SENIOR PIPE-REAMER

[SpeedyPete]

I've neglected some of my pipes over the last couple of months due to a lot of things that happened in my life. Most important was that I got married again (my late wife passed away during 2011).

In some of the pipes I let the cake build up to a point where I could hardly get my little finger into the bowl. Using a pipe knife was no good, so I bought a Senior Pipe-reamer today. I've tried it on my favourite cob, my Country Gentleman, and the result was very good. But I have about 25 briars which also need attention. I do not want to ruin my pipes.

The reason for my post is to ask my brothers, who also own this type of reamer, what I must watch out for :?: 

 

[Fr_Tom]

I like the Senior reamer, but you have to be aware the shape does not match your bowl necessarily. I find it works pretty well, but it may not go deep enough or it may make it too thin in the middle when you are keeping at eye on the thickness at the top of the bowl. I reamed an estate that had been reamed basically in a cone with a knife I suspect. From about 1/2 way down the bowl, there was so much cake, the Chinese pipe nail tamper would not fit. I reamed it with the Senior reamer, and got to wood (which I did not intend) in the middle before I expected to. More taper in the bowl than expected....

 

[alfredo_buscatti]

I don't think reaming a bowl with Senior, reaming all sides at once with its circularly deployed blades, making that circle larger or smaller as needed for different chamber widths, is particularly safe. I'm sure some can do this but I can't.

Cake as you know forms irregularly, deeper at one point than the next, at the same depth in the chamber. But the circular shape assumes that it is all of the same depth and has formed 360 degrees about the chamber. The blades will go after cake whether it is present or not, the result of which is that although some places are properly reamed, others are not, the wood being scored by the blades as there was no cake to be reamed.

I get much better success forming the circle as small as I can, eyeing cake and taking it out as needed, at different thicknesses as needed. When reaming always go slowly. You can always ream more but you cannot repair abraded wood.

 

[monbla256]

Out of the over 90 pipes I have, only four have what I would call a "tapered" bowl and on these I use an old "British Butner" reamer as the two blades will conform to the shape of these bowl's sides. On the rest, my 30 yo Reem-n-Kleen reamer, basically the same as a Senior Reamer, just a different maker, is what I use and have NEVER had a problem with it. Work SLOWLY, taking just a little till the cake is even ALL AROUND and only then take it to where you want it to be.  Aggressively going at it or trying to be fast will be more of an impediment than help. But the main thing DON'T let the cake build up to much to begin with and you'll only need to use it maybe once a year. Just my experience :twisted: :twisted:

 

[KevinM]

FWIW -- Why don't you just use sandpaper and a pencil or, if you want to be precise, a series of dowels of different diameters? I never owned a reamer, but do have a few refurbed briars that came with an "overly enthusiastc reamer" disclaimer. It's not a big deal unless you're really, really overly enthusiastic, I suppose. Beginning with cautious chipping and then going to sandpaper just seems to produce a more controllable outcome. jmho

 

[Brewdude]

I've used the Senior Reamer with less than desirable results.

As has been stated, the bowl dimensions don't always correspond to the limitations of the tool.

I've been using this recently, and find it's a better tool for reaming-

http://www.amazon.com/Castleford-Multi-Fit-Tobacco-Pipe-Reamer/dp/B002WR1NIM

While it doesn't have the expanding feature of the Senior the overall design makes it better for getting down to the bottom of the bowl,  which the Senior lacks. Doesn't seem like that based on the pics, but that's my experience FWIW. Even in a taped bowl. And, it's a lot less agressive to the hand!

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

 



Cheers,

RR

 

[Fr_Tom]

I have the Castleford too, and I like it. Sometimes one works better than the other for me in an estate. In the pipes I am smoking, I have been using the Chinese pipe nail. A couple of times around the bowl with the edges out will smooth things out and keep it at desired thickness...

 

[DrumsAndBeer]

Castleford, that's the one I use as well.

It's interesting how fast a cake with accumulate when you are paying attention to it.

 

[Fr_Tom]

I've neglected some of my pipes over the last couple of months due to a lot of things that happened in my life. Most important was that I got married again...

Congrats!

 

[monbla256]

Something I've done since I started smoking is to sort of "scrape" the sides of the big pieces as I tamp. It loosens stuff and it will either burn up as the baccy  burns down
or it dumps out with the ash when done with the smoke. With a little practice you learn how to "scrape" as you tamp without over tamping. It has cut down on the "after smoking" fiddling with the cake in the bowl that I have to do and makes it longer btwn reaming.

 

[SpeedyPete]

I've neglected some of my pipes over the last couple of months due to a lot of things that happened in my life. Most important was that I got married again...

