Reamers

[simplepipes]

I use a tube of sandpaper of various grits . . . works great and never compromises the bowl.

-sp

[Tsal]

I use an old Buttner.

[Bigflo]

I must be doing something wrong, I smoke every day and I don’t really have any cake in any of my pipes

[Fr_Tom]

I must be doing something wrong, I smoke every day and I don’t really have any cake in any of my pipes

Cake happens, but I think it is one of those things like the watched pot that never boils. People who are too fastidious about getting every spec of stray ash out of the bowl may slow the process a little. What builds faster it is smoking more and "maybe" just knocking ashes out on the heel of your shoe before reloading.

I would not worry that you are doing something wrong. If the one-pipe smoker uses a reamer every two pouches of tobacco maybe, figure out how long before you have smoked one of yours 30-40 times.

[MeerCat]

I've never used a reamer and don't own one. I wouldn't use them on my Meers if I had one.
I usually use fine grit sandpaper for removing thin cake but I've had to resort to the dremel with the sanding drum of neglected and abused restores I find used.
I build a half-moon shaped small chisel-like tool for getting down around the draft hole where rolled up sandpaper won't get.

I've just never needed a reamer since the sandpaper and slow rpm dremel seems to work for me.