When to cut the cake?

I'm just now, after about a year-and-a-half, getting some cake buildup...mainly around the top part of the pipe bowl. Have never smoked a pipe long enough to get cake buildup, so I guess I just need to even out the buildup with the rest of the bowl with my pocket knife?

I know...charring around the rim. But it's my everyday-knock-around-pipe.

If you are only getting cake build at the top, I would smoke some small bowls to get some on the bottom.

Is there a lot of unburned tobacco when you finish?

If you use a pocket knife, be very, very careful. A purpose built pipe reamer would be safer and more consistent and concentric. Trim to a thickness of a dime. An inexpensive Buttner tool would be ideal for the task

Whiskey Badger said:

Is there a lot of unburned tobacco when you finish?

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Naw, just at about 1/8 bowl or less when I dump the dottle. About where the shadow in the bottom of the bowl is in the last pic.

nortac said:

If you use a pocket knife, be very, very careful. A purpose built pipe reamer would be safer and more consistent and concentric. Trim to a thickness of a dime. An inexpensive Buttner tool would be ideal for the task

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Yep, I'll be very, very careful...just want to knock off some of the heavy stuff. Will do a rough cut first and do a finish cut later. Don't have a reamer but I think I'll get one on my next 'baccy order. The thickness of a dime is what I needed.

The Buttner tool is interesting. I think I'll do like the last guy to post a comment on the youtube video though...but use the sheepfoot blade on my Case mini Stockman instead of a spey blade. I have a feeling people have been using pocket knives to cut the cake for...at least a year or two. Or would that be a decade or two...or centuries.

Guess I could just hold the pipe in my hand and use my electric drill.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35LD9xk7dzo

I have tried the butner style reamer but prefer using a straight blade with a rounded edge from my Gentleman's manicure set.

Like this one:

Don't worry about the rim charring. Friends don't judge friends!

I mention this (using a knife) because the birth year Dunhill pipe I bought off the bay shows obvious signs of the previous owner using a knife or similar instrument to cut the cake, over a course of many years, resulted in a gouged out bowl, while still serviceable, is unsightly.

My tamper has a spoon side to it that actually works pretty well to scrape back some of the thick stuff.

I think I got it...took all of about 30 seconds with the pocket knife. Came off very easily.

That stuff is just carbon, isn't it?

Another newbie lesson learned.

Edit: The end of the closed pocket knife works well as a tamper too.

Brandon P K said:

My tamper has a spoon side to it that actually works pretty well to scrape back some of the thick stuff.

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I tried that...guess I wasn't putting enough elbow grease into it...afraid I'd screw up the bowl.

Can we get some more pics of the pipe? What I've seen so far looks pretty sharp.

Very good job with the knife, Mike. I like the reamer because I'm afraid I'd gouge the rim, but you look like you've mastered the technique on your first try.

Kilroy6644 said:

Can we get some more pics of the pipe? What I've seen so far looks pretty sharp.

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Sure. It's just a Savinelli Tevere 315. Nothing special, but it smokes well.

simon1 said:

Sure. It's just a Savinelli Tevere 315. Nothing special, but it smokes well.

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And looks swell. Thanks!

simon1 said:

I think I got it...took all of about 30 seconds with the pocket knife. Came off very easily.

That stuff is just carbon, isn't it?

Another newbie lesson learned.

Edit: The end of the closed pocket knife works well as a tamper too.



I tried that...guess I wasn't putting enough elbow grease into it...afraid I'd screw up the bowl.

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Nice Case, Mike. I have the same one- I dated it to 1987.

oc_in_fw said:

Nice Case, Mike. I have the same one- I dated it to 1987.

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Thanks Owen. It's a replacement for an earlier one that I sent back to Case because I broke a blade on it. My bad.

One of the blades is of a diff' shape though on the newer one. An old girlfriend gave me the first one, and Case sent the old one back with the original broken blade. Kinda like Zippo.

Your dating of it sounds right on the button.

My Dad's, Uncle's, friends of family, etc. that I have are way older than that one.

simon1 said:

Thanks Owen. It's a replacement for an earlier one that I sent back to Case because I broke a blade on it. My bad.

One of the blades is of a diff' shape though on the newer one. An old girlfriend gave me the first one, and Case sent the old one back with the original broken blade. Kinda like Zippo.

My Dad's, Uncle's, friends of family, etc. that I have are way older than that one.

Click to expand...

If you didn't know, Zippo now owns Case

Yup, knew that.

Also own Ronson.

They have a neat website; I'd like to see their museum.