Corn Cob Pipe Care?

[Proinsias]

Thought I'd give a pipe a shot and rather enjoying it so far.

Was originally planning on a nice briar but after a bit of reading and a sad looking wallet I picked a Missouri Meerschaum corncob, some Samuel Gawith & some scotch flake tobacco and a few accessories. So far so good.

Just a quick question on maintenance for the corncob. I read that a cake or build up layer is not really suited to a corncob pipe. Should I be scraping away at the bowl after every few uses or scrubbing it out?

I've got some pipe cleaners and cleaning solution for general cleaning but I've just left the bowl as is. Any other general corncob tips?

[Laney1566]

Thought I'd give a pipe a shot and rather enjoying it so far.

Was originally planning on a nice briar but after a bit of reading and a sad looking wallet I picked a Missouri Meerschaum corncob, some Samuel Gawith & some scotch flake tobacco and a few accessories. So far so good.

Just a quick question on maintenance for the corncob. I read that a cake or build up layer is not really suited to a corncob pipe. Should I be scraping away at the bowl after every few uses or scrubbing it out?

I've got some pipe cleaners and cleaning solution for general cleaning but I've just left the bowl as is. Any other general corncob tips?

One of the good things about a cob is not having to worry too much about it's care. I simply run a cleaner through mine and then take the cleaner and fold it in half by the tips so that it becomes a nice loop then force it into the bowl and spin it around a couple of time. Tap it out and it's ready to go again.

[jwhite]

I have several cobs some of which have lasted for years and I don't give them any special treatment, I clean them after a days smoking and ream the cake when it starts getting thick. Part of the joy of a cob is the low maintenance and cost so you can be pretty cavalier with their treatment and they keep plugging along.

I do find they take a little more to get clean than my briar, but that could be that I reload much more often than I do my briar. I don't especially like the paper filter so I use the small Savinelli balsa filter which I wipe down when I clean the pipe and I get several days out of each. Also pipe cleaning solution is fine for cleaning your pipes but Everclear is much cheaper per ounce and does every bit as well IMHO.

[California Cajun]

I don't smoke but someone I know who knows about pipes told me that corn cob pipes originally weren't intended to last very long.

[Greyfox]

One of the good things about a cob is not having to worry too much about it's care. I simply run a cleaner through mine and then take the cleaner and fold it in half by the tips so that it becomes a nice loop then force it into the bowl and spin it around a couple of time. Tap it out and it's ready to go again.

Pretty much my routine as well. I have a couple that are about 3 years old and still smoking good.

[Pescara]

I keep a corn cob in the car for short smokes. I run a pipe cleaner through it after every use and do the u-bend for the bowl. It will occasionally get a bit skunky, probably because I'm not smoking the bowl all the way down -- a thorough cleaning with a pipe cleaner soaked in scotch takes care of it.

[physiognomy]

I like to twist a wad of kitchen paper in the bowl of my cobs after each smoke (making sure to blow out any left over bits once I'm done). Other than running a cleaner through the stem, that's all the maintenance I do.

[tritrek]

The main idea behind the CC pipes is that they are cheap and don't need much attention. If you smoke it normally (nice'n'slow) it should last for 50+ smokes

[Proinsias]

thanks guys, the scotch flake is going down a treat at the moment

thinking I might pick another cob in a different style as I sample tobaccos and pick out a nice briar when I've got a better of what I like

It wasn't until I'd lit it for the first time that I realized I'd made more or less the same pipe choice as Popeye, which can't be a bad thing.

[Laney1566]

thanks guys, the scotch flake is going down a treat at the moment

thinking I might pick another cob in a different style as I sample tobaccos and pick out a nice briar when I've got a better of what I like

It wasn't until I'd lit it for the first time that I realized I'd made more or less the same pipe choice as Popeye, which can't be a bad thing.

All you need is a couple anchor tattoos and a sailor cap. Can you squint?
:lol:

[Proinsias]

:lol:

swmba is on the wii fit at the moment working up a sweat on 'The Biggest Loser' so I might have an Olive Oil to go with my corncob soon

[Commander Quan]

If it's a bent stemed cob I like to run the plastic stem through warm water occasionally. There is a bunch of junk that gets stuck in the kink where it's bent.

