Routine Tobacco Pipe Cleaning

[@taffyhit]

I am a new piper and this, along with your bowl packing instructions are making a world of difference for me. Can't thank you enough. Will

[@TMIGT]

by far the best pipe cleaning instruction i have found in youtube... thank you very much sir!

[@altezzadrifter07]

i just used a steamer from expresso machine, seems to work pretty well, dont even have to let it dry, blows all gunk out quick enough where it barely takes in any moister. although i clean out my pipes every other lb of tobacco.

[@RedcoatsReturn]

Its always good to watch this kind of video, I learn another couple of tips even though I thought I knew enough. Thank you!

[@buckeyeschmave]

Very informative. Thinking of trying out a pipe soon. Certainly better than cigarettes and I don't have the taste for cigars that I used to!

[@darinvaughan2268]

I've also heard from a guy working for Tobacco Republic in Loomis recommend oil from your nose too. You can also get it on your forhead. Do it before cleaning your face.

[@PipesMagazine]

@liquidcross Yes, you can use alcohol on the stems. It will not harm them. Acrylic stems do not oxidize like vulcanite stems do. If you use alcohol on vulcanite stems, it will dull them. But it is still safe to do, you will just have to polish them really good to get the shine and nice glossy black color to them.

[@ReturnMoreFire]

That video was informative thank you. But do i half to clean my pipes after every smoke, because ever since i started i only clean after every 2 or 3 smokes. I clean just as well as you do but not after every smoke.

[@PipesMagazine]

@Pobbie775 It all depends on how often you smoke the pipe. A good rule of thumb is that it should have a routine cleaning for every 10 to 20 bowls depending on the tobacco smoked. Obviously, if you are smoking wetter aromatics it should be closer to 10 bowls.

[@KingdomUploader]

great instruction; im finding several old pipes at thrift stores and called myself 'cleaning' them; watching this, i need to go back and work some more. my question is, can i use my dry carnauba wax rather than the olive oil? thanks!

[@A7ty34g]

I could comment on allot of things on this video, but I will confine myself to answering your question. What your describing is called a metal filter or 'stinger' and were quite common among pipes prior to the invention of pipe cleaners. Some pipes still have these e.g. Dr Graybow and the like. Most pipe smokers remove these either by unscrewing them or by cutting them off as a pipe cleaner will not pass with the filter on. Hope this answers your question

[@survivingchicago5797]

After 35 years of smoking a pipe I am now coming across KZbin videos demonstrating that cleaning a pipe is more complicated and time consuming then cleaning a Colt Government. people.....just run a pipe cleaner through it and call it a day.

[@PipesMagazine]

@iiapplejacksii I have tried coating the bowl with honey to help build a cake and it does work. This is just a one time application on a new and un-smoked pipe when breaking it in. I don't do it anymore because it is just too much of a hassle for me. I just load the pipe and smoke it slowly.

[@CaravanTirana]

Hi! Great video! Can I use mineral oil instead olive oil?

[@AM2PMReviews]

Wow the olive oil trick worked!!!! Not too shiny, not smelly, and it's essentially free!

[@ssundee.skater1746]

im commenting before this gets in everybody's recommended

[@cogli0ne]

Great video. I try to follow your routine but i dip my brush and cleaning tools several times in the solution. I notice that when i do this, the brush gets dirtier and it is hard to get a pipe cleaner to come out totally clean while there's solution still in the shank, whereas your solution is probably absorbed by the q-tips and it's more dry inside. Should i continue with solution and scrubbing until they come out totally clean even if they are wet by solution, or just a couple of times and go in with dry pipe cleaners until the dry ones come out white and call it a day?

[@PipesMagazine]

@Driftstage5 It all depends on how often you smoke the pipe, what kind of blend you are smoking in it, etc. But a good rule of thumb is about every 10 smokes or so.

