Italian Pipes

How do you clean a pipe without damaging it?

It is a churchwarden pipe, the wood is supposedly the good authentic briar. It was made in the 60's but it has never been smoked out of. Is there a specific solution i need to get to clean it? How would i get the inside of that long, slender stem clean? There is also a buildup on residue on the metal parts. I need some advice for cleaning that too. When i used a wet cotton swab and swabbed the inside of the wood piece, it kept coming out the same color as the finish on the wood. How do i know when it is safe to smoke out of?

Public Comments

1. Don't use any kind of a solution on the pipe. Go to your local cigar/tobacco store and get a pack of pipe cleaners. They are long metal thingies with brushes on the outside, and you run them back and forth in the insides of the stem. If the pipe hasn't been smoked in, it should come clean quickly. The metal parts are probably just tarnished from air exposure. Just use a rag dampened with something like a liquid cleanser. But keep the cleaner away from anything the smoke will come in contact with. When you have finished....fire that sucker up !
2. First things first - If the pipe hasn't been smoked, or had bubbles blown out of it (don't laugh, it happens!), then all it needs in the way of cleaning is a light wiping with a barely moistened cloth. If the bowl was neglected for years, and is quite dirty, then an old toothbrush can be a handy tool. Again, don't saturate the wood. Basically, knock the dust off it, pack it with a tobacco of your choice, and enjoy !! Some discoloration from the wood is normal for an un-smoked wooden bowl. As it is smoked, a build-up of carbon inside the bowl seals it, and the oils from handling the bowl as you smoke actually serve to protect the bowl, and give it a warm character. Pipe cleaners are found at craft stores as well as Tobacco counters. They are designed to clean out the stem. Be sure that the metal details are supposed to be bright before cleaning with any metal polish. Brasso is a common brand name. there are many others that will do. I've listed a couple of sites that go over this in more detail. I hope this helps. Good Luck with it.