Pipe Reamer Question

ocpunk714

Does anyone have a recommendation on a good pipe reaming tool they use? There are a few choices on tobaccopipes.com and I am looking to purchase one since my first briar has caked up a bit too much.

PappyJoe

I have a small pocketknife with about a 2 inch blade, I took a grinder to it and ground off the cutting edge and rounded off the tip. 

ocpunk714

@PappyJoe you think I can see a picture of what that looks like when u have time to take one?

I have an old pocket knife just laying around here somewhere.

PappyJoe

@ocpunk714

Once you get the tip and edge ground down, make sure you do the sides so there are no sharp spots.

ocpunk714

@PappyJoe Thank you kind sir. I always prefer to be resourceful over paying for things, so this helps me greatly.

KA9FFJ

The Senior pipe reamer is always a good way to go. Totally adjustable with a screw out tool to help unclog the shank on those real nasty refurb jobs...

ocpunk714

@KA9FFJ That one looked interesting when I read about it

Bentbrier

I have one very similar to the Brigham tool shown on tobaccopipes.com (may be same) has worked well for years.  Simple to use though Pappyjoes would also work well.

Bonanzadriver

Being as most all of my pipes are self-refurbed estates, I have a few different reamers...

https://www.amazon.com/Scotte-pieces-tobacco-reamer-cleaners/dp/B071P77PPZ


https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073VLKC3P/ref=sspa_dk_detail_0?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B073VLKC3P&pd_rd_wg=z1xrb&pd_rd_r=0554ZNV6MZNW77VX506X&pd_rd_w=LDXch


https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Rosewood-Tobacco-smoking-Scraper/dp/B00OH163CW/ref=pd_bxgy_121_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00OH163CW&pd_rd_r=2EYAAT7M7H9X6HBBZZ2K&pd_rd_w=0HYce&pd_rd_wg=jY7TG&psc=1&refRID=2EYAAT7M7H9X6HBBZZ2K


I've used them all, as well as sand paper, to ream out the bowls as I'm bringing gunked up old estates back to life.


After refurbing em though I haven't had the need to re-ream any of them.  Most likely because of the fact that I twist up a piece of paper towel and ream out the bowl after each and every smoke, as well as running a pipe cleaner through the stem and shank.

The ol "Ounce of Prevention worth a Pound of Cure" approach.  ;-)

KA9FFJ

@ocpunk714 There are several different ones out there, but it certainly doesn't hurt to have a Senior reamer along with whatever else you might decide on. (-10 points @motie2 ) Since it's totally adjustable, it will ream all standard sizes plus anything in between...

Londy3

@Bonanzadriver, I'm with you on that. I do the same thing after every smoke

RockyMountainBriar

I use several when refurbishing pipes.

I have a “Brunton” style that I purchased with my first pipe.  It is a piece of crap and will tear the hell out of the top inner rim of a tobacco chamber if not used very, very, very carefully.  (I do not recommend this style at all).

I have a “Senior” style reamer, which I bought early on, I use it rarely now for reaming pipe bowls. I use the drill bit to clear nasty shanks/stuck gross paper/carbon filters.  I do use the adjustable reamer as a “handle” when staining pipes often. (The drill bit is very handy, the reamer is ok, but it does not clean the bottom of a tobacco chamber well).

I have a “Pipenet” style with the four different sized four blade heads, which is my first “go to” reamer.  I start with the smallest and slowly work my way up, making sure to not go too big.  It will tear the hell out of a tobacco chamber as well.  (Very good reamer).

I have an old two sided Kaywoodie that looks similar to the “Pipenet”, but only has two sizes, and are tapered/cone shaped. (It is a good reamer for some pipes, such as those with tapered chambers).

I have an old Yello-Bole that works kind of like a “Brunton”, but way better, gets down to the bottom of most bowls, and does not eat the top inner rim. (Good reamer).

I have an old “Rogers Hedgehog” which I got in an auction lot of items, which I never use.  I think it would tear the hell out of a tobacco chamber, (gnarly looking device...bad juju, I have never, and will never use it).

The final, and best “final clean-up” reamer is a “Rocket Reamer”.  It works well once the heavy stuff is dealt with (usually with the “Pipenet” reamer).  The “Rocket Reamer” cleans the chamber sides very well without thrashing the top inner rim (useing a modicum of care), and gets to nearly the bottom of the chamber as well.  The spring loaded bars conform to the chamber walls without digging in.

For the one-two punch, “Pipenet”-“Rocket Reamer”, and as the coups-de-gras Yello-Bole or Kaywoodie to get to the very bottom.  These four reamers work very well in concert for all but my very smallest pipes and my very largest pipes.  I have an old Charatan “Executive Extra Large” that I think I can get two golf balls stacked in in😉...... ok, not quite, but none of my reamers even get close to the chamber walls in this pipe.  I have a few other pipes with very large bores these reamers won’t touch. I also have a few “Salesman Samples”, very small pipes these reamers won’t work with either. For the small pipes I carefully use a Richard’s pipe tool with a knife blade that had the tipped snapped off which I rounded over evenly and dulled the rounded tip edge with a sharpening stone.