[@EstatepipesCoUkRebornBriar]

excellent and comprehensive instructions - many thanks

[@PipesMagazine]

@liquidcross Don't worry about the gap. It won't have any affect on the airflow.

[@MrTwainks]

How often should you do this? Can I use whiskey or rum? I'm thinking that would add seasoning to it.

[@tonydraht]

+Tim Murray For getting it clean, rubbing alcohol is best. You could also try something else, but I doubt that you will get the desired effect.

[@butsirrr]

Those alcohols have sugars that would solidify inside the pipe

[@1cleandude]

Very good video Bob! Where does one procure a bristle brush such as you have? Thank you and Merry Christmas!!

[@jeffkennedy8219]

1cleandude harbor freight, northern tool, napa. they carry em. amazon probably offers them for sale

[@kacywheatley2239]

Thank you soooo much for this video! I was fearing getting the pipe wet that it might Crack. It smells sooooo bad! Kinda like some dirty something that you just don't want anywhere near you. I will follow your instructions to the lette and see what happens. It has NEVER been cleaned out of fear of cracking it and not knowing how to do it. Will it allow the flavor of the tobacco to be the way it should be or will there be a flavor of the salt and everear? Not that I really care. Seriously, I ha e never er smelled anything like this and it's just sitting on the counter. Yuk! Thank you, again, so much!!!

[@SmokeRingsPipeDreams]

I desperatly need to get myself a shank brush. Nice video!

[@AhmedZack]

Is there a time when you have to thorough clean the bowl itself disregarding the built cake or like resetting the pipe ?

[@grkmalaka12]

what are the tools need to clean the lip i cant do it i managed to clean everything else with que tips and tissues

[@ReturnMoreFire]

Alright sounds good, but when you used the alcohol you said that it is bad for the pipe if it gets in the bowl eh. so I should put a paper towel in it to keep it from getting any ?

[@altezzadrifter07]

@iiapplejacksii ill tell you my secret to fast drying its kinda odd but it works, drive on the highway for about a hour with pipe in hand outside of window. this will speed up the drying. usually do this when i go to work and on way back, by time i get home its dried out.

[@eivindOttar]

I use a Q-tip to swirl around down inside the bowl to both get all of the remains out of it, and to clean it. Is that a problem when it comes to the cake building up?

[@PipesMagazine]

@sebasc952 Is the stem a bent stem? Sometimes a stem with an extreme bend in it will not allow a cleaner to pass. Just clean it as best as you can. Yes. You can clean the estate pipes the same way. They may require a lot more elbow grease, time, and cleaners to get it done. Don't put the stem in boiling water. It will straighten the stem out and if you don't know exactly what you are doing it will be a big problem for you. Alcohol is a good disinfectant.

[@KGKG05]

Hi PM..do I need to clean my pipe every time after I smoked it? Or is it I just let it rest for each bowl, and clean it like what you did for 4-5 time I after smoke?

[@OneManSmoke]

Good video would like to see how you clean the out side of rusticated pipes. Salam

[@maximusbig]

Thank you for such a well done tutorial.

[@PipesMagazine]

Everyone has their own method that suits them better. This is just a start up guide to help new pipers out with some of the procedures.

[@iggyman783]

How often should I clean my wooden pipe, it's about the same size as the one you have

[@A7ty34g]

All pipes come apart unless someone glued the stem on. If the stem is difficult to remove, put it in the freezer for say 15-20 minutes and see if that loosens your stem.

[@A7ty34g]

It's probably best to remove the filter either by unscrewing it or by cutting it off as a pipe cleaner will not pass all the way through a pipe with the filter on. However if you wish to keep it on your pipe, use q-tips, paper towels and clean the metal filter with alcohol (vodka or everclear) then using pipe cleaners dipped in alcohol run it through the groove and hole on the filter.

[@Meanderthal17]

Is this the everyday cleaning?

[@kingmichaelb123]

what should I use to clean my pipe If Im not old enough to buy alcohol?

