Tired of losing pipe nails....

[bubbadreier]

I am so tired of losing pipe nails only a few days, if not hours, after I purchase them. My local B&M sells them for $1.20 which isn't horrible but after buying about 15 of them it adds up... So I set out to find a cheap solution and I think I might have found it.

Now I don't remember who to credit this discovery to, because I remember reading that someone used roofing nails but oh well...

I got these at Walmart for about $2.00 and there are about 50 in the box which come out to be about $.04 each! The work perfect, the only thing I suggest is to wash them in hot water with dish soap.
Does anyone have any other items that they use?

 

[juni]

Newbie asking: What is a Pipe Nail?

 

[chlogeo3]

Me also. What are they used for?

 

[duncan]

A pipe nail looks like a nail but has a shovel tip to them. The flat end the head of the nail is used as a tamper to compress your lovely tobacco and keep the ember burning. The shovel end is used for scraping you bowl and cleaning out unused bits of tobacco. The ones I have seen are about 2.5 in in long and made out of Aluminium. They are a handy tool, but I like my Czech tool since they are all seperate it comes with a spike to clean out the hole in the bowl and has a large hole at the top that fits on a key ring. I never lose my tool since it is attached to my keys.

 

[papipeguy]

bubbadreier,

I'd be careful about I put those nails in your pocket; especially when sitting down.

I always marvelled at those old timers who just used their forefingers to tamp. I remember seeing one guy using a sewing thimble on his finger.

 

[dd951]

Bubba, I keep loosing tampers, so now I use fired 223 brass, 308 brass works well too

 

[pstlpkr]

I used to use nails "un-galvanized" just as you have purchased.

I would use my vice and hammer the head so that it is a little larger around. That is the reason some use roofing nails. I would also flatten the business end of the nail to serve as the "dottle digger". I would also file down any sharp edges. It seems the less I spent, the harder it was to lose.

 

[kcvet67]

I am so tired of losing pipe nails only a few days, if not hours, after I purchase them.

The little buggers gtow legs and run off at night.

 

[ohin3]

I am the kind of person who loses things like pipe nails, but, lo and behold, I have had this one for almost 6 years now. Go figure.

 

[cortezattic]

My only gripe with the commonly marketed aluminum pipe nails is that they are about an inch too short

(I hear that from the wife all the time too. LOL) for the leverage I like to put on it when scraping

the inside of the bowl. For that reason I think Bubba's solution is great.

 

[collindow]

I've had my Czech pipe tool for about 8 months. It's easy to keep track of them if you use it constantly.

 

[bubbadreier]

I have lost about 5 of the Czech pipe tools too! I even tried putting on on my keychain but then I totaled my car and the took my keys when they hauled it off and I never got my tool back!
I think my option will have to do for now....
Lawrence thanks for the advice, I am going to sand down the rough edges but leave the head (I like the size actually).

 

[juni]

I'd like to know what kind of tampers these guys use:
Pipe smoking competition

 

[pstlpkr]

Juni, that's easy. They use wooden dowels. But, that doesn't appear to be a "sanctioned" competition.
Here is Raymond's interview:
Raymond the United States National Slow Smoking Champion

 

[juni]

Cool, thanks.
I just realized there is a whole world of fancy tampers in all kinds of shapes and materials.

 

[rusco135]

Shame guys!!!! There is one bloke (and probably the only bloke around) that has a pipe tamping tool factory in the Czech Republic?!! Therefore let's, as pipe smokers, keep him in business and buy the real macoy?!

 

[storm]

Though they are called "Czech pipe tools", I will bet you a pound of Lane 1-Q that they are made in China or Hong Kong.

 

[juni]

Now I want this Dunhill tamper:

(No, I'm not a snob!)

 

[bubbadreier]

Juni I will take my nails over your $100+ dunhill tamper, haha... I would lose it five minutes after I got it guaranteed!

 

[juni]

Actually, it seems to go for 37 £ = 60 USD.