To Ream Or Not To Ream...

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Jef

Starting to Get Obsessed
Oct 10, 2019
296
522
67
North Carolina
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
 

PipeIT

Lifer
Nov 14, 2020
5,238
30,880
Hawaii
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.
 

Briar Tuck

Lifer
Nov 29, 2022
1,109
5,744
Oregon coast
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.
 

Puffaluffaguss

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 30, 2021
702
2,230
33
The City Different
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.
^This
 

UB 40

Lifer
Jul 7, 2022
1,349
9,800
62
Cologne/ Germany
nahbesprechung.net
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Maybe I am going to build one in my workshop out of an outdated file.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.
 

K.E. Powell

Part of the Furniture Now
Aug 20, 2022
610
2,264
37
West Virginia
I don't own a reamer. For forty plus years, I've scooped out the ash and wiped out the bowl with an abrasive paper towel. This maintains the necessary carbon layer but maintains the original diameter of the chamber for the life of the pipe, hence requiring no reaming ever, and avoiding the wear and tear of that. The first pipe I ever bought is still smoking strong and looking good. All my pipes appear to appreciate this routine.
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.
 
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