How to clean a Tobacco pipe

How to care for a wooden pipe

pipe cutting and vocabulary

First of all the necessary and indispensable accessories for pipes

Pipe cleaning elements, the reamer, a few cotton swabs, a pipe cleaner, rubbing (surgical) alcohol, and a soft cloth;

some tools for pipe cleaning

Standard Cleaning

It is necessary to regularly pass the pipe-cleaner through the tobacco pipe, the bit (bore) and the stem (filter) to rid it of humidity, the tar and nicotine. The frequency will vary according to the type of tobacco smoked. You may also soak the pipe-cleaner in a little alcohol for deeper cleaning.

The exterior of the pipe may also be waxed slightly using beeswax, or even better, Renaissance wax which you can find HERE.

renaissance wax

For those using 9mm filters it is important not to forget the interior of the mortise (see photo) this is done using a cotton swab.  Actually, this is the area where tar and nicotine accumulate most rapidly.

The pipe-cleaner is used to tamper the embers, unblock the stem and mouthpiece, and remove the dottle remaining in the chamber. It also allows scraping the surface of the heel of the chamber but only with limited efficiency.

This regular but necessary cleaning will offer you an enhanced smoking experience.

 

Deep cleaning

Indispensable when the heel of the chamber is very deep (+1mm)

Attention! This operation is very dirty so allow for an adequate work space.

The reamer is an ideal tool to reduce the layer in the heel. Its use is quite straightforward: The roller screw (2) allows adjustment of the blade diameter (3) in the chamber (clockwise, the blades spread out...) Adjust (2) in one direction or the other to allow entrance to the chamber. Turn the reamer using it to (1) scrape, and then readjust (2) to ream more deeply.

The reamer for scraping the cake

Cleaning with salt, 

such a practice will ensure your wooden pipe is as good as new.

Insert the pipe-cleaner into the stem as far as the mouthpiece to block it (you can pre-soak it in alcohol). Fill the chamber with salt (table or sea salt).  With the help of a syringe or eye-dropper place several drops of alcohol onto the salt. Wet without soaking, do not “bathe” in the alcohol. Place your pipe straight up (make a holding bowl from aluminum foil for instance and press the pipe into it) in order not to spill the salt, and leave it to sit for 24 hours.

The bowl is filled with salt.

At the end of this period the salt will have a brownish hue.

bowl filled with salt after 24h

Remove the salt and pipe-cleaner. Re-clean everything using a soft dry cloth and pipe-cleaner until there is no further trace of the operation. Leave your pipe to rest during 24 or 48 hours. Once this rest-time passes you’ll be all set to procure your pleasure anew.