"Old pipe" question

[atbat82]

Perhaps a dumb question, but I'm 100% a newbie at this.

About 5 years ago a friend gave me a pipe and some tobacco for my birthday. I smoked it twice (I had no idea what I was doing, just packed some in there and puffed away). At the time, I really didn't get into it.

Now, I'm thinking it might be fun to give it a shot again. I still have the pipe, but it's been sitting in a drawer for 5 years. My question: should I retry with this pipe? Or by not storing it properly, could I have ruined it?

Also, what should I do to clean it after this long?

Thanks,
Tom

 

[rdomfoto]

Post a few pics so that we can see what condition it's in. Unless you were lighting it with an acetylene torch and smoking tobacco soaked in kerosene, it should be fine. In all seriousness, if you only smoked it once or twice and kept in in good physical condition, you won't need much to clean it up.

But post a couple of pics.

 

[WaRevo]

Yes without pictures it would be hard to guess how much cleaning it needs.

In most cases in a drawer if you cleaned it after use even if you didn't with light use it would most likely only need some normal cleaning.

remove the stem. take a couple of pipe cleaners one with the end dipped in some Alcohol and run it through the stem. from the tenon side and pull it through the bit end. If it is not black and you didn't dip the cleaner to deep in the Alcohol I would say turn it around and pass it to the bit and pull it back out. Don't go all the way though like the first time. This will dry out some extra alcohol that may have been left behind. Then make sure there is no ash/un burnt tobacco in the bowl. Take the side you dipped in the Alcohol if it wasn't to dirty and run it in the shank of the pipe running it around to get both top and bottom. Remove it and again if it isn't to bad looking poke the other end in again and this time all they way through the draw hole so you can see it in the pipe. Remove it and to finish it take a paper towel and make it so it is folded and rolled to fit in the pipe bowl and get all the extra ash/dust out of the bowl.

Pack, Light, smoke and enjoy your pipe
James

 

[javajunkie]

direct sunlight is bad for the stems, but only causes oxidation, and very high or low humidity may damage the wood, but honestly it should be fine. pix wouldn't hurt...

 

[atbat82]

Thanks guys! I had to go out of town last night, so it'll be a few days before I can put up any pics, but I'll post some when I get home. Sounds like I might be ok with the pipe I've got for now. Appreciate the replies!

 

[atbat82]

Ok. Finally had a chance to take some pictures. Hopefully they came out ok. The pipe looks ok to me, but I've heard of things like "going sour" and that's why I asked. Thoughts?

 

[WaRevo]

Well looking at the pipe bowl it looks like it has some Cake and it could be cleaned out a little, However I also live in a world where I clean my pipe bowls and don't have much cake at all. Infact some pipes are down to briar. But looking at the pipe draft hole it looks rather clean. Almost new clean. I would say wipe it down and pack and smoke.

James

Very nice looking Pipe. Even better it was a gift. Nice Taste

 

[3/5King]

Ok. Finally had a chance to take some pictures. Hopefully they came out ok. The pipe looks ok to me, but I've heard of things like "going sour" and that's why I asked. Thoughts?

View attachment 45066

View attachment 45067

View attachment 45068

Looks good to go. Stuff it and puff it.

 

[javajunkie]

Looks good to go. Stuff it and puff it.

yup, this! as long as there isn't dust on the stem or in the bowl, roll with it. worst case, if it doesn't warm up to you in about a smoke or three, a little solvent on a cleaner through the stem. i would do nothing to the bowl itself, doesn't need it.

 

[atbat82]

Many thanks, brothers. I've got a couple tins arriving today (built a little sampler online), so I'll fire her up this afternoon if it ever stops raining.

Appreciate the comments!

 

[WaRevo]

Many thanks, brothers. I've got a couple tins arriving today (built a little sampler online), so I'll fire her up this afternoon if it ever stops raining.

Appreciate the comments!

How did you find smoking your pipe this time around? Thought I would check on the new tobacco? Hope you have found it a enjoyable past time

 

[atbat82]

Many thanks, brothers. I've got a couple tins arriving today (built a little sampler online), so I'll fire her up this afternoon if it ever stops raining.

Appreciate the comments!

How did you find smoking your pipe this time around? Thought I would check on the new tobacco? Hope you have found it a enjoyable past time

It seems to smoke fine. I've run a few bowls through it in the last few weeks. I can't keep it lit for shit, but I'm sure that's more to do with my packing/smoking than with the pipe itself.

