How to care for your smoking pipe

Have you decided to buy a smoking pipe? Perhaps you have already purchased a good copy and also tried to smoke it in order to start using it fully? Do you know how to care for your pipe? It is not enough to simply shake out excess ash by tapping the tobacco bowl, or even more so by blowing on its bottom several times. Like smoking a pipe, caring for it is a real ritual. It doesn't matter if we are talking about bonuses briar products, or mid-priced models from wood. Or even cheap copies made from material Corn Cob. Any of these tubes requires proper cleaning, as well as proper storage. We will tell you in this article how to clean your smoking pipe inside and out, how to store the device and how often it needs to be given a “rest”.

What does proper care of a smoking pipe consist of?

Our recommendations will apply to all materials, but since ceramics and metal are easier to clean than wood, there is still a greater emphasis on briar and other types of wood.

Why should you clean your smoking pipe?

Firstly, resin, soot and other slag accumulate in it, which over time negatively affects the taste and smell of tobacco.
Secondly, if you clean and store the tube correctly, it will last much longer. And if we are talking about an expensive copy, then this fact is of great importance.
Thirdly, the dirt that accumulates inside can enter the oral cavity with smoke. This is not entirely hygienic and can negatively affect your health.

Basic care for your smoking pipe involves cleaning it internally and externally. Care that includes proper storage of the tubes is considered secondary. And finally, maintaining regular intervals between its use will help extend the life of the device.

A little about accessories for pipes

Pipe lighters

There are a huge number of different lighters on the modern market. What is the difference between a pipe lighter and a regular one? With a pipe lighter, the flame does not come straight up, as with conventional ones, but at an angle. This is done so that the smoker does not burn his fingers while lighting a cigarette. Many of the lighters have a built-in tamper or even a set: a knife, an awl and a tamper. Sometimes this is very convenient and, if necessary, saves the number of items you carry with you. Often the latter is relevant when visiting entertainment venues, when there is a high risk of losing or forgetting certain accessories for some reason.

Silicon lighters seem to me more reliable than lighters with a piezo element. At least this is true for economy class lighters. There are also so-called turbo lighters, which must be used with caution, since the flame of such lighters can damage the walls of the tobacco chambers of your pipe. I prefer not to use such lighters at all.

In principle, the market for pipe lighters is so wide that the choice is largely dictated only by the purchasing budget. This market offers both simple and unpretentious lighters costing a few rubles, as well as expensive items trimmed with precious metals and stones, the cost of which can reach tens of thousands.

Tampers

Initially, the role of the tamper was to simply trample the ashes in the smoldering tube. Today, tampers are closely intertwined with the field of art and sometimes it is difficult to determine what is in front of you - a simple utilitarian thing, a skillful creation of a talented jeweler, or an exhibit of a museum of modern art. A tamper is an irreplaceable thing in a pipe smoker's everyday life; the choice is truly great and the decision will not be easy.

Rimmers and Buttners

The benefits of soot formed on the walls of the tobacco chamber are obvious, but everything is good when in moderation. There should be carbon deposits on the walls, but when it becomes too thick, this can lead to a number of not very pleasant problems, one of which is spoilage of taste. The carbon deposit itself grows rather slowly, but it is not uncommon for a layer of sticky ash and resins to grow on the walls instead of carbon deposits. This layer grows quite quickly and is often perceived by beginners as carbon deposits. To remove such a layer, as well as to trim carbon deposits, rimmers and buttners are used - these are devices with sharpened knives that allow you to trim carbon deposits. Also, if applied without effort, they allow you to slightly smooth out the surface of the soot and cut off particles of tobacco adhering to it after smoking.

Pipe bags

If you smoke not only at home, but also outside and you often have to carry pipes with you, then to avoid damage to them, it would be a good idea to purchase a bag for pipes. The number of such bags offered by stores is very extensive - from bags made of artificial materials to magnificent designer works made of genuine leather. These bags are also varied in terms of the number of tubes and can contain from two to 8 or more tubes. Some bags have compartments for tobacco, pipe cleaners and pipe accessories, some are combined with compartments for documents, laptops or even SLR cameras. In a word, their choice is very large and everything here is determined by the purchase budget.