[@Twiggy9238]

how do you get meerschaum clean? i am afraid to use alcohal on it

[@Driftstage5]

How often should this alcohol cleaning be done?

[@10767michael]

Not only that, but I know from experience, PAM cooking canola oil spray works better than oil for my acrylic and metal equipment. Im not sure about other material like glass yet,f you cant get alcohol, Im sure you can get some PAM

[@polyideas]

how often should I clean my pipe if i smoke 3 times a day?

[@marcman5109]

Good video but I recently got a pipe from my grandfather and he told me that he got it from his dad and so on for a while back but when i take mine apart the stem has a metal almost spoon like piece that goes inside the shank just wondering if anybody has ever seen that before iv looked around and cant seem to find anything about cleaning them thanks alot

[@FighterHayabusa-NES]

Would a whisky ruin the finish as well? Would it clean as well as a grain alcohol?

[@danjohnsonspam]

@ fates best friend Nope, in Jersey where I'm from tobacco buying age is 19. Doing some research, seems that Utah, Alabama, and Alaska are also 19.

[@maaforever]

can I wash my pipe directly under water or put it in Boiling water ?

[@TordenSlager]

what did you call the oil that you rubs in your pipe with?

[@grineflip]

how often do you have to clean your pipe?

[@jackanape6432]

how often do you do this? after every smoke? i was thinking of trying pipes, but it seems like a lot of upkeep

[@mattstiglic]

No. After each smoke just run a pipe cleaner through it. This is like a monthly maintenance type thing for the average smoker.

[@A7ty34g]

No, waiting for a pipe to dry out for several days is not outdated. All pipes need a rest period between smokes. The whole purpose of cleaning your pipes is so that the tobacco will taste better vs a bitter taste from too much accumulated tars and nicotine and an oxidized stem. If you have only (1) pipe or very few, buy a handful of corncobs or cheap basket pipes to increase your rotation to allow for drying time between smokes. As for building cake, just smoke your pipe and let it build slowly

[@PeterVizi]

Excellent walk through, thanks!

[@PipesMagazine]

@taffyhit We are glad that you found the videos helpful!

[@XxDahamonnahxX]

what does putting olive oil on the pipe and the stem exactly do?

[@jediknt6470]

It stops the vulcanized stems from oxidizing.

[@PipesMagazine]

@grkmalaka12 Bristled pipe cleaners work good for cleaning the bit (lip) of the stem.

[@Meanderthal17]

If you want your pipe to last, then yes. You need to clean after every smoke, and then let it rest for 24-48 hours before using that pipe again.

[@devinpetersen2387]

Meanderthal17 bullshit clean the pipes however often you want to but YOU DON'T NEED TOO. A regular cleaning after each use shall suffice no deep cleaning needes

[@RyanPatrickOwens]

Cheers. A very helpful video.

[@PipesMagazine]

@maaforever No! I would not recommend that. Remember that your pipe is wood and wood absorbs liquid. It would take a very long time to dry out all of that water. That is why alcohol with a high alcohol content is used to clean them. Most of the alcohol will evaporate instead being absorbed by the wood.

[@ceetrom]

Hy! Could you tell me, how can I clean my pipe's cake?

[@PipesMagazine]

You can use alcohol on the stems of Meerschaum, but don't use it on the pipe itself. Meerschaum is very porous. The main things with them is to not let cake build up in the chamber.

[@leafsmoker2397]

one of my pipe stems is getting a little loose from the shank. i have heard of people using mineral oil for the inside shank. would anything hep to put in the inside shank to expand the wood to make it a snugger fit. i never have taken the stem off to clean with this particular pipe and it still became a little loose. anyone ???? thanks-leaf smoker

[@P.08]

can you please let me know after you find out ?

