From: Ian Augustus <????????????????????????>
Subject: Re: help if you can

<< Could it be that the tobacco has dried out too much (it has lost a 
lot of it's smell when I open the bags) or did something happen to my 
pipe? Do I need some pipe sweetener or something? >>

I would think that your pipe has probably gone sour.  This happens 
fairly often enough if you have only one pipe that you some with some 
frequency.  For the first six months I smoked a pipe I only had one 
pipe and it went sour every few months.  The tobacco could very well 
indeed be the culprit, but I'm willing to bet that it's the pipe 
itself.  Here's an inexpensive way to sweeten a pipe that's gone sour:

     1.  Take your pipe tool and scrape out any loose particles.  It's 
         usually best to pare down the carbon cake while you're at it.

     2.  Pour salt into the bowl (non-iodized is the best; ordinary 
         table salt will do, however).  Then, using an eyedropper or a 
         small funnel, pour rubbing alcohol into the bowl until the 
         salt is wet all the way through.  Be very careful not to get 
         any on the outside of the bowl, especially if your pipe is 
         finished with wax instead of a varnish.

     3.  Do the same with the shank.  Let it sit for a whole day.

     4.  You'll notice the salt it quite hard and a dark brown.  Using 
         the pick on your pipe tool, break the solidified salt and 
         scoop as much out as possible.  Then use a pipe cleaner and 
         get all the remaining crystals out.  You'll want to soak a few 
         cotton swabs in rubbing alchol and swab the inside of the bowl 
         and shank out to remove any remaining salt residue.

     5.  You ought to let the pipe dry out for a day or so, as the 
         water in the rubbing alcohol takes a while to vacate the wood 
         in your pipe.  After that, the pipe should taste as good as 
         new.  :)

Of course, the best way to prevent your pipe from going sour is to let 
it rest between smokes (a good excuse to buy another one!) and be sure 
to thoroughly clean it immediately after each smoke with a 
stiff-bristled pipe cleaner.  I've found that good cleaning habits have 
a great deal to do with the quality of smoke a pipe will afford.  

               Happy smoking!

               Ian Augustus

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|         LOCH LaSALLE GENTLEMEN'S BRIAR ASSOCIATION           |
|                    Niagara Falls, N.Y.                       |
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|  Ian Augustus                    www.travel.to/loch_lasalle  |
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