Thread: What do I look for in an estate (used) pipe?

i have one very similar, and i was looking at that stand hard, but the money wasnt there. and drats you beat me to the safety razors, but alas, there will be others

Originally Posted by bharner

Pipe looks well coloured but smells worse than a Tijuana donkey...

Since we are gentlemen I won't ask how you know what a Tijuana donkey smells like ......

around our parts, i would wonder that to, but the poultry plants cover most smells.

Originally Posted by wvloony

i have one very similar, and i was looking at that stand hard, but the money wasnt there. and drats you beat me to the safety razors, but alas, there will be others

I guess I shouldn't tell you that all three safety razors, the pipe and stand put me at $25 out the door.

And two of the three razors cleaned up splendidly. The third is service grade but beat the heck up under the head.

i will have to get back in there soon, now who's beating who to the goodies, lol oh well win some loose some

Originally Posted by bharner

I know this is a bit of a dead thread but it seems to have quite a bit of great advice in it.
Any tips on cleaning up a meerschaum pipe? I picked one up at an antique store/flea market last week and would like to smoke it but I don't want to damage it cleaning it up.

Meershaum.... cleaning is not a good idea.
They will slowly turn honey brown then almost black
with a lot of use. The material is so porous that
most wear a cotton glove so grease and stuff
from their hands do not get on the pipe.

This makes a lot of sense in the store and
for the first six months but at some point you
just need to smoke it.

A non toxic alcohol like vodka might be
used but will tend to push oil and grease
deeper into the Sepiolite material.

Vodka on a pipe cleaner can help any
pipe with too much tar to smoke smoothly.
Just let it cool first and let it dry fully before
lighting it up again.

Guess I'm going to the liquor store tomorrow. All I have on hand is Scotch.

Originally Posted by bharner

I know this is a bit of a dead thread but it seems to have quite a bit of great advice in it.
Any tips on cleaning up a meerschaum pipe? I picked one up at an antique store/flea market last week and would like to smoke it but I don't want to damage it cleaning it up.

Few years ago there was a long thread in one of the Scandinavian pipe forums about cleaning meer pipes. Most folks agreed that you shouldn't let the cake inside the bowl to grow too thick. Unless removed frequently, it might cause the bowl to crack. Most folks use just sandpaper or pipe reamer very carefully and that seems to be all they do. Those few meers i have, i use only sandpaper (whatever grit i might find from my chaotic garage).

Some long term pipe folks suggested to put cotton wool soaked into strong vodka into the bowl and then wrapped the whole pipe into plastic. Let it sit for about a week. The cake should melt by then and get off almost by itself. But as long as the pipe is wet with vodka, you should not try to scrap whatever there is left. Only wiping with a rag. Also using this method might cause uneven coloring into bowl (which fades within a very long time).

Originally Posted by bharner

Guess I'm going to the liquor store tomorrow. All I have on hand is Scotch.

Well Scotch will be fine from the smoking point of view but it is rich in honey brown and will stain. But for a solution on a pipe cleaner to remove a bit of bitter tar, sure.