Cleaned the Shank for the First Time in a While...

[sardonicus87]

How was this not starting to taste rank? Bleh. The only thing I don't like about this one, that plastic screw in mortise piece makes a little trap in here, and with the absorbency of meer, ends up making some sticky goop in there. Well, the goo is sticky and stays because I don't stop smoking it—I'm sure if I gave it a week, it would dry to hard chunks I could just blow out.

That's not a piece of tobacco in the center of my hand or pipe cleaner fluff, that's resin/goo. There was actually more than just that piece in there too.

 

[verporchting]

The mortise is where the nasty hubastank lives.

 

[metalheadycigarguy]

I always run pipe cleaners down all my pipes after each smoke for this reason. Depending on which pipe it is, I'll remove the stem and run a cleaner or two down the stem and shank as well as the bowl. Definitely don't want any of that gunk hanging around for the next smoke.

 

[OzPiper]

I thought the idea was the goop was going to promote colouring
That’s the reason for the silver coin at the bottom of the bowl

 

[Chasing Embers]

I thought the idea was the goop was going to promote colouring
That’s the reason for the silver coin at the bottom of the bowl

Yup

 

[sardonicus87]

I always run pipe cleaners down all my pipes after each smoke for this reason. Depending on which pipe it is, I'll remove the stem and run a cleaner or two down the stem and shank as well as the bowl. Definitely don't want any of that gunk hanging around for the next smoke.

I pull the stem prior to loading the next smoke, that is the only way to pass a cleaner on this one through the draft hole the way it's drilled. This stuff builds up between where the plastic mortise insert for the push stem ends and the "wall" into which the draft hole is drilled. Bent cleaner in half, put a 90° hook in it, still doesn't really get it.

I thought the idea was the goop was going to promote colouring
That’s the reason for the silver coin at the bottom of the bowl

Well, when the goop is built up enough in the mortise between the draft hole and the screw in plastic piece for the push tenon, it starts choking the hole and gets harder to draw, more restricted, because it swells when it gets wet while smoking.

Whether it promotes coloring or not, I'll leave that to the experts. My main concern is if it will get acrid. If removing it slows the coloring, I'm not worried about that. I've smoked this pipe less than a year and it has a fair bit of coloring already. And although I do enjoy watching the color change, that's not my goal, just a nice bonus.

I mean, this is just 9 months in at one bowl a day (for 98% of those days), I don't think it needs any extra help coloring:

 

[OzPiper]

I pull the stem prior to loading the next smoke, that is the only way to pass a cleaner on this one through the draft hole the way it's drilled. This stuff builds up between where the plastic mortise insert for the push stem ends and the "wall" into which the draft hole is drilled. Bent cleaner in half, put a 90° hook in it, still doesn't really get it.


Well, when the goop is built up enough in the mortise between the draft hole and the screw in plastic piece for the push tenon, it starts choking the hole and gets harder to draw, more restricted, because it swells when it gets wet while smoking.

Whether it promotes coloring or not, I'll leave that to the experts. My main concern is if it will get acrid. If removing it slows the coloring, I'm not worried about that. I've smoked this pipe less than a year and it has a fair bit of coloring already. And although I do enjoy watching the color change, that's not my goal, just a nice bonus.

I mean, this is just 9 months in at one bowl a day (for 98% of those days), I don't think it needs any extra help coloring:
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I prefer to have a “clean” smoke, so I am with you on this.
I prefer to buy a well-coloured estate or a pre-coloured meerschaum, eg oxblood or African

I’ve often wondered at how much goop gathers under those silver coins.
Perhaps a question @condorlover1 is best placed to answer.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I’ve often wondered at how much goop gathers under those silver coins.

There's packed tobacco under them that holds the moisture for the meerschaum to absorb.

 

[OzPiper]

There's packed tobacco under them that holds the moisture for the meerschaum to absorb.

 

[OzPiper]

A couple of weeks ago I dismantled a gourd calabash for a clean.
It took 2 lots of cotton balls and alcohol soaks over 2 days to clean the crap out of the gourd.

I only smoke that gourd every few months. The previous deep clean was less than 18 months ago.
A lot of tars and tobacco debris can accumulate in a short time

 

[edger]

This is why I prefer Falcon meerschaum bowls. No cleaning issues at all. For my briars I use the warm water flush and a good scrubbing with a nylon bristle pipette brush. Not a good method for meerschaum pipes however. My two all meer pipes I just use pipe cleaners and hope for the best.