clean & De ghost an estate pipe

[Alex]

One more thing, @Alex. Don't use isopropol alcohol. People do use it to sanitize an estate pipe, I have too. But I have come to the conclusion that if I'm going to use alcohol to clean I'll just use something tha humans can (theoretically) drink, i.e., Everclear, ethanol. I don't know that smoking a pipe cleaned with isopropol would hurt you, but I just don't want to take that chance.

Hi, just wanted to let you know I agree with you completely. I have used denatured alcohol , horrible stuff, but I then use vodka to rinse out any parts of the pipe, that it has touched. It was just experimental. And won't bother again with it. It's for making with shellac flakes. And maybe cleaning something.
By the way that's an excellent picture of you, I'm assuming , with your pipe in your mouth.

[Ruffinogold]

One more thing, @Alex. Don't use isopropol alcohol. People do use it to sanitize an estate pipe, I have too. But I have come to the conclusion that if I'm going to use alcohol to clean I'll just use something tha humans can (theoretically) drink, i.e., Everclear, ethanol. I don't know that smoking a pipe cleaned with isopropol would hurt you, but I just don't want to take that chance.

Hi, just wanted to let you know I agree with you completely. I have used denatured alcohol , horrible stuff, but I then use vodka to rinse out any parts of the pipe, that it has touched. It was just experimental. And won't bother again with it. It's for making with shellac flakes. And maybe cleaning something.
By the way that's an excellent picture of you, I'm assuming , with your pipe in your mouth.

Denatured alcohol is bad . It thins button polish / true shellac well but .. for a pipe Yeah , you found out

Whiskey , man .. whiskey ! Whiskey ages in wood .. a pipe is wood . It just seems to match up nicely . Higher alcohol isnt always necessary . If 80 proof whiskey takes a bit to clean it , so be it . I played around with different stuff many years ago and way back settled on whiskey .In the 80's I liked Canadian Mist . It was inexpensive [ still is ] and I liked it . I generally keep a flask size bottle around for cleaning still . Currently , I tried a really really cheap flask size Canadian whiskey and it works as well but I wont drink it . I even wrote on the label , so if my boys get an idea to drink it , ... horrid /do not drink

[Alex]

One more thing, @Alex. Don't use isopropol alcohol. People do use it to sanitize an estate pipe, I have too. But I have come to the conclusion that if I'm going to use alcohol to clean I'll just use something tha humans can (theoretically) drink, i.e., Everclear, ethanol. I don't know that smoking a pipe cleaned with isopropol would hurt you, but I just don't want to take that chance.

Hi, just wanted to let you know I agree with you completely. I have used denatured alcohol , horrible stuff, but I then use vodka to rinse out any parts of the pipe, that it has touched. It was just experimental. And won't bother again with it. It's for making with shellac flakes. And maybe cleaning something.
By the way that's an excellent picture of you, I'm assuming , with your pipe in your mouth.

Denatured alcohol is bad . It thins button polish / true shellac well but .. for a pipe Yeah , you found out

Whiskey , man .. whiskey ! Whiskey ages in wood .. a pipe is wood . It just seems to match up nicely . Higher alcohol isnt always necessary . If 80 proof whiskey takes a bit to clean it , so be it . I played around with different stuff many years ago and way back settled on whiskey .In the 80's I liked Canadian Mist . It was inexpensive [ still is ] and I liked it . I generally keep a flask size bottle around for cleaning still . Currently , I tried a really really cheap flask size Canadian whiskey and it works as well but I wont drink it . I even wrote on the label , so if my boys get an idea to drink it , ... horrid /do not drink

Thanks for the tip. how does it compare "crystal" which is a very strong 90 proof alcohol? I wouldn't drink it but I think it's for human consumption if you're a desperate Bendito alcoholic.

[Woodrow1953]

My go to is ISO alcohol for cleaning, de ghosting, pretty well everything. Stuff cotton balls in the mortise and shank.
A deep clean of the shank can be done with dishwashing liquid, and shank brushes. All very economical.
The ISO can be purchased at the drug store. Get the highest % available. I try to get 95 to 99%.

[Citizen B]

Have you ever tried a pipe retort?