Thread: Pipes: Cleaning, Identification, and Use

Corn cobs are great. They are cheap and they smoke real good. Missouri Meerschaum has a website here where you can even get one like General MacArthur smoked.

When I used to hang out at smokers.pipes.org I remember someone once recommending toothpaste to clean the oxidation from a pipe stem. I suppose the only negative would be the remaining flavor from the toothpaste. I suppose baking soda would work just as well without the flavor.


Scott

I have a friend you mixes toothpaste with baking soda and a lot of elbow grease. I have used rubbing compound , Flitz polish and tripoli on a buffing wheel. With the latter you have to be mighty careful or know what you're doing. The best way to do it, especially if it is an expensive pipe, is to send it out to a known pipe repairman who won't mess it up. Like I said, I have just learned to live with it.

Biggbadwulf,
I have a pipe tool like the one you describe. Pipe tools are timeless and I find it helpful as I smoke my pipe. As I smoke, I gently tamp the tobacco down then relight. A co-worker saw me using my tool and said his grandfather had one just like it. A bowl can last half a day and I tamp down and relight as I go.
That's the beauty of pipe smoking. Don't smoke too fast or the pipe bowl gets hot. The beauty of pipe smoking is that when your pipe goes out, you can place your pipe in a vest pocket and relight to enjoy another time. If you packed your tobacco too tight, use your pick to arriate the cake of tobacco and relight. At the end of the day, clean put your pipe with the scraper and allow the pipe to air out. Run a pipe cleaner stem through your pipe before using again, if possible use another pipe to allow your first pipe to rest.
If your pipe can be seprated mouthpiece from stem, seprate them and run a pipe cleaner stem through each part until the stems come out clean and dry. That moisture in the stem is not spit but condensation from the air.
Occasionally clean the mouthpiece with a pipe cleaner solution as mentioned above. I use bourbon since I keep a supply here at home. Gently scrape built up carbon from inside the bowl with a small pocket knife. Pipe reamers are great but old-timers just used their pocket knives and carefully pour a small amount of bourbon in the bowl. Be careful not to spill bourbon out the outside of the pipe or you will mar the finish. Pour out the bourbon and allow the pipe to air dry before reassembly.
Pipes aren't that high maintanance and I smoke a pipe for weeks before doing a thorough bourbon cleaning. Do use a pipe stem cleaner regularly. You can buy a large bundle of them for a couple of bucks at a tobacco shop.
I enjoy using a Zippo lighter. I like the ka-ching machine sound they make as you open them and zippo collection can lead to awhole new ADS as the older ones (check the dates at the bottom of the outer steel case) are highly sought after. Zippos are an American icon in themselves and have have been proven tough on many a battlefield! Light the zippo and allow the flame to burn for a couple of seconds to dissipate the fluid smell. Tilt your head with pipe sideways and slightly tilt the lighter and gently suck in the flame to light your pipe. Timeless! Some zippos come with specially made windshield for pipes. Don't try to drill a hole in your zippo's windshield 'cause zippos are almost bulletproof and resist most drillbits!
Enjoy your pipe!
Ernest

I've actually used toothpaste. I was on youtube watching videos and came across some about cleaning that recommended toothpaste. Baking soda is a good idea. I think I'll try that.

I still haven't bought any tobacco yet. I guess I'm taking it slow. I don't want to rush in and buy a bunch that I don't like. I've smoked cigarettes and hated them. I've smoked some cigars and liked them, but I would say I'm an amateur.

But I went to tobaccoreviews.com, and I will try to look for some of the recommended blends when I get to a tobacco shop.

If they have any GL Pease blends take a look at those. I smoke Robusto and Haddo's Delight regularly. Good stuff.

Hey, I've just been to the antique store and I bought a couple of pipes. They're just so cheap I had to buy them.

This first one, well, it's a disappointment. It's a Meerschaum. It looks great, but it unfortunately cracked when I tried to take it apart. On closer inspection. there was another crack along the bowl. But still, a bit sad when I thought I had a good deal going.

- Left side
- Right side
- Cracked
- Crack in bowl

This next one appears to be a briar. And I think that's a condenser.

- Briar
- Condenser

And this last one, is my favorite snag since the Meerschaum cracked. It says "Italy" on the shank.

- Left side
- "Italy"

If it was me I would do that Professer's Pipe Cleaning Treatment on those. I would also try and get that inner tube out of that stem. Enjoy them.

I did take out that tube in the Yellow Bole. It wasn't a condenser. More like a plug. It came out really easily by the way. I tried to turn in and out it came. And now the stem fits into the shank more easily.

I have given a lot of thought here lately to pipe smoking. I saw this thread and it re-sparked some thought. I have a few questions though. I smoked cigarettes for about 14 years and finally quit (Thank God). Do you inhale pipe smoke? That may be a dumb question. I inhaled some cigars depending on what it was. Filtered or un-filtered? I like the look of the corn cob. Timeless. And cheap. I would like a smoke with a mild taste, little or no bite and a good aroma. Something I could partake in an hour or so a day. A relaxing time. I had an uncle who smoked pipes and he had a couple round pipe racks full of all different kinds of pipes. He smoked a pipe a bunch. Just let me know what you guys think. Thanks, Evan