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BOTL UPCOMING MAINTENANCE
Hi Everyone, as mentioned in my introduction post, BOTL needs quite a bit of updating, patching and whatever else I might come across. Over time BOTL may be unreachable on occasion as I do migrations or updates, etc. Just be patient - we'll be back! I'll generally try to keep these maintenances until later in the evenings.
Help with a pipe !
- Thread starter Life in smoke
- Start date
Nice looking pipe, clean no stem oxidation. Has it been smoked? If its unsmoked then a wipe down with a pipe cloth and running a cleaner or two through it would all it needs.
javajunkie
BoM July '12
... and if it HAS been smoked, you might only need alcohol through the stem on a cleaner to get it up and running. or possibly a salt treatment of the bowl if what was in itconflicts with your tastes. not a significant amount of wear, and no damage, so no "restoration" needed, per se.
hope it becomes a great smoker for you. o)
EDIT: in fairness, the salt treatment: fill a briar's bowl with sea or kosher salt, making sure to place a cleaner through to the draft hole, then saturate the salt (carefully, don't f#@k the finish) with alcohol, and allow to rest until completely dry. this treatment is used to draw out old flavors and aromas out of the wood, or prefix sting cake, and is called de-ghosting. this may soften or subvert preexisting cake, so be prepared to ream before, after, or both. also, if it smells like LAT, and you mostly smoke big english blends (for example) it might not be necessary. or if your palate isn't to the point that a ghost would bother you. or (like me) if you don't give a toss and are willing to smoke a briar into submission. o)
hope it becomes a great smoker for you. o)
EDIT: in fairness, the salt treatment: fill a briar's bowl with sea or kosher salt, making sure to place a cleaner through to the draft hole, then saturate the salt (carefully, don't f#@k the finish) with alcohol, and allow to rest until completely dry. this treatment is used to draw out old flavors and aromas out of the wood, or prefix sting cake, and is called de-ghosting. this may soften or subvert preexisting cake, so be prepared to ream before, after, or both. also, if it smells like LAT, and you mostly smoke big english blends (for example) it might not be necessary. or if your palate isn't to the point that a ghost would bother you. or (like me) if you don't give a toss and are willing to smoke a briar into submission. o)
javajunkie
BoM July '12
another pic or two couldn't hurt, but if you're seeing briar it is either barely smoked, or reamed well back. my hunch is it's pretty close to a test drive.
Looks like its just the bowl coating some makers apply. Run a clear in the stem and see if you get any color. As for the stinger on the stem its a love or hate thing, if you don't like how it smokes with the stinger just remove it.