As as far as wiping the bowls out after each smoke, this kind of defeats the purpose of building a nice protective and sweet smoking cake.  Personally, I look forward to building (my) nice fresh cake in a pipe.  After a smoke, I dump the ash/coal (if any) and I “tap-dat-ash” on the palm of my hand.  Holding the pipe by the bowl and NOT the shank OR stem.  Then I remove the stem, run a clean pipe cleaner through the stem, use that pipe cleaner to clean the air-way.  Then, from a short distance, I blow through the shank to get rid of any loose ash or tobacco remnants in the bowl. I get a new pipe cleaner, clean the stem again, fold it in half and clean the shank, then if the pipe cleaner is not too dirty, I run it through the air-way folded in half if possible.  If it is still wet, I get another until they come out essentially dry.  I remove the pipe cleaner, reassemble the stem to the shank and set it on my pipe stand or pipe rack (bowl down/stem up) to dry.

RockyMountainBriar

No trick photos here, yep, that’s a US Quarter next to a Dunhill 3110 (Group 3).  That Charatan is a big damn pipe, and the old (unsmoked) “Salesman’s Sample”? Yello-Bole is a little guy.

jim102864

Castleford 5 Piece Multi-Fit Reamer Tool.  It works very well.  It's a recent purchase from January of this year, but I'm pleased with the results when used. $19.95 on Amazon.

ghostsofpompeii

It's very easy to damage your pipe with a knife if you're not careful, so I think the best advise for a newcomer is to buy an inexpensive reamer, there are a variety to choose from. Pappy has been smoking for a long time and has probably learned a great deal through years of experience ... which is why he ground down the tip of the blade. I didn't know that trick when I first started smoking - several decades ago - and since a pocket knife was handy I ended up gouging the bowl of many a pipe in the early years ... completely unaware that I was doing damage. So in my humble opinion using the proper tool for the job is the best advise ... especially if you have a decent pipe. A reamer cuts the cake in a nice uniform manner.   

Woodsman

I use a Kleen Reem for most of my pipes, I also have some home made knives that I use for trimming and scraping.  

ocpunk714

I finally decided on the Senior Reamer tool

daveinlax

I have most of the different  reaming systems in the collection and I avoid using them. I recommed and use sandpaper on my finger for the best control. 

jfreedy

 @ocpunk714 — Senior Reamer tool is a good choice. I have the cheaper Mr. Blog version and it works great!

PappyJoe

@daveinlax is correct. Sandpaper on the finger is the best for controlling the amount of cake in your pipes. I use my pipe knife only when restoring badly abused pipes loaded with cake.

ocpunk714

Any particular grit I should use? 

PappyJoe

For routine maintenance - and not done every time I smoke the pipe - I use a 320 grit. If I'm working on an estate pipe and I want to get as much cake out as possible, I will start with a 120 grit and work my way up. WARNING: as with a pipe knife or reamer, you have to be careful when using a lower grit sandpaper and have a light touch. You can easily damage the bowl.

After a daily smoke, I just use a plain tissue to wipe out the bowl. Just make sure it's not one of those with a lotion or scent embedded into it.

jfreedy

@PappyJoe — I have a question about cake size. I, like you, usually use a bent-in-half pipe cleaner or tissue on the inside of the bowl after a smoke. I was told many, many years ago not to clean out the inside of the bowl of a new pipe until a nice cake has built up a little. What exactly is a “nice cake” and is it really that important? I have 30+ year old pipes that I’ve smoked often without much cake, and it doesn’t seem to do any harm to the pipe. Thoughts?

PappyJoe

@jfreedy - I differ from the old time pipe smokers who say you need cake about the same thickness of a dime. The cake in my pipes is little more the than the thickness of a piece of paper folded three times or about half the thickness of a dime.

ocpunk714

I was extremely satisfied with the Senior Reamer. Used it on my first briar which was caked a lot. The bottom seems to clear out good, but I left a bit. A few turns of the tool and now I am enjoying some Balkan Sasieni.

KA9FFJ

Glad to hear it @ocpunk714 Like I said before, whatever reamer you eventually wind up with, it's always good to have a Senior if for no other reason that it's totally adjustable to just about any diameter you may encounter. Glad it's working out for you...

ocpunk714

Reamed out my first briar some more and packed Black Frigate

So good

motie2

How to Ream a Pipe
https://www.smokingpipes.com/smokingpipesblog/single.cfm/post/how-ream-pipe

Kmhartle

I recently picked up a British Buttner reamer on eBay. I have a few of the Brigham reamers mentioned in the article @motie2 shared. The stainless steel Brigham is cheap quality, in my opinion. The Buttner is steel and built like things used to be. To last. It's my favorite reamer that works in every shape pipe I own. 

Balisong

I agree with @Kmhartle the original version is by far the best for regular reaming.

motie2

I purchased this type, and I’m very pleased with it.