That, in fact, is all that concerns the initial knowledge base necessary for those who are about to start smoking a pipe or are doing it for the first time. I’m sure I forgot or missed something, didn’t pay enough attention to something, or over-described something that only needed a couple of words – I’ll try to improve in the future. I hope that with your help, advice, recommendations and interesting questions, I will complement and expand this collection of tips. In fact, smoking a pipe is a fascinating and at the same time calming process, which is accompanied by a lot of interesting events and new processes. He is accompanied by new interesting acquaintances, and a new perspective on many ordinary things opens up. With a smoking pipe in your hands or in your teeth, you will never be the same as you were, and you will begin to look at the world around you differently, and I am sure you will like this look much more...

How to clean a smoking pipe: internal and external cleaning

The most important step, and also the most painstaking, is the internal cleaning of the smoking pipe. It requires a lot of concentration and attention. Let's talk about the process step by step.

Nuances of internal cleaning

Make sure the tube is completely cool, if it is still even a little warm, postpone the cleaning process until later. Otherwise, the wood may deteriorate.
The cold tube should be disassembled, the mouthpiece should be unscrewed clockwise, and the filter should be removed.
Purchase a special brush ; it can be found in our store in the “Accessories” and use it to clean the mouthpiece. If your pipe is curved, be careful not to scratch the smoke duct with the pipe cleaner.
Next, clean the filter chamber.
The final step will be to carefully clean the shank and tobacco bowl.
Sometimes you should clean it with cognac or alcohol. Just soak the brush in this alcoholic drink and perform all the necessary manipulations with it. Cognac is needed if a dry brush cannot cope with dirt. You will understand this when you see pieces of resin on the brush. If they are absent, it is too early to use cognac.

All movements with the brush should be slow, clockwise and very careful. You should not make strong efforts or press too hard on the walls of the pipe or chamber. You don't need to "polish" the tube. The main task is to remove excess condensation, dust, tobacco or tar residues.

In addition to manipulating the brush, you also need to wipe the tobacco bowl with a dry, lint-free cloth. Just wrap it around something thin and wipe the bottom of the chamber several times.

Keep in mind that the pipe should be cleaned after each smoking session, up to a maximum of two sessions. The device quickly becomes clogged, and this begins to spoil the taste of the tobacco. It is almost impossible to restore a neglected tube.

Nuances of external cleaning

Everything is very simple here. Buy a special flannel napkin for this purpose and wipe the device after each smoking. This way you will remove fingerprints, possible germs and prevent the product from losing its shine. Especially when it comes to briar.

Cleaning an acrylic bong.

Acrylic is more difficult; this material tends to absorb odors and resins, which are then difficult to wash off. And if you do not follow the recommendations , then this task becomes even more difficult!

To begin with, you should also fill it with warm water. All detergents will no longer work here! You need to use the most gentle ones, for example, gel soap or dish gel, which is often used to wash your hands. It is this particular gel that is best added to the warm water that has already been poured into the device, shake a little so that all the product dissolves, and let stand for about 30 minutes. Before draining the liquid, shake a little again, after all this you can add warm water for the final rinse . In this case, you can use a brush, but only a soft one, so as not to leave scratches on the walls.

We are sure that you will be satisfied with the result and these tips will help you in the future!

That's all! After performing such manipulations, your friend will look great! =)

How to properly store smoking pipes?

Of course, this is a personal matter and some people store their pipes right on the table, shelf or in any convenient drawer. This is possible, but if the place is not dry enough, not ventilated enough or is exposed to direct sunlight, the product will quickly begin to deteriorate. Here's what we recommend:

Store the tube in airtight boxes . We have a selection of these in our store. This way you will be calm that the accessory will not accumulate excess moisture, which has a negative effect on the briar or wood.
Store the handset in a dry place. At a minimum, the moisture level should not reach more than 55%.
Do not store the device in direct sunlight, as some of its elements may oxidize.
If you want to buy a smoking pipe in two or more copies, then purchase a special stand . This is an ideal accessory that will allow products to be properly ventilated. If we are talking about one or two tubes, an alternative to a stand will be a special stand.

Here it is appropriate to add a few words about the proper storage of tobacco. This is no less important, because if tobacco absorbs moisture, smoking it will be problematic. Too dry tobacco can be “brought back to life”, but its taste properties are partially lost. sealed jars for smoking mixtures , and storing them in a dry, dark and cool place.

What to do if the tube becomes loose?

A common problem is the loosening of the mouthpiece fastening and the shank hole. In a critical situation, the tube simply falls apart. There is no need to despair; with some patience and diligence, even fatal breakdowns can be corrected.

The easiest way is to try to increase the diameter of the mouthpiece. To do this, the tip inserted into the shank is heated. You can use the flame of a candle, lighter, gas or hot water. After a few minutes, the mouthpiece of the pipe will become soft. After this, you need to knock the mouthpiece on a hard surface until the product becomes hard. Ultimately, the drip tip expands and is tightly inserted into the shank.

