Water Flush Cleaning Technique
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I have a few unsmoked junk bowls.. I think I will strip the exterior, and give it about an hour of boiling, and smash it and see if it has any effect.
I also am not 100% sure that their goal is to have the oil penetrate the briar, but rather to use the hot oil to "cure" the briar and draw out any sap or terpenes that might cause foul taste or bitterness.
so I would look for a film on top or any crud in the oil.
I am sure you are right, thanks for saving a bowl from being smashed. About a year ago when I first thought of this was when I had an estate pipe, that I had salt/evercleared, and retorted about six times. It smoked terribly, I was going to pass it on, and thought give it a good cleaning and soak it in olive oil for a month. What have I got to lose. I gave it another serious cleaning and soaked it for about a month. Wiped it down inside and out let it sit in warm sunlight for a few days, and fired it up. I t smoked great for a month or two and went back to being awful.
That's why I disassemble them after every smoke and swab the mortise out with Q-tips.
I have seen your apres-smoke clean up method before but didn't realize it also included a water flush of the stummel. So is the method something like this:
1. Break down pipe and clean with papertowels/pipecleaners/q-tips;
2. Flush stummel with warm water;
3. Dry out stummel with paper towel;
4. Reassemble and rub down stem with obsidian oil (for pipes with vulcanite stems)?
ETA: the q-tip part.
I wont use water on a pipe, but this is what I do.
1. Remove stem.
2. Wipe chamber with a paper towel.
3. Run a pipe cleaner through the tenon side of the stem.
4. Fold the same pipe cleaner in half and run it through the draft hole.
5. Wipe out the mortise with Q-tips.
6. Reassemble the pipe.
7. Buff the stummel and stem with carnauba.
Not sure this thread need more comment, but I’ll give my $0.02 worth anyway...
I read about the water flush process here, but don’t recall the exact original source.
I do it almost always after every bowl. Works! I have a collection of both cheap and “nice” pipes, but no heirlooms or ultra high dollar pieces. I consider my pipes tools. I use ‘em, clean ’em, rest ’em... After some ridiculously long period of time, this process “might” have some negative effect (but I doubt it). Smoking it is more harsh than flushing it, in my opinion. If or when they crack, dry out, crumble to bits, or otherwise no longer provide a good smoke, I buy a new pipe (like 50 years from now - maybe)... Briar is a 50 + year old tree root after all. It’s had a long, wet, soggy life well before it becomes your pipe.
@didimaw tortured his single Grabow pipe more in one year than any “normal” pipe smoker would usually do in a lifetime! Still going strong (with honorable battle scars of course). Do whatever makes you comfortable, but the hot water flush will not destroy your briar pipe any time soon (or at all).
I read about the water flush process here, but don’t recall the exact original source.
I do it almost always after every bowl. Works! I have a collection of both cheap and “nice” pipes, but no heirlooms or ultra high dollar pieces. I consider my pipes tools. I use ‘em, clean ’em, rest ’em... After some ridiculously long period of time, this process “might” have some negative effect (but I doubt it). Smoking it is more harsh than flushing it, in my opinion. If or when they crack, dry out, crumble to bits, or otherwise no longer provide a good smoke, I buy a new pipe (like 50 years from now - maybe)... Briar is a 50 + year old tree root after all. It’s had a long, wet, soggy life well before it becomes your pipe.
@didimaw tortured his single Grabow pipe more in one year than any “normal” pipe smoker would usually do in a lifetime! Still going strong (with honorable battle scars of course). Do whatever makes you comfortable, but the hot water flush will not destroy your briar pipe any time soon (or at all).
I have to admit, after nearly 50 years of pipe smoking, I was shocked and appalled by the idea of putting my pipes anywhere near water let alone rinsing them under the tap. However, as a new (old!) member of this forum, I’ve come to respect the opinions and experience of many members.
I took the plunge and tried this method. I even scrubbed the tobacco chamber with a toothbrush so it would “do it’s worst” . Well I am duly impressed, to say the least. After drying and a waxing, this 45 year old pipe is getting it’s second break in and smokes sweeter than it did a decade ago.
Thank you all, you’ve convinced a skeptic.
I took the plunge and tried this method. I even scrubbed the tobacco chamber with a toothbrush so it would “do it’s worst” . Well I am duly impressed, to say the least. After drying and a waxing, this 45 year old pipe is getting it’s second break in and smokes sweeter than it did a decade ago.
Thank you all, you’ve convinced a skeptic.
If the water is hot, it will lift a lot off. Kind of like running hot water over a greasy pan. It won’t take it all away, because of the whole polar/non polar solubility issue, but it will lift away all but a film. Especially if you use some gentle agitation with a finger or paper towel.
I recall there was a guy on here once who cleaned his pipe with water and said it tasted terrible - someone told him the water brought up all the filth and sedimentary oil rot from deep within the suggested to perform salt and alcohol - I performed the same and it worked well - don't know if I'd smoke a bowl following a water treatment unless the water is piping hot and immediately dried to the bone.
Unclear what the antecedent to "performed the same" is!
Made my day. Thank you!I have to admit, after nearly 50 years of pipe smoking, I was shocked and appalled by the idea of putting my pipes anywhere near water let alone rinsing them under the tap. However, as a new (old!) member of this forum, I’ve come to respect the opinions and experience of many members.
I took the plunge and tried this method. I even scrubbed the tobacco chamber with a toothbrush so it would “do it’s worst” . Well I am duly impressed, to say the least. After drying and a waxing, this 45 year old pipe is getting it’s second break in and smokes sweeter than it did a decade ago.
Thank you all, you’ve convinced a skeptic.
Don't forget to use some organic or otherwise pure soap in the shank and bowl. I use a shank brush for this, to keep it off the finish of some of my pipes.
Water works good on its own. But when you combine it with a soap, which is made for dislodging oils and other gunk, it is something else entirely. My pipes have never been more "fresh" and great smoking.
Imagine washing your greasy hands with just water. There's usually still a film on them, unless you wash for a very long time. The soap really does the job. But... I understand why people would be reluctant to do so. All I can say is that it works for me.
I've washed Eltangs, Dunhills, and a number of "artisan" pipes of significant value or detail with no problems. Just don't hose down and scrub a vulcanite stem... takes awhile to get back the shine.
Water works good on its own. But when you combine it with a soap, which is made for dislodging oils and other gunk, it is something else entirely. My pipes have never been more "fresh" and great smoking.
Imagine washing your greasy hands with just water. There's usually still a film on them, unless you wash for a very long time. The soap really does the job. But... I understand why people would be reluctant to do so. All I can say is that it works for me.
I've washed Eltangs, Dunhills, and a number of "artisan" pipes of significant value or detail with no problems. Just don't hose down and scrub a vulcanite stem... takes awhile to get back the shine.
Similar to what I do, except I wash the stem with dish soap and water like any dish/cutlery and use extra fluffy cleaners instead of Q-tips. I also don't buff with carnauba. Once the stem's dried I put the pipe back together.
Keeps all that nasty cake away.
I do exactly the same, with 9mm pipes you have to remove the stem after each bowl to remove the filter anyway so I always give it a hot water flush fits back in the mortise with no problems when everything is dry.
I’m gonna skip the soap in the pipes.
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