on pipe cleaning and various

[MascaraSnake]

I've been able to clean the stem out, no trouble, with pipe cleaners and pipe sweetener but on most of my pipes I can't clean the sides of the (how should I put this?) end-stem coming out of the back of the bowl. You know what I mean, where the actual stem connects. I'm assuming this is cleaned with a Q-tip?

Here's my current system on pipe use...tell me if I'm smoking too frequently or if it's safe to smoke my pipes more often without them turning sour on me. I have 2 aromatic pipes (an old Peterson system pipe my dad doesn't smoke anymore and a straight-stemmed Ehrlich I can't remove the stem from) and 3 pipes for smoking the Englishes (an unidentified briar with a pretty deep, wide bowl and two new Petersons I'm breaking in). I usually smoke both aromatics once a day, after each pipe cools I clean out the stem and let it rest until the next day. The Englishes are usually late night or early morning fare, I smoke one to two of those a day and follow the same system.

[daviddunn]

It's usually good practice not to smoke a pipe more than once every other day. So if you would like to smoke two aromatic, and two english per day, you should have 8 pipes, and rotate them. But, this isn't an absolute, its more of an ideal. I will keep your pipes in very good condition though.

[caskwith]

You are correct about the q-tip, i use them anywhere they will fit and only use a pipe cleaner where needed, as q-tips are cheaper and work better IMO.

As for the rotations i dont think you have too much of a problem there, idealy pipes should sit as long as possble, i like to leave mine a few days at least, a week is preferable but then again i dont smoke as often as you do.

the way i look at it, if its working for you doing it like this, then who cares whether anyone else agrees?

just my