It is important to prepare the nail or wire in advance. The element is inserted into the smoke channel of the mouthpiece. This is necessary so as not to block the internal space: otherwise the channel will become too narrow.

In another case, if the drip tip is inserted too tightly, graphite powder is used. For example, the VAYEN company offers for sale graphite-type pencils that look like lipstick. When rubbed on the mouthpiece, the coating becomes elastic and smooth and is easily inserted into the tight opening of the pipe.

How often should a pipe be rested?

In previous articles, we noted that for active smokers it is advisable to buy a smoking pipe in at least two copies. A smoking session lasts an hour on average, after which the device must be allowed to cool. Even if the tube is already cold, it cannot be used for the next few hours. The optimal “rest” is one day. Otherwise, the product will not last as long as you would like.

In the Tobacco Shop store you can buy accessories for a smoking pipe, equipment for cleaning and storing it, as well as the pipes themselves, which we offer in a wide range.

Preparations for cleaning

Before you figure out how to clean the pipe, you should choose the necessary tool.

To clean the pipe you will need a brush and a pipe ashtray. If there is no special ashtray, you can make one yourself.

How to make a pipe ashtray:

Take a natural wine cork.
The top of the cork can be lightly sanded with fine-grit sandpaper.
Take a regular flat ashtray of large diameter.
Glue the prepared cork into the center of the ashtray.

Pipe ashtray

This ashtray is convenient for knocking out accumulated ash from the pipe.

What not to take

My personal stop list looks like this:

Pogarsky tobacco (they have recently been disguising some types as imported, pay close attention to the excise tax!). Just crap that, on top of everything else, burns terribly quickly. Burns through the tubes at once.
Captain Black. A disaster of American bottling.
Borkum Riff. Vigorous and terribly bitter.
Alsbo. Very uneven workmanship. It's bitter.

Then the most difficult and interesting part begins. Lighting a new pipe. If you have corn, then skip this point.

Filter, cooler, no filter?

Tubes have several filtration mechanisms. The first and most common are tubes with a carbon filter. Ideal option for a beginner.

There are disadvantages: you do not get the entire tobacco bouquet when you inhale, and the filters themselves cost money (250 rubles per pack).

The shape of the cooler depends greatly on both the type of tube and its length.

Tubes with a metal rod—a cooler—almost do not filter tar, but only cool the tobacco. They are noticeably stronger, but the taste in such pipes is much richer. Plus there is no cost item for filters.

This is a tube. From foam.

The foam tubes act as filters on their own, so there are no coolers or filters. No need.

New tobacco should never be a pure tobacco blend. The body, not accustomed to pipe aromas, will “take it away” literally in the first ten puffs.

At the start, I advise you to take pouches of fruit tobacco with cherries, apples and other womanly goodness. This is fine. Fruit mixtures are light, smell pleasant, and burn evenly. Without fear, you can take any tobacco from WO Larsen, MacBaren, Stanwell (I love Kir&Apple) and even Savinelli. There is also Peterson, but these are mixtures for those who are more mature.

So, to clean a glass tube, you need to

Shake out any large pieces of burn residue and resin. It will be most convenient to do this if you put the tube in a large container or plastic bag so that the remains do not fly away and stain the table surface.
Place the tube in the container. Take a large capful of Oxyclean and pour it into a container. Fill everything with hot water, but not boiling water.
Let the solution sit and soak into the tube, stirring occasionally and turning the tube over.
Remove the tube from the container and rinse it thoroughly to ensure that any remaining product is completely removed. The glass will be completely clean and sparkling.

Advice

Contact our cleaning company, we will tell you over the phone how to clean anything.

Signs it's time to clean your bong

The first sign that you should clean your bong is if you don't remember the last time you cleaned it, although stoners often forget and don't remember many things.

Here are signs that it's time to clean your bong:

Unpleasant smell	If your bong smells bad, now is the time to clean it.
Mucus film	This means that the bong collects bacteria, which is not good for your lungs.
Resin deposits	A sticky thin layer is a sign that resin is building up on the bong. The longer it accumulates, the more difficult it is to get rid of it.
Black or gray spots	Specks indicate that some ash has gotten into your bong, and if you don't like the taste of it, you should clean your bong.

My tobacco has dried up. Should I take a new one?

Be warned: dry tobacco is very dangerous for your pipe. It burns quickly and reaches high temperatures.

