I fall into the "love the cake" category, although, as others have mentioned, it can get too thick. When this happens I use the pill separator (blunt blade) of my doctor's pocket knife. I own a couple of reamers, but where are they now?
You May Say I’m a Reamer, Am I the Only One?
- Thread starter dctune
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Like watching all your hard work go down the drain.....sad times.....
Recognize this reamer? It's been around for years and you can still buy them. I have one I use all the time, but it's a little different from the new ones. It looks the same at first glance but there is a difference. I picked up mine about 20 years ago with a pipe collection I bought. It had been a gift to the owner and he never used it, so it was new in the box. If you compare it to a new one you can tell the workmanship is better and (I suspect) the steel is better. The cool thing about it is it was made in the U.S.A. back in the 1950s. 
I take a knife to the bowl probably every 10-12 bowls. I don’t let anything build up, thin or otherwise. I used one of the larger reamers at first but recently picked up a tool with a folding knife in it and it’s made it all the more easier.
Even with the water flush, I still have to ream occassionally. I use a version of the PIPNET set that I bought from.Amazon, and I've been super pleased. I hated reaming with the Czech tool.
I have one of these. I like the small drill bit inside for keeping shanks clear.Recognize this reamer? It's been around for years and you can still buy them. I have one I use all the time, but it's a little different from the new ones. It looks the same at first glance but there is a difference. I picked up mine about 20 years ago with a pipe collection I bought. It had been a gift to the owner and he never used it, so it was new in the box. If you compare it to a new one you can tell the workmanship is better and (I suspect) the steel is better. The cool thing about it is it was made in the U.S.A. back in the 1950s.
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I have no idea what “water flushing” is but it sounds like something I would never want to do to a pipe.
It’s just running the bowl under hot water for a very few seconds, then immediately wiping out and drying. I do it about once a month to all my pipes. Have never had a problem.
Sad. I don't use it either but, I don't reject it out of hand without knowing a bit about it. But, some are like that,
I picked up a used tool like this and it is one of the "old" ones. Fantastic for "real" cake that one tends to find on estate "specials". Strong material and good craftsmanship & design.Recognize this reamer? It's been around for years and you can still buy them. I have one I use all the time, but it's a little different from the new ones. It looks the same at first glance but there is a difference. I picked up mine about 20 years ago with a pipe collection I bought. It had been a gift to the owner and he never used it, so it was new in the box. If you compare it to a new one you can tell the workmanship is better and (I suspect) the steel is better. The cool thing about it is it was made in the U.S.A. back in the 1950s.
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I originally used a tool like the OP for said task, but it wasn't up to par for actual heavy duty cake removal. It broke from the effort on an estate pipe, as it was a "new" one made of cheaper material, fastenings, and had rounded edges. I purchased another one for very gentle removal of sticky particles and bumpy edges, and it works fine on more of a maintenance basis.
By the way, I love the play on John Lennon's "Imagine" in the title. A clever headline is a real treat.
I appreciate you noticing! Wish I was more consistent with the cleverness. It’s the same with my jokes. Every once in a while I’ll tell one my wife and kids don’t roll their eyes at.
In my fifty plus years as a pipe smoker I've met an awful lot of other pipe guys. I can't remeber any who said they washed their pipes with water. First I heard of it was on the net.
Despite the name i don't think the reamer on the classic pipe tool is for cake just for dottle not cake.
Is it actually called a reamer? I’ve always called it “the shovel.”
My post-smoke routine is using one of the little chamber brushed pretty aggressively along with a pipe cleaner for dottle/stem cleaning. Granted I’ve only been smoking for a few months so I’m not sure how effective my cleaning method is in reducing cake long term. 
It's not, he's been reading Wikipedia. It's a snuff spoon and a dottle scoop.
You do know if enough people call something something it is called that thing. Funny how that works language one of the many things we use and don't even understand. That's on the short list of reasons to be a human instead of a monkey or some type of feline.