I use a pipe knife when I feel that I need to. I always leave some thin cake. I belive it helps protect the inside of the bowl. Sandpaper works well too. Just two words of advise.....SLOW & EASY.
jef
jef
To Ream Or Not To Ream...
- Thread starter Mountainman Sam
- Start date
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A sharp instrument is very dangerous in my hands. I let the golden fingers of George Dibos handle such things for me.
I am still dreaming of a Savinelli fitsall Pipe knife to do the first cut into the cake of estates. A well made tool.
You only need a 1mm layer of carbon in the chamber.
If you use either a paper towel or napkin, and rub inside the chambers just after smoking while the chamber is a little warm, the carbon will be pliable and you can even it out with the napkins/towels, and there will never be a need for a reamer.
If you also have a nice thin layer build, like 1mm, after using a napkin/towel wiping it out, you can place a drop of water on a finger, and run it around inside the chamber while warm, and this will really even out the carbon layer, helping to remove some if it builds up a little to much or uneven.
If you use either a paper towel or napkin, and rub inside the chambers just after smoking while the chamber is a little warm, the carbon will be pliable and you can even it out with the napkins/towels, and there will never be a need for a reamer.
If you also have a nice thin layer build, like 1mm, after using a napkin/towel wiping it out, you can place a drop of water on a finger, and run it around inside the chamber while warm, and this will really even out the carbon layer, helping to remove some if it builds up a little to much or uneven.
Unless you play the bagpipes.
I've only ever used a reaming tool on estate pipes with excessive cake. I have a Decatur reaming set for this purpose, which I use to get rid of the worst of the cake before switching to sandpaper for the more delicate work. I've had estate pipes with chambers so caked that you really couldn't fit any tobacco in them.
For my daily pipes I simply wipe them out with a bent pipe cleaner or a regular paper towel (still searching for the special abrasive ones) after each smoke.
For my daily pipes I simply wipe them out with a bent pipe cleaner or a regular paper towel (still searching for the special abrasive ones
) after each smoke.
^ThisI've only ever used a reaming tool on estate pipes with excessive cake. I have a Decatur reaming set for this purpose, which I use to get rid of the worst of the cake before switching to sandpaper for the more delicate work. I've had estate pipes with chambers so caked that you really couldn't fit any tobacco in them.
For my daily pipes I simply wipe them out with a bent pipe cleaner or a regular paper towel (still searching for the special abrasive ones
I am still dreaming of a Savinelli fitsall Pipe knife to do the first cut into the cake of estates. A well made tool.
Maybe I am going to build one in my workshop out of an outdated file. The only issue I see is the ring-fitting into a piece of briar. I never done that before.
I already took the measurements of a fitsall.
Maybe I am going to build one in my workshop out of an outdated file. The only issue I see is the ring-fitting into a piece of briar. I never done that before.
I already took the measurements of a fitsall.
Hell, they convinced me…
I need a $200 pipe knife/prop to show off in my WAYS threads. That’ll make me feel solid.
I need a $200 pipe knife/prop to show off in my WAYS threads. That’ll make me feel solid.
A paper napkin, if it is rough better, at the moment my pipes do not have a considerable cake. I make sure before taking a few shots of whiskey, to sharpen my eyesight, since I'm deafer than the lid of a nuclear submarine.
This is essentially my method as well, though I typically use bristled pipe cleaners over the paper towels, but either is good. I'm not one for building much cake. Just a little carbon layer (and even this is pretty easy to do, since so many pipes have their bowls treated in the first place) and a fairly thorough cleaning before I retire for the night.
Haha, still one of my all time favorite shows! No offense to pipestud but every time I hear him talk on the PM radio show, I think he sounds like a cowboy version of Barney Fife (Don Knotts). I think that’s a compliment.