[Proinsias]

it's a clear, bent plastic stem, the pipe cleaners and fluid seem to do a pretty good job of cleaning it but as I'm chewing the outside of it whilst drooling into the inside of it the hot water bath does sound like a good option every so often

[SiBurning]

It's hard to find a reamer small enough to fit a Missouri Meerschaum. I use a dull knife (or the back of one) to scrape off the softer part of the build up when it gets thick. Some seem to just burn out from the center and get worse, others break in. I guess it depends on the corn.

[Laney1566]

:lol:

swmba is on the wii fit at the moment working up a sweat on 'The Biggest Loser' so I might have an Olive Oil to go with my corncob soon

You will really get her attention if you can spin the pipe in your mouth :w00t:

[ryeblade]

Lotso' info here with good links http://www.walkerbriarworks.com/html/cobs___stems.html
Good advice from all the posters. Actually a cob can last and function well for decades with minimal and proper care. Its virtue lies in not ghosting as much as briars due in part to the cobs porosity. It is prudent to keep the cake at a minimum, less than a well groomed briar and similar to a real meer. That's why it is called a poormans meerschaum. Missouri Meerschaum even sells an off the menu cob that hasn't been plastered up It is lighter and even more porous. All tobaccos smoke well in them but it seems that burleys especially are a good match for cobs. I like Classic Burley Kake and Bishops burley in 'em.

[Commander Quan]

The plastic stems get pretty chewed up if you clench, but you can order replacement bits for them. If you need to replace it the black stems seam to hold up a little better to clenchers, or you can check out Forever Stems for some premium stems you can use for years.

Once you get the pipe burnt in do a google search for "pipe mud" to keep your cobs. In top shape.

[Psicko]

I still have a cob that Ive had for four years, and still smokes great. Clean stem out with a pipe cleaner, and every so often alternate an alcohol soaked pipe cleaner, and a dry one until the pipe cleaner comes out clean. For the bowl, bend the pipe cleaner in half and swipe the bowl.
Popeye is my nickname that was given to me because I was active duty navy and smoked a corn cob. I am now in the navy reserves, and still get called popeye during my training times.

[OldSaw]

I still have a cob that Ive had for four years, and still smokes great. Clean stem out with a pipe cleaner, and every so often alternate an alcohol soaked pipe cleaner, and a dry one until the pipe cleaner comes out clean. For the bowl, bend the pipe cleaner in half and swipe the bowl.
Popeye is my nickname that was given to me because I was active duty navy and smoked a corn cob. I am now in the navy reserves, and still get called popeye during my training times.

I was in Navy boot camp with a guy we called Popeye. That was back around Aug-Oct 1981 in Orlando.

[RazoRock]

Everclear and a pipe-cleaner after each and every smoke. If you keep your cob squeaky clean, they will smoke great and show you a lot of love. It's good to own a few and let them thoroughly dry between smokes.

[JLKuehl]

I generally use a pipe cleaner dry after each smoke, and ream the bowl after every few smokes. It's lasted about 60 to 70 smokes now, but the last time I cleaned it, I accidentally ran the pick through the bottom. The pipe still smokes quite well, but it has lasted well past it's intended life. Next time I'm in the next town over, I'll shell out the $5 for a new pipe, maybe even 2. I've always smoked the bent stem varieties, and might go for a straight stem as well.

[77Plymouth]

I second the Everclear & pipecleaner routine, but I wouldn't do that after each smoke - maybe once a week really clean it out good with the Everclear. I'm also thinking you can invest on a good briar pipe for what's in your "sad looking wallet" if you look hard enough. Snag a deal on Ebay or tell your local tobacconist/b&m you want a good starter briar. Shouldn't be too much hurt on you these days if you know where to look.

[SiBurning]

I wouldn't get a starter pipe. They're just not good pipes. One I got wasn't even wide enough inside to run a pipe cleaner through. Better to get a used or a second.

[77Plymouth]

Was thinking "starter" was used or estate, as the basket pipes you might be referring to aren't even on the radar. Unless the OP wants to just mow the lawn with 'em.

