It should be noted that the avid pipe smoker should have enough pipes to rotate throughout the course of the day. A pipe needs the opportunity to cool off and dry out in between smokes. An oversmoked pipe may become bitter from too much moisture and can crack or burn from the expansion of the wood during smoking. The briar needs to contract between smokes to prevent it from splitting.
For daily smokers, a minimum of two or three pipes is recommended, so that each opportunity to smoke utilizes a different pipe, ensuring a clean, dry pipe is always in rotation.
One final caveat is to keep your pipe clean. Pipe cleaners should be used periodically during the smoke, to absorb any moisture that may accumulate, and certainly after smoking, once the pipe has cooled and can be safely separated for a more thorough cleaning.
Residual moisture in the pipe can eventually turn the pipe sour and will cause the smoke to be wet. Using pipe cleaners is an inexpensive way to remove moisture from the mouthpiece and shank of the pipe and will add years of life to your favorite briar.
In addition to using pipe cleaners, the surface of the pipe’s mouthpiece should also be cleaned from time to time. The traditional material for a pipe’s stem is a hard rubber known as vulcanite. It’s durable and flexible but prone to oxidation, which can cause it to
discolor and taste sour. Wiping the mouthpiece with a soft cloth after each smoke will help to retard oxidation. Pronounced oxidation can be polished off with a buffing wheel.
Often tobacconists can do this or can send the pipe to a repair shop for a thorough reconditioning. Many of today’s pipes have an acrylic mouthpiece, which is impervious to oxidation, eliminating the need for polishing. Acrylic can still retain moisture inside, however, so a good swabbing out with pipe cleaners after each smoke is recommended.
Remember, a clean pipe is a sweet-smoking pipe.
This story first appeared in the January/February 2017 issue of Tobacconist magazine.
– Larry Wagner is a second-generation tobacconist with more than 40 years of retail and wholesale experience. He is currently an independent manufacturer representative living
in Southern California.