 

[WaRevo]

Could be as you said you packing or smoking but could also be the tobacco is to wet, if it looks or feel wet let some sit out for a little while before you smoke it. Also pipe cleaners are our friends

 

[javajunkie]

... I can't keep it lit for shit, but I'm sure that's more to do with my packing/smoking than with the pipe itself.

probably. don't force it, don't overdo it, and don't sweat relights. it will happen until it finally doesn't. like learning what the draw is on a cigar, or the rate to smoke one, it is something you eventually just back-brain "get".

Could be as you said you packing or smoking but could also be the tobacco is to wet, if it looks or feel wet let some sit out for a little while before you smoke it. Also pipe cleaners are our friends

also, major +1 on this.

 

[atbat82]

Could be as you said you packing or smoking but could also be the tobacco is to wet, if it looks or feel wet let some sit out for a little while before you smoke it. Also pipe cleaners are our friends

Ok, n00b question - when you say pipe cleaner are our friends, I'm assuming you mean before or after I smoke, right? Not something to do with keeping it lit?

 

[javajunkie]

a pipe cleaner passed all the way down into the bowl WHILE smoking can help it burn drier and cleaner for you, and may absorb a little moisture out of the base of the bowl.

AFTER, it is important to keep the airway from getting an accumulation of old tarry residue, and making your briar taste like butt.

 

[WaRevo]

^^^^^^ what he said. Some pipes just need a cleaner if the tobacco is a moist blend.

 

[WaRevo]

I was on Tapatalk before and hard to type at times on my little iPhone lol. I want to make sure you find enjoyment out of your pipe and tobacco. One of the things about your pipe going out is one thing that drives my son insane and makes him go dad I just going to have a cigar this pipe of yours.. He can't stand it...

One, Being new to smoking a pipe is like driving a new car. It can take a little time to get used to it. Most important thing to remember is patience is needed.

Two, Experience shows that if you smoke a pipeful the first day and 2 pipefuls each 2nd 3rd and 4th days then 3 pipefuls the 5th day, by the end of the week you should have the hang of things. The enjoyment is well worth the short getting used to time..

Keeping it lit....... As stated above could be moist tobacco and smoking technique. However there are some other factors that fit along side that as well..... When someone is new to smoking pipes it can be hard at times to get the right feel for packing the pipe. If you pack your pipe too tightly, there will not be enough air spact. It will draw poorly and keep going out. If packed to loosely, it will burn hot and fast.. (Therefore not to loose and not to tight is the key) However firm enough to draw easily burn slowly and evenly.

To start out I would say it would be best to pack your pipe in layers. put in some tobacco tamp it down (Not to Tightly) then add some more tamp it down and do this maybe 4 or 5 times till the pipe is filled. Also if the top layer is level, it is easier to get an even burn.

Once you have your pipe loaded, lit, and burning. Don't smoke to fast and don't smoke to slow. One it will get to hot and most likely give you tongue bite or could even burn out a pipe. (You would need to be a Mad Puffer to burn out your pipe) and I feel is almost as important as packing your pipe. Tamping the ash. You don't want to pack it again and again. So when you use a Czech tool or tamper just lightly press the ash down until you feel it being firm. One of the other problems is that when you Tamp it presses the tobacco and ash into the air passages in the tobacco and makes it one hard to draw and 2 hard to keep lit.... I hope you find this helpful and that you find the enjoyment of smoking a pipe.

James

 

[Griz]

These videos really made a difference for me, maybe they will assist you.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kJP0JaNRw6Q
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9U5QbtyNxhA
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OMtHOAiO8CI

Hope they help, your results may vary

 

[atbat82]

First off, thank you all for the comments, suggestions and encouragement. I smoked two bowls today (including one out of the new pipe @javajunkie sent me) and it definitely went better than it has in the past. I used the pipe cleaner a few times as Sean suggested (does that mean I'm a spitter?) and also used the packing method suggested in the videos from @griz. Also, both times I let the tobacco sit out for 30-45 minutes before smoking. All of these seemed to make a difference. I still had to relight a bunch, but at least for a stretch during each bowl I caught a glimpse of what pipe smoking SHOULD be like and I loved it. I guess I'll have to practice.

One thing I noticed was that I had much better luck keeping the pipe lit during the second half of each bowl. I'm not sure if I fell into a better rhythm or if this is normal. I'm thinking I might still be packing the bowl too lightly. I might try packing it tighter next time as it seemed to stay light better when I had a slightly stiffer draw.

Thanks again for for all the help.