Cleaning rims

judandhispipe

I've got a couple of pipes that I am working on cleaning up. I have been using the tried-and-true cotton swab and saliva method, but was wondering if anybody had other methods.

drac2485

I've tried others but the alcohol removes the stain.  Sometimes I will just use a microfiber cloth and polish like mad but adding saliva always makes it easier.  I did hear and now use the trick of get some saliva on the rim before smoking as it makes a bit of a barrier and cleans off easier later, and so far it seems to work for me.

kaleehb

Be careful when using alcohol. It can ruin the stain and finish on your pipe. I only use it to clean the inside of the stem and bowl. Just my two cents....

PipeProfessor

Great topic @judandhispipe! I have wondered about this to. I try to make sure to wipe the rim very well after each smoke so that it doesn't accumulate. It's not perfect, but it helps.

LostMason

try using a cotton cloth rather than a swab,with a little spit you can get better pressur on it.I use an old mecanics rag
, one of the red ones.It workes great at scrubbing the tars while not scratching the rim.

judandhispipe

Thanks for that tip, @LostMason.

ghostsofpompeii

I have a Big Ben Fantasia pipe with a swirl paint job and screwed up the rim rubbing too hard and took off some of the fancy finish, revealing an almost black finish underneath. Really pissed me off - I loved the look of the pipe. I tried to half-ass it by touching it up with a cream colored paint because the black was way too noticeable. And it helped somewhat. Now I'm really careful when lighting the pipe and only use matches instead of my Zippo pipe lighter.  

daveinlax

I carefully use vodka on Q tip's melting off the tar one layer at a time. I've never had regular 80 proof remove stain but after I melt off the darkest spots I water down the vodka just a bit when I pretty much down to the stain.

xDutchx

My solution to the dirty rim problem is prevention. I always leave the top 25%-30% of the bowl unfilled. When I finish smoking, I remove any large pieces of dottle with my Czech tool, then rake out the remaining ash using a q-tip. Once that step is completed, I will use a piece of paper towel to remove the remaining ash and residue from the rim. The remaining ash acts as a polishing compound on smooth pipes, and keeps the rim looking like new.

Some pipe smokers like to use ash to polish up any silver adornments on their pipes as well.

Woodsman

To prevent burning the rim and minimize buildup I wet my fingertip with saliva and rub it around the rim before lighting and repeat it before relighting.

Montecristo

I've always regarded rim "lava" to be a sign of an accomplished pipesmoker; a sign of achievement. 
I have no desire to remove it except - maybe - as part of an extensive cleaning operation.
I think of my pipes as tools, not as collector pieces. Of course, I am a cheap old bastard, and none of my pipes were more that $50.00

KA9FFJ

I'm probably too self conscious about rim charring/buildup, but it comes with the territory of being a pipe refurber. 
I usually load my pipes approximately 1/4 inch from the rim. Then after a careful prelight, I lightly tamp which results in about 3/8 of an inch from the rim. 
I've noticed a very prolonged time before the rim becomes an issue...
For those of you that have no issue with the rim, I truly do envy you... really...

mapletop

On pipes that mater I follow @KA9FFJ 's rules but if your trying to preserve your rims you have to go farther.

I coat my rims with 2-4 coats of Paragon wax as it has the highest melt point of any pipe wax; after each smoking I clean the rim with hot distilled water and then re-coat them with the Paragon wax.

Now  I know that sounds like work and it is, but if your smoking a pipe you really care about, this is what I do.

I would note that my day to day / work pipes have so much lava that they could shame  krakatoa.

opipeman

@Montecristo;
We should start a sub-group of TPL "Cheap old Bastards". I have some pipes I've spent some money on and others not so much. I have very few that I worry about rim rot. I smoke those that smoke good and clean them when they get to where they don't. Not many people see me smoking and I just don't give it much thought. @KA9FFJ is fastidious in everything he does and how everything looks. It has to have a connection to his training in the Marines. I admire him, but could't emulate that if me life depended on it. Once I left the department I vowed two things: I don't wash and wax any vehicles and I don't worry about inspection of much of anything. 

Montecristo

Well, bless your heart @opipeman!
”Cheap Old Bastards”
I like it.
And I clean my pipes when cleaning will make them smoke better.
’Nuff said.

Zouave

Speaking of being cheap, lately I have been enjoying some of my cobs. Cheap yes, but they smoke nice and cool. I did see that some of the cobs on MM site go upwards of $50. I have to draw the line there. Fifty dollars for a cob just seems like nonsense to me. 

vtgrad2003

@Zouave
I agree 100%, I love my cobs too, and I'll go up to $50 but I draw the line there. 

Londy3

Cobs are great but yeah, gotta draw the line on how much you are investing in one.  They are kinda disposable really...it's a freaking COB 😂🤣

RockyMountainBriar

@Londy3
I’m pretty sure all of my cobs will still outlast me.  I have been eyeing the MM “Freehand”, but have not been able to justify it’s price….yet.

Zouave

@RockyMountainBriar I am willing to go as far as $35ish...but not much more on a cob. They have been making some sweet looking ones lately though.

vtgrad2003

@Zouave @Londy3 @RockyMountainBriar
Like this one, this is a pretty cob, but $53? It does come with a leather strap to rest your nut sack on, but still pretty high for a natural finish cob...

RockyMountainBriar

@vtgrad2003
Yea, looks ok, but not $53 ok….at least to me.

Londy3

@vtgrad2003
Yeah but the nut sack rest has a cool MM logo stamped on it..so there's that. 

RockyMountainBriar

What good does one leather strap do you? 

Londy3

                                 🌰🌰

RockyMountainBriar

Exactly!

Zouave

Why not just get MM tattooed on your nutsack? Eliminated the middle man.

Zouave

I agree though. $55 it way too much for a cob.  I do like the new stems they have been coming up with lately.

vtgrad2003

@RockyMountainBriar
I could be mistaken, but I think there's only one that needs supporting by this leather strap. Think of a peanut and it's shell...one shell accommodates two peanuts--I could be wrong though. 

RockyMountainBriar

@vtgrad2003
Peanut example much to small, more like two potatoes in a sack, hence the need for a two-fer. 😉😳😬

vtgrad2003

@RockyMountainBriar
Yep, my theory has its problems