Congrats!

Thanks Tom !  

 

[RDPipes]

I've always used a Kleen Reem, it's like the Senior Reamer and have never had a problem getting to the bottom of a bowl except on a few occasions when the bowl was so narrow by design it wouldn't fit (less then 3/4"). I believe it just takes practice and patience, specially when reaming a pipe that has been neglected for so long that you can't fit your pinky into the bowl. I've done these many times because I buy mostly estates.I think the main thing is to take your time and don't try to remove all the cake with one reaming. That's what I like about the Kleen Reem, it's adjustable so you can gradually remove the cake with each pass. Now if your bowl is more the 1-1/2" deep and under 3/4" in diameter you'll have a problem with a Kleen Reem but, that's where I use a bit of sandpaper. It's not a problem for me YMMV.

 

[SpeedyPete]

I have a very old, original Joseph Rogers pocket knife. We all know these old knifes were very easy to sharpen although they did not stay that way for long. Soft, mild steel blades which wore away quite easily. Mine is still in good shape and the blade fits into any of my pipes with ease.

Can this still be the best reamer of all times? :twisted: 

 

[williamcharles]

I've got the Castleford, the Senior, a Buttner but I usually ream with the spey blade of my Case knife. Now and then I'll smooth things out with sand paper and avoid the knife. Just go slowly with the Senior and remove very thin layers, mainly scraping off dust. Hopefully the cake won't chip but if it does you can patch it with pipe mud instead of having to ream to wood.

 

[rothnh]

I have a Senior reamer but I can't remember the last time I used it.

This, I think, is because I've been religious about cleaning my pipes after every smoke, which includes carefully scraping the bowl with my dull Peterson pipe knife, followed by a "reaming" with a paper towel.  This has kept the cake on my pipes at my preferred "dime" thickness.

If I were looking to buy a reamer today, it would be the "Pipnet" set.  The Castleford branded set looks good too, but the Castleford, to me, appears more cheaply made and I'd worry about the handle snapping off.

Here's a link to the Pipnet reamer:

http://www.smokingpipes.com/accessories/pipe-supplies/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=114620

 

[flyguy]

I own a Senior Reamer and have used it just once. It worked well. You need to be careful though. I viewed an instructional video on Youtube before using it.

 

[Brewdude]

I have a Senior reamer but I can't remember the last time I used it.

This, I think, is because I've been religious about cleaning my pipes after every smoke, which includes carefully scraping the bowl with my dull Peterson pipe knife, followed by a "reaming" with a paper towel.  This has kept the cake on my pipes at my preferred "dime" thickness.

If I were looking to buy a reamer today, it would be the "Pipnet" set.  The Castleford branded set looks good too, but the Castleford, to me, appears more cheaply made and I'd worry about the handle snapping off.

Here's a link to the Pipnet reamer:

http://www.smokingpipes.com/accessories/pipe-supplies/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=114620

roth, the handle on the Castleford is just fine and is in no danger of snapping off. Trust me on this.

I've been using the Castleford for a while now and on the occasions where a reamer is necessary, it performs very well indeed.

In fact it looks very much to me that the Pipenet is a duplicate of the Castleford. For way more $$ too!



Cheers,

RR


Cheers,

RR

 

[Hermit]

I'm happy with my Senior Reamer.
I swab out the bowl with a doubled up scruffy cleaner,
but cake happens whether ya like it or not.  

 

[SteveS]

I've never owned a reamer of any type ... in the old days, I used a not too sharp pocket knife that, due to it's size and shape, was ideal for scraping out excess cake ... I still own that little tool and, should circumstances arise, I'd use it again ...

That said, I do pretty much as roth has described and maintain an even, minimal cake on an ongoing basis ... in fact, I sometimes look at the interior of my pipes and literally marvel at the thin, even cake that's there in contrast to my memories of what my pipes were like back in my uninitiated days ...

I can't resist, at this point, saying that a lot of what I've learned is the result of sometimes painful experience ... but I've also found that my knowledge has expanded exponentially due to reading what others have offered in this and other forums ... the Internet is a wonderful thing once one learns to distinguish the wheat from the chaff in the blizzard of information one can tap into ...

 

[rothnh]

In fact it looks very much to me that the Pipenet is a duplicate of the Castleford. For way more $$ too!

Yes, I wouldn't be surprised if they were made by the same company.

I've handled both, and the Pipnet is more ruggedly built than the Castleford, so I prefer the Pipnet.  Also, the link I provided was for the top of the line kit; Pipnet also offers less a expensive  reamer without the box.

I've got friends who own a Castleford and one who owns the Pipnet and all are happy with them.