You can refresh tobacco with strong alcohol. But not with “Winter Road” vodka, but with cognac, brandy or whiskey. Three or four drops, thorough mixing, and the tobacco is like new.

You can put a slice of green apple in a box of tobacco and leave the tobacco closed for a day. I recommend this method, as it does not interfere much with the taste of the tobacco.

How to Keep a Bong Clean

When you become aware of the fact that cleaning a bong that hasn't been cared for actually takes some time, you might reconsider your habits and start cleaning it after every use.

This does not mean that you need to repeat the above process every time you use your bong. All you have to do is pour out the water , clean the bowl, and a thorough rinse with hot water will do the job.

Clean your bong! There's nothing worse than a brown bong.

This way you will save effort and time. Keeping your bong clean is important because you will notice the difference in taste once you try your new cleaned bong.

A little about smoking

So far, according to WHO, there are about one and a half billion smokers on the planet. Cuba is the country most dependent on tobacco. But Russia is also “trying”, ranking seventh in the world in terms of the number of cigarettes smoked per person. 58% of Russian men and 12% of Russian women smoke, and the number of tobacco lovers in Russia increases by 1.5% annually. The Russian tobacco market ranks third on the global podium. 80% of tobacco users live in underdeveloped countries, and the number of smokers in developed countries decreases by 10% annually.

Without touching on the saddest statistics, it should be admitted that smoking has many unattractive consequences:

darkened teeth and plaque;
sour, heavy odor from the mouth and hair;
a peculiar unpleasant smell of sweat;
yellowing of fingertips due to tobacco;
vascular and cardiac effects;
lung and larynx cancer.

There was a lot of talk about this. But in fairness, it should be noted the positive points established in the special medical literature:

Nicotine has a positive effect on the intestinal mucosa, so ulcerative colitis is 2 times less common in smokers than in non-smokers;
Women who smoke are less likely to develop endometrial cancer;
smoking, although short-term, improves memory and reaction time;
Smoking tobacco reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, which remains a controversial issue.

Sensei, I want to go up a level.

Congratulations, Padawan! Now you just need to select the handset of your choice.

There are two materials from which tubes are made. The first is the root of heather, namely briar. Almost all pipes over two thousand rubles are made of briar. Take a closer look at the Big Ben models, especially their Oxford series. These are reliable and very nice tubes.

The second material that is incredibly valued by pipe lovers is mirsham or Turkish meerschaum. These are the bones of sea creatures pressed over millions of years, which have now turned into beautiful handmade Turkish pipes. You can buy a good pipe made of block Mirsham only in Turkey, and obviously not in tourist places where they sell shit made from pressed sawdust.

Mirsham until we smoke...

Mirsham is free from all tree diseases. It absorbs resin itself, turns yellow over time, and does not need to be cleaned with a knife. The foam cannot be burned and does not need to dry. The pipe is ready for re-smoking immediately after cleaning.

... and after several years of smoking.

If you have money for your first pipe made specifically from Mirsham (and this is at least 7 thousand rubles), then this will be your first and last purchase on the pipe front. The author of this post has a Mirsham pipe made from block foam, which was made by hand in Eskesehir (the largest center for the extraction of the material). If you have friends from Turkey, then you know what to ask.

Managing cravings while smoking

This point is often reduced to the banal “everything will come with experience,” but a number of practical tips can be given:

If the tube goes out, cover the opening of the cup with your palm. Usually two fingers are enough. Moreover, we are talking about partial traction and not about complete clogging. Take two or three puffs in this format, the tobacco will almost certainly flare up. You shouldn't overuse it either, you can burn the pipe.

“Two finger” technique.
Hussars, be silent! 2. Over time, smoking, the tobacco burns out and the already burnt tobacco forms air pockets in the cup, which prevent the lower layers from smoldering. Lightly stomp on the cap and take a couple of puffs “on your fingers.”

Please note that the pipe goes out even with venerable gurus. It’s not just that long-term pipe smoking with one match is a whole sport.

3. During the smoking month, carefully monitor the temperature of the pipe. Especially considering how hot the area connecting the cup with the mouthpiece is. If you cannot place your finger in such a place, then immediately extinguish the pipe.

Correct smoking position when lighting a new pipe.

4. If you are not accustomed to pipe tobacco, then accompany your smoking with tea or coffee. You can even use meat. This sets off the resins well and you will almost certainly not be “carried away” out of habit. Underestimating the strength of pipe tobacco is the most common reason why people quit the hobby before they even start. So don't repeat these mistakes.