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Tools to Clean Out Pipe

Regularly cleaning out a smoking pipe is important when trying to get the most out of your tobacco. Not cleaning out a pipe can lead to a buildup of tar that can block the pipe stem and "sour" the pipe. A sour pipe imparts a bitter taste to any tobacco smoked in it. Regularly cleaning a pipe can remove the tar before it builds up and sours the pipe.

  1. Pipe Tool

    • The simple pipe tool, consisting of a scoop, a tamper and sometimes a poker, is usually the most readily available pipe-cleaning tool. Thoroughly empty out the pipe bowl after smoking to keep the unsmoked tobacco from sitting in the bowl and turning the bowl sour. This also helps the bowl to rest, or dry out, faster.

    Pipe Cleaners

    • Pipe cleaners are long bristle-covered wires used to scrub the tar from the inside of the bowl and stem. Remove the stem from the bowl and run the cleaner through the stem a couple times to break up loose particles. If the cleaner comes out of the stem exceptionally dirty, use another cleaner. The stem and the bowl should only be separated after the pipe has cooled to room temperature.

    Pipe Reamer

    • A pipe reamer is specially designed to remove the carbon buildup from the inside of briar and other wooden pipes. A reamer should only be used when completely refurbishing a pipe, as the carbon, or cake, helps protect the wood from overheating and helps maintain an even temperature in the bowl.

    Retort System

    • A retort is a glass bulb and stem that is attached to the pipe at the mouthpiece. Fill the bulb with about 60 ml of either grain alcohol or cleaning alcohol and heat. The heat quickly boils the alcohol, pushing it into the stem and bowl of the pipe. Cooling the retort sucks the alcohol, along with any dissolved tar, out of the pipe. This process should be repeated several times to clean the pipe.

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