When to ream

[bostoneo]

How do you tell when you need to ream your bowl? What's a good brand of reamer, I do not have one yet.

My most used pipe has this much buildup

 

[Nacho Daddy]

I have seen pipes with so much cake that the bowl size was reduced to the diameter of a cigarette.
the cake helps your pipe smoke cool, so you can leave it for a long time.
be careful when you clean a pipe, out, and avoid digging into the walls of the bowl........

 

[ChuckMejia]

Once a month for sure

 

[8ball]

Think I do about every 20 bowls or so. People say ream when the cake is over the size of a dime, but I have the hardest time determining cake thickness since it seems to taper up when I look into the bowl. I use one of these.

 

[ChuckMejia]

Think I do about every 20 bowls or so. People say ream when the cake is over the size of a dime, but I have the hardest time determining cake thickness since it seems to taper up when I look into the bowl. I use one of these.

20 bowls?

Nvm John... ream daily due to ridiculous amount of bowls you dmoke a day

 

[jsnake]

I don't know but I have three types of reamers and a pipe knife. I've worked on some pipes that had cake twice as thick as the bowl and I couldn't get a reamer in. Those pipes were smoked well and enjoyed often. The guy had to get frustrated with how little tobacco he could get in there. I've heard the dime rule as well. I personally ream my estates to the wall without getting into and damaging it. Mainly because I can never get a smooth uniform cake all the way around especially on the ones that are really thick.

 

[8ball]

20 bowls?

Nvm John... ream daily due to ridiculous amount of bowls you dmoke a day

Hey, that's a guestimate, give or take 20.

 

[thedismaltrade]

I ream when I can only fit my index finger in the bowl. I usually leave about a nickel's worth of cake (about the same as what you have in your bowl shown.
Also the heel of that pipe needs cake. After you ream that pipe, smoke 1/4 bowls until you build a nice cake down there and then start smoking 1/2 and full bowls after.
I use a Senior reaming tool fya

 

[Hoshneer]

I think it happens more with aromatic tobacco because I've never had to but I scrape with my nail a little every time.

 

[thedismaltrade]

Partially accurate Rex. Burley is the culprit. Most aros are burley based. I smoke a lot of non-aro burley blends and can cake a Chris Morgan black jack damn-near-shut in no time for example.

 

[thedismaltrade]

VA blends build cake much slower but the cake is much denser.

 

[bostoneo]

So a burley blend would be ideal to cake a pipe quickly I take it?

 

[thedismaltrade]

Yes