How to Clean a Briar Pipe

Briar pipes are a common form of pipe used when smoking tobacco. They come in attractive designs and can be made from a number of materials. Cleaning briar pipes takes time, but they must be cleaned on a regular basis or debris in the bowl or in the stem will render the pipe unusable.

Things You'll Need

• White pipe cleaners
• Pipe reamer
• Clean cloth

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Instructions

• 1

  Cover the cooled bowl (the part of the pipe that you put the tobacco in) of your briar pipe with your palm and turn the pipe upside down. Shake well to remove any large pieces of ash and residue.

• 2

  Insert a bristled pipe cleaner into the stem (the part of the pipe you inhale from) of your pipe. Push the pipe cleaner toward the bowl using a back and forth motion. Repeat until your pipe cleaner comes out clean. This will take time and you will use several pipe cleaners .

• 3

  Cover the bowl of your pipe again and give it a good shake to get rid of any ash and debris that your pipe cleaners pushed into the bowl.

• 4

  Run your pipe reamer along the inside of the pipe bowl. Go slow and scrape evenly. You may not be able to remove all of the debris, just remove as much as you can. A small amount of debris (also known as cake) will not harm the pipe. Empty the bowl once more when you have finished with the pipe reamer.

• 5

  Wet your clean cloth and wring out excess water. Wipe down the outside or your pipe. This will help to remove any damage (from charring) and stains.