What to Use...

[hauntedmyst]

Why no water for vulcanite? I always rinse the mouth bit (outside) after smoking and dry with paper towel. I have also been washing them when deep cleaning with neutral soap and water.

You ca use water on vulcanite. If you are rinsing them and washing them, you can wipe the polish off the stem and make it oxidize faster. Just wipe it off ands put whatever oil you use (Obsidian, mineral, olive, etc) it afterwards.

 

[elnoblecigarro]

You ca use water on vulcanite. If you are rinsing them and washing them, you can wipe the polish off the stem and make it oxidize faster. Just wipe it off ands put whatever oil you use (Obsidian, mineral, olive, etc) it afterwards.

Thanks for confirmation. That's what I thought. Would be weird if water was bad for the stem as our mouths are wet too.

I don't think oxidation is a big deal. During deep cleaning I just rub it with wet baking soda and it comes off, then add some mineral oil on it.

 

[jpmcwjr]

In my meanderings, I have tested and tested: Water on the stem brings out existing oxidation, and doesn't cause it. (From tepid to very hot water.)

 

[sablebrush52]

Over time, alcohol dissolves some of the silicate content in the briar. It’s the silicate content that contributes to briar’s fire resistance.

 

[sablebrush52]

Personally, I don’t use warm water on Vulcanite as it can raise the sulfur in the Vulcanite, causing it to go gray.

 

[cigrmaster]

If I cannot drink it, then it doesn't go in my pipe. I only use Ever Clear to deep clean my pipes.

 

[Duck]

Over time, alcohol dissolves some of the silicate content in the briar. It’s the silicate content that contributes to briar’s fire resistance.

Within the chamber I'm only using a couple of drops of alcohol on a paper towel. I doubt it penetrates the hard carbon enough to effect the briar. The shank and mortice get a thorough cleaning, but they're not exposed to any embers. So, though I've no reason to doubt that alcohol will leach silicate from briar it's not something that I'm concerned about.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

Just use Isopropyl Alcohol, it's fairly inexpensive most places.

 

[mingc]

Over time, alcohol dissolves some of the silicate content in the briar. It’s the silicate content that contributes to briar’s fire resistance.

I don't use alcohol to clean chambers ever and have never had the occasion to try the salt and alcohol treatment. But I do clean shanks with alcohol all the time. Do you avoid that?

 

[camaguey]

If warm water is not enough...then try with hot steam. I do it with the pipe of an expresso machine (for the capuccino) on the shank and bowl and only when hot water is not enough. I got this trick from the old pipe lovers magazine several years ago and just that by that time home expresso machines where not available as they are now. In that time they used a tea kettle with an adaptor to the pipe. Use the maximun of your resources at home. Of course , the wood would expand and you have to wait one or two days before inserting the stem again. Try it.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Just do it with the stem inserted. It'll clean the whole airway that way and no worries about swelling.

 

[sablebrush52]

I don't use alcohol to clean chambers ever and have never had the occasion to try the salt and alcohol treatment. But I do clean shanks with alcohol all the time. Do you avoid that?

Not entirely. When I do clean the shank I either just use a bunch of pipe cleaners without any kind of solvent, or I use a warm water flush. I'll use alcohol for deep cleaning a new-to-me estate, or a couple-of-times-a-year deep clean. I don't use alcohol as regularly as I used to do, except for Vulcanite stems.