try to keep the reamer or scraper away from the bottom, to help even the cake going up the bowl.

 

[cigrmaster]

When I do rarely ream a pipe I use my Senior Reamer as I feel I have more control with it. When I get to the bottom , I am very careful and only take little amounts I just barely scrap going very slow. If you get over zealous with any kind of reamer you can make a mess. Go slow.

 

[donjgiles]

Here’s after my first time reaming. Did I scratch the briar at the bottom of the bowl or did I just take too much carbon cake off?

You did fine, good job.
I just got a four dot Brigham bulldog that someone went at with a knife. It will be fixed with Pipe Mud.

 

[didimauw]

Yup looks good to me!