Comments on: Homemade Pipe Sweetener

By: Eric

Eric — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 14:10:04 +0000

I use Everclear, this is grain alcohol sold at 75.5 and 95% alcohol. I wouldn’t drink it, but excellent in pipe restoration/cleaning. I actually do some deep cleaning once a month, never done a salt-treatment yet; I reserve that for when the smoke/flavor becomes off.

I just run a few cleaners with alcohol inside the bowel of the pipe also once a month along with the stem; it seems to sweeten the pipe pretty effectively. If it starts ghosting bad, smelling off, or tasting off; I will do the full salt treatment.

By: Jack

Jack — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 17:15:59 +0000

I guess it would depend on how frequently you smoked that particular pipe. I rotate pipes, but I smoke several bowls out of one daily, and use a commercial sweetener to clean out the stem once each day when I’ve finished with the pipe. This helps cleans the gunk out, and won’t hurt the stem. Others just use a pipe cleaner daily, and then sweeten, I dunno, maybe once a week, once a month.

It’s like reaming my pipe. I don’t do it on a regular basis, but I know when it needs to be done.

By: Miltiades

Miltiades — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 13:44:43 +0000

Mixture consisting of 70 % whisky and 30 % rum is my way sweetening the pipes but still i dont know the intervals between each sweetening process?
Can you advise pls
My best regards
Miltiades
Athens Greece

By: Jack

Jack — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:33:38 +0000

Nope. Can’t reproduce the error.

By: Locksmith Knoxville

Locksmith Knoxville — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 01:20:14 +0000

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By: DeadMensPipes

DeadMensPipes — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 21:53:32 +0000

Yes, deadmanspipes.com is a good site. Their inventory was depleted last time I checked.
DeadMensPipes.com is under construction and only sells on ebay now.

BTW: Word has it that you may obtain 150 proof vodka off the shelf without a permit at the Ballard and University state liquor stores.

And, thanks for that pipe-sweetening recipe.
Great for rejuvenating old estate pipes.
I haven’t found anything better on the whole web.

By: Jack

Jack — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 19:11:31 +0000

When I went into the local stores, they didn’t explain the process of getting a special permit, just that you needed one, and then gave me the evil eye.

Thanks for the correction!

By the way, I’m glad DeadMansPipes is back in business. Folks, you can find the website at, well, http://www.deadmanspipes.com

I bought a number of pipes from the old owner, and I like the way it’s organized, especially in these days of careful spending.

By: DeadMensPipes

DeadMensPipes — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 21:53:37 +0000

“You can’t get pure alcohol (grain alcohol) in the state of Washington.”

Au contrare, Jack.
You may special order grain alcohol from state liquor stores by obtaining a permit and stating that it will be used for cleaning/commercial purposes and not for drinking. If you don’t want to go that route, there is some very high, 150 proof vodka available at selected state liquor stores. Just ask.

Hope that helps.

By: JackTales » Blog Archive » Household Items for Pipes

JackTales » Blog Archive » Household Items for Pipes — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 21:33:24 +0000

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