Pipe Retirement

mfresa

Does anyone have a rule that they go by that helps them decide when to retire a pipe?  I have one that is a devil to keep clean, seems I'm doing the alcohol soak method on it more than I'd like.  Any ideas?

Londy3

🤔 I'm thinking, when a pipe no longer provides maximum enjoyment or the maintenance is more than the enjoyment, it's time to let it go. My two cents

vtgrad2003

Clean it up one last time then sell it on Etsy. Someone else may want to salvage it 

Balisong

It's easy with cobs. If it gives an awful smoke more than once clean it and put it aside for at least a week. If it fails the next time out drop it in the circular file and take a new one from stock.

ghostsofpompeii

I can't think of a time when I was forced to retire a pipe. I have set one or two aside for considerable time, removing them from my regular rotation - but after months on the shelf they seemed to dry out sufficiently to eventually be back in rotation. Maybe just set the pipe aside for a few months and try again to see how it smokes. If that doesn't help I'll go along with @vtgrad2003 and give it a final cleaning and sell it on Ebay or Esty.

RockyMountainBriar

@mfresa
I have only refurbished some really disgusting nasty assed Latakia tar soaked estates.  I  use the canning salt and the alcohol treatment then stick them in my homemade ozone purifier.  I had used @PappyJoe ‘s spent coffee grounds trick a couple of times with satisfactory results up until I made the purifier.  The purifier has the extra benefit of drying the briar with a slight breeze at the same time.  I do not use water or even alcohol that is less than 90%.  Pipe makers and briar cutters/sellers take great pains to thoroughly dry the briar blocks over several years, I don’t want to reverse all of their hard work.

mfresa

@RockyMountainBriar, thanks, I agree water is not to be used.  They sell Everclear around here, which is grain alcohol, an I used that.  It did the trick, but this one pipe seems to give me more problems than I'd like.  To be fair, it has a couple thousand bowls through it, so maybe this is normal for that amount of wear on it.
Maybe I should just smoke one of the ones I've made instead of saving them for future sales. The ozone gadget seems like a great idea!

RockyMountainBriar

@mfresa
I use Everclear as well.

RockyMountainBriar

@utilityworker101, @mfresa
@utilityworker101 mentioned the retort over in the thread/topic?

Need some advice on recently acquired estate pipes

Wow, I can't believe I forgot to mention the retort.  Yes, yes, the retore really does the job of loosening the tars and sucking the crap out of the briar.  I do use a retort before they go into the ozone chamber, especially on the really nasty, filthy, disgusting, Latakia tar, soaked pipes.  It will take probably 90% of the nastiness out of a pipe.  The ozone chamber polishes off the ghost and is supposed to sterilize better than just steaming hot alcohol.  After using the retort, be prepared to tighten a loose stem, it almost always happens after using the retort.  Also, be cautious about getting the rim or outside of a briar covered in hot alcohol, it will take the finish off.  Don't plug the pipe tightly and make sure the stem and shank are clear before you begin.  Hot pressurized alcohol spewing all over near an open flame would be bad juju.  Keep a fire extinguisher handy.