There's Reaming And Then There's Reaming.

[mawnansmiff]

It has been a part of my pipe maintenance routine to ream my regularly used pipes every ten days or so by using my British Buttner reamer which does a great job.
Last week I had just reamed one of my Blakemar Briars bent bulldogs and noticed there was still a considerable layer of carbon in the bowl so I dug out my heavy duty adjustable reamer (not used since my pipe refurbishing days) and went to work. I was amazed at how much carbon dust was made by just a few turns.....so I carried on pretty much back to bare wood.
The results were quite surprising. I filled up with McClelland's #2015 and lit up. The flavours were so much more noticeable than they had been of late. I have since done this to all my regular pipes with the same results.
Something worth considering if you think your pipe isn't giving you its best performance.
Regards,
Jay.

 

[crashthegrey]

See, that's why I am perpetually breaking in pipes. Ha. I like that raw briar.

 

[mikethompson]

I thought this was going to be a horror story of reaming a beloved pipe to the point where the walls were saved thin.
This is why I don't let a lot of cake build up in my pipes.

 

[aldecaker]

I think cake is pretty over-rated in most cases. If your pipe smokes crappy or has a bad taste without it, then by all means, cake may well help. In most cases, though, I think cake just tends to hold the nasties and make the pipe taste ashy. Mom, you ever get that not-so-fresh feeling, you know, in your bowl?

 

[dottiewarden]

Not having all the fancy tools, I just scrape down cake with a pocket knife. Naturally I'm careful not to damage the briar.

 

[npod]

There's Reaming And Then There's Reaming

I need to make a poster of this quote and put it in my office.

 

[mawnansmiff]

"I need to make a poster of this quote and put it in my office."
Very good Neal, but don't blame me for any face slaps you might incur by so doing :nana:
Regards,
Jay.

 

[stbruno70]

Jay,
So true. Clean 'em and ream 'em.
After a thorough cleaning, it is amazing how many nuances from the baccy emerge.

 

[mikethompson]

I remember when I thought 'getting reamed out' was getting yelled at by your boss. Then I discovered pipe smoking.

 

[wyfbane]

Kind of the same thing, if you think about it, Mike...

 

[artificialme]

I need to make a poster of this quote and put it in my office

Very good Neal, but don't blame me for any face slaps you might incur by so doing :nana:

you guys, got me laughing so hard :rofl:

 

[Chasing Embers]

Not having all the fancy tools, I just scrape down cake with a pocket knife.

+1
The California clip on my Case XX Stockman puts my reamers to shame.

 

[unkleyoda]

This is why I like running little/no cake.

 

[mawnansmiff]

I forgot to mention, a good rinse under a hot running tap after reaming proper is the way to go for best results.
Regards,
Julian.

 

[workman]

Julian?

 

[cortezattic]

Interesting experience, Jay. I'll have to keep it in mind. Thanks.

 

[mso489]

I'm one of the folks who doesn't build cake. I scoop out the ash and then wipe out the bowl with a fairly stiff paper towel or napkin. It keeps the carbon layer very thin but sufficient. This maintains the flavor profile on blends and also maintains the diameter of the bowl and eliminates the need for a reamer and any damage or excess wear from reaming. In over forty years of pipe smoking, this has worked for me, and apparently for others. I've never owned a reamer.

 

[mawnansmiff]

"Julian?"
Sorry Workman, I pressed the wrong button on my recently adjusted Kindle Fire. Julian is my 'proper' name, Jay is what I am known by.
Simple really ::



"...and any damage or excess wear from reaming."
MSO, in all of the hundreds of pipes I have reamed, I have yet to shave off any briar from the bowl. Easily done with careless use of a sharp knife but highly unlikely in using a reamer properly.
Regards,
JAY.

 

[workman]

Allright. I didn't know that. My name is Janus, by the way. Recently, some of my most smoked pipes have built up some cake. I'm not sure if it makes them better or worse. I'm going to try a good ream. With a knife, mind you.

 

[sparrowhawk]

I find a Swiss knife effective for informal reaming.Btw, M, glad to hear you have a kindle Fire. I dislike Google taking over the tablet world.