The Pipe Tool Poker

[marcel]

Most pipe tools have a tapper, a reamer and a poker. I understand how to use the tapper, and I've used the reamer to loosen the smoked ash making it easier to dump the bowl but I've never had any use for the poker. What am I missing?

 

[mephistopheles]

I have used the poker to gently poke a few air holes in tobacco that I have packed too tightly. This also works for cigars to help the draw. In addition to that, I've used the poker to clear obstructions in the shank such as: pieces of tobacco, a lump of tar, a small dangly piece of wood, and even leftover fluff from a pipe cleaner.
I also managed to get a door open with it but that's another story. 8) A pipe tool they call it? More like a life tool.

 

[shaintiques]

Sometimes tobacco gets lodged in the hole or the pack gets too tight and the draw becomes nil. The poker creates a better draw by inserting down inside the bowl above the draft hole.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Some use it to loosen tightly packed tobacco, and it can also clear a clogged airway after removing the stem.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBbTO3DCuHY&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[joshb83]

I mainly use it to loosen the ashes or dottle when i finish my pipe. Also, it works well when loosening afresh tin of tobacco. They seem to pack it in quite tight. Hope this helps

 

[saltedplug]

I use the Czeck tool that comes with scoop, tamper and poker. I used to use the tamper but now I use my finger; I used to use the scoop, but now I tap the side of the bowl to remove adhering tobacco; and I've never used the poker for any standard purpose except when I spontaneously find such a purpose. So I've more or less outgrown it, but I carry one in my pipe bag just the same.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

The poker is great for loosening cigars that are rolled too tightly.
Other than that, it is also great for self-defense. I like to refer to it as the Ninja killer.

 

[voorhees]

Michael, with the tamper you made me I already killed a bear and a stabbed myself. Very handy. :mrgreen:

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Ha, did you notice the balance for increased accuracy? ha ha. I'm glad the bear died, and everyone was safe. Ha ha!!
I need to make one that sticks out of a rock and call it the Excalibur Tamp.

 

[voorhees]

Yes, very balanced and excellent for hand to hand combat. Kidding aside, Excalibur sounds cool!

 

[menuhin]

I read this thread on the forum some time ago and this answer by Cortez is most inspiring for me.

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/pipe-tool-1#post-499259

 

[joshb83]

Another decent use is loosening the cover of tobacco tins. Sometimes it almost feels like the tin cover is a child lock on medicine! I just want my tobacco! Is that too much to ask?!

 

[mso489]

At some point, I abandoned regular use of my several Czech tools for the ultra simplicity of the pipe nail, tamper on one end, spoon on the other. That pretty much does it all. I use the narrow spoon both to scoop out ash at the end of the smoke, but also to loosen the tobacco after I have dumped some white ash, then tamping with the tamper gently to resume smoking the rest of the tobacco, especially with flake that packs down pretty tight after a relight or two. The pipe nail is inexpensive and easily overlooked, but it does the job with marvelous efficiency. About all you need. For opening new tins, I just use a coin to pop the seal; once that is broken with the usual pssst as the vacuum is broken, the lid usually twists off with minor effort.