[Proinsias]

Planning on picking up another cob and some more tobacco soon, reserves are running low. Done what another poster mentioned and poked down a little too hard on the bottom of the bowl, nearly going right through the base.

A briar will come soon too, I'll keep an eye out for a second hand one but if I'm buying new what should I be looking to spend to get out of the 'starter pipe' bracket? I was hoping maybe £40 or so would get me something decent but I really have no clue. I'd like to aim for something fairly basic but well made, I'd rather not send too much when I don't have much of an idea what kind of tobacco and pipe design I prefer yet.

And thanks to all for the feedback, much appreciated. The weather here has been terrible and it's much nicer to watch people trying to smoke a cigarette in gale force winds and rain outside of work knowing I can enjoy a nice pipe in the comfort of my own home when I get home. Well, almost - swmba won't let me smoke in the house but I've got a sneaky man cave in the loft where I can smoke and make tea beside a computer and heater.

[jwhite]

There are good smokers in the $55-$85 range here in the states from Peterson, Savinelli, Nording, and Comoy. That translates to roughly your budget but I don't know what the same pipes cost where you are.

[SiBurning]

Just stay away from what manufacturers and stores call starter pipes. They're not quite full size pipes and that will cause problems. These are typically in the $20-40us range new.

[Proinsias]

There are good smokers in the $55-$85 range here in the states from Peterson, Savinelli, Nording, and Comoy. That translates to roughly your budget but I don't know what the same pipes cost where you are.

This site was recommended to me, I bought my cob, accessories and tobacco there:
http://www.smoke-king.co.uk/acatalog/Buy_Pipes.html


I'll be back for more

[mparker762]

It's lasted about 60 to 70 smokes now, but the last time I cleaned it, I accidentally ran the pick through the bottom.

Get a little plaster of paris and seal the hole, or use a mix of cigar ash and spit, and it'll be fine. You can also drill out the bottom and fit a piece of hardwood dowel in there with some plaster of paris; some of the high-end cobs come like this from the factory. Short of actually lighting the cob on fire it's tough to really kill a cob.

[jwhite]

This site was recommended to me, I bought my cob, accessories and tobacco there:
http://www.smoke-king.co.uk/acatalog/Buy_Pipes.html


I'll be back for more
I have Peterson Irish army and system pipes that are within your budget on that site. I am fond of both and both make excellent first briars. The military style bit each of those have is intended to be capable of being broken down hot and they will take an incredible amount of abuse. Very hardy as well as attractive pipes that smoke well. They will likely have some stain on their bowl's interior, a S/A treatment will get the worst of it and make the breaking in process much nicer. Other than that no criticisms whatsoever.

[Proinsias]

Cheers James, some nice pipes there

What's s/a treatment? pipemud?

[mparker762]

What's s/a treatment? pipemud?

Salt/alcohol treatment. Fill the bowl up with kosher salt then use an eyedropper to fill the salt up with everclear and let sit overnight. The alcohol will dissolve the crud and pull it into the salt as it evaporates. Don't use bourbon or a lesser alcohol for this - the water in the alcohol will dissolve the salt and leach it into the wood which is *not* good. Everclear has very little water in it so the salt won't dissolve.

This technique is one way to fix a soured pipe, and will also take off the finish inside the Peterson bowls. BTW I don't think Peterson does this anymore, the last two petes I bought had a pre-carbonized coating inside the bowl instead of the smooth stained interior of yesteryear.

[jwhite]

Salt/alcohol treatment. Fill the bowl up with kosher salt then use an eyedropper to fill the salt up with everclear and let sit overnight. The alcohol will dissolve the crud and pull it into the salt as it evaporates. Don't use bourbon or a lesser alcohol for this - the water in the alcohol will dissolve the salt and leach it into the wood which is *not* good. Everclear has very little water in it so the salt won't dissolve.

This technique is one way to fix a soured pipe, and will also take off the finish inside the Peterson bowls. BTW I don't think Peterson does this anymore, the last two petes I bought had a pre-carbonized coating inside the bowl instead of the smooth stained interior of yesteryear.
+1
There are more detailed instructions in the repair and maintenance thread in the Gentleman's Essentials sticky. BTW Everclear is the brand name of a pure grain spirits alcohol 190 proof.