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hauntedmyst

Lifer
Feb 1, 2010
4,006
20,750
Chicago
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

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 27, 2020
171
869
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.
 

Duck

Can't Leave
Aug 28, 2021
439
2,338
Edinburgh
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.
 
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mingc

Lifer
Jun 20, 2019
3,976
11,065
The Big Rock Candy Mountains
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

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 25, 2021
248
394
west indies
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.
 
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sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,630
44,855
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
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.
 
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