Cleaning sandblasted pipes

[AdamCordray]

Anyone have tips for keeping the rim of a light or Crimson colored sandblasted pipe clean? I love the colors but I'm afraid I won't be able to keep the rim clean of the usual darkening that occurs with smoking. Do most people try to clean that? Or do most people just consider that rim darkening to be a 'rich patina' of sorts?
Any thoughts are appreciated!

Adam

 

[Brewdude]

Quick answer-

Just don't load it to the top. That'll do it.

HTH


Cheers,

RR

 

[monbla256]

Best way I know of not darkening the rim of ANY pipe is to not smoke it!! :twisted: :twisted:

 

[scotties22]

Try cleaning it with a bit of warm coffee on a soft cloth. I clean all of my smooth rims that way with no problems at all. Steve Stein uses coffee to clean all of his pipes and he has some crazy craggy sandblasts that look amazing.

 

[Timbo]

I use a cotton bud (q-tip) moistened with saliva to clean all my pipe rims whether blasted or smooth. You'll likely need to use multiple cotton buds per cleaning, keep at it till the cotton comes away clean. Same as pipe cleaners and stems really.

Cheers

Tim

 

[KevinM]

Do you use a piece of flannel to spiff up a briar after smoking? Just dampen a bit of tissue to clean the residue off the rim. Then buff with the flannel. Voila! Yes, you can avoid the problem by not allowing the tobak to overflow when you fill the pipe.

 

[thedeep]

White vinegar and water, I use at about 1 to 3 ratio. Cleans the heck out of it.

 

[riff raff]

Those techniques usually work on sandblasted pipes, but there is a limit to what can be removed, so clean the tops often (or as mentioned don't overfill, show care with the lighter).

My biggest challenge is with plateau top estates, those are tough and some darn near impossible. I think only sandblasting would make them new again (and restain)? I have a forum members JU on my bench now, and I'm not have much success cleaning that top.

 

[KevinM]

I have a couple of Luciano's with plateau tops. One has a natural finish and is really jagged and difficult to clean without damaging the little pointy things.  One DIY cleaning item that comes in handy is an old toothbrush, so used that it looks like a caterpillar on a stick. But, with a little bit of water, it does work pretty well on plateau tops. A light touch will help protect your pipes' finish.