[@purplemutantas]

One thing you have to do after every smoke is run a pipe cleaner through the pipe. I am lazy and don't always do that. If I didn't clean the pipe after the smoke, I run a pipe cleaner through it before I smoke. The extensive cleaning with alcohol isn't needed after each smoke in my opinion. The only times I have done a serious cleaning with alcohol is on used pipes I got on ebay. That said, it's probably not a bad idea to do a more serious cleaning every now and then.

[@Popothedopo]

can you use isopropyl?

[@jeffkennedy8219]

Popothedopo no.

[@PipesMagazine]

@baboonsunshine No. Do not use nail polish remover. It is toxic and will make you sick.

[@koskey06]

I do not believe in cleaning a pipe like this after Every smoke. I will run a pipe cleaner almost after Every smoke just to get rid of moisture. Now if i had a $100+ pipe then i might want to try and keep it as perfect as possible but i still don't think it's necessary. I'm mainly a cob smoker and when i first started i would smoke about 4 bowls a day out of my one and only pipe. I still use it today and is one of my best smokers. Maybe because its a natural finish is why out keeps taking abuse?

[@joannamccloud]

it it's not mine but someone else's couldn't I just use water on the q-tip?

[@PipesMagazine]

@iiapplejacksii There is no other reliable way to dry out a pipe faster. Most of the time you will only need 24 hours of drying time. If the pipe smokes wet or you are smoking a really wet aromatic blend, it could take up to 48 hours for the pipe to completely dry. Buy a couple of cobs. They are inexpensive, will help you have a rotation of pipes, and they don't take as long to dry out as briar pipes do.

[@fogel76]

My pipe doesnt come apart, what do i do?

[@spursrule96]

What pipe is that?

[@MikeMaxwellinnerspacewalk]

Thanks for putting your method on video -zanthal

[@farret001]

i like to use babywipes to wipe down the pipe, and i shine it up with coconut oil, btu its a kewl vid

[@A7ty34g]

It is allot of upkeep if you want your pipes clean and fresh and there are various methods that people use. However there are some pipe smokers who never clean their pipes or rarely clean them. Think of it this way, would you eat off dirty dishes? Then why smoke a dirty pipe?

[@slappymcdoogle]

"Oh wait...Was she a great big, fat person?" -Buffalo Bill.

[@JJJUSCFAN8]

Good video on cleaning-I have been using olive oil the same way for 47 years of collecting and is also good on meerschaums.(see my video's on pipes You Tube jjjuscfan8) only I finish after the olive oil with a Handi-wipe cloth that has been sprayed with Briar Pipe Wipe. Jason

[@PipesMagazine]

@kingmichaelb123 You can buy a pipe sweetener from a tobacconist shop.

[@bme7491]

it's the nasty ash smell that comes from the bowl that bothers me. Pipe can be "clean" but it still has a bad odor that can permeate a room if you don't contain it.

[@PipesMagazine]

@361002037 The pipe in the video is a Peterson Killarney

[@3dDuke]

why not?

[@charlieisaacs1]

you did not clean the pipe bowl.

[@intheflesh316]

@ert69 ?

[@intheflesh316]

@teh1337storm lol dink

[@Meanderthal17]

The pipe bowl isn't to be cleaned. You're supposed to let a cake buildup from the tobacco in the bowl. Otherwise you'd be reversing progress on your pipe

[@PipenFalzy]

Yes you can clean the bowel. In order to remove cake you would need to rheam the bowel. Cake is hard and just wiping in the bowel won't remove it.

[@purplestuff]

I always drink my grain alcohol out of a shot glass. ;-)

[@samuelluria4744]

Not me. Everclear straight from the bottle for me! But I DO keep a few shot glasses on hand for appearances...

[@a4gottenboy]

he could be 18. in america, its 18 for tobacco and 21 for alcohol. therefor, if he's 18, 19, or 20, he cannot by alcohol. nice try though

[@VrolokAmour]

Shit

[@andycarrion192]

In first place you shouldn't have a pipe