i'd go for pipe cleaners. they're soft enough that they dont scratch, but the metal in them *will* poke out any resin in there. if you dont have a tobacco shop near, craft stores carry them. :)
yeah, that is an issue. maybe getting some plain wire (like for making jewelry with) and poking that through? peroxide would possibly loosen the blockage, then wire may be able to get through there.
then after that, dont put the pipe away dirty. ;) (my ex used to have the same issue occasionally with his pipe, and yes, i told him the same thing.)
All of this. I think rubbing alcohol, while harsh, would be much safer on the bone. Meanwhile, the stuff that clogs pipes is soluble in alcohol, so that should soften it fairly quickly.
As someone who cleans bone collected from roadkill, hunts, etc. Bone is very durable. Rubbing alcohol doesn't hurt it at all. Nor does hydrogen peroxide, Acetone, or ammonia. (Peroxide is used to whiten bone, acetone and ammonia used as degreasers and I've used rubbing alcohol to remove the white grease chalk left over from degreasing.) The one thing you NEVER want to use on bone is bleach- bleach degrades and destroys bone. I would think apple cider vinegar would be fine but I have no experience with it since it's not really good for cleaning bone (I've never had to unclog one before so it might work fine for that). I would be much more concerned with anything that can harm the leather, as leather gets stiff and changes texture when liquid, such as water, is applied unless the leather is oiled
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If it's safe to use on skin, it's safe to use on leather. Advice to consider in addition to what everyone else has said.
With THAT said, it might be a good idea, too, to treat the leather after you've got the clog taken care of. I forget where you can find the EXACT info, but leather, especially if it's around fire frequently enough, needs to be cleaned and basically rehydrated on a fairly regular basis. It can crack otherwise.
It's not a -delicate- material, but like our own skin, it needs love, too.
Vinegar of any type will leach the calcium from bone and antler and ruin it, it tends to either go all soft and rubbery, or get very crumbly and brittle. The best thing I can think of to clean it is to heat it up and soften the old resin, then scrape/poke it out with bits of wire, tiny screwdrivers, etc.
We use animal fat to preserve our leather. As for the pipe? boiling water tends to clean mine, but it has no wooded sections so I don't know how that would fair.
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then after that, dont put the pipe away dirty. ;) (my ex used to have the same issue occasionally with his pipe, and yes, i told him the same thing.)
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You could even try a hair dryer just near the bend where you think the problem is.
I'd hold it over the kettle while it was steaming, and I would probably also try a soak in boiling water (just the bone/bowl part).
I would not use vinegar at all. I would worry about what the acid could do to the bone. Same with baking soda (only the concern then is alkaline....)
Anyway, resin can be melted....
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I think rubbing alcohol, while harsh, would be much safer on the bone. Meanwhile, the stuff that clogs pipes is soluble in alcohol, so that should soften it fairly quickly.
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With THAT said, it might be a good idea, too, to treat the leather after you've got the clog taken care of. I forget where you can find the EXACT info, but leather, especially if it's around fire frequently enough, needs to be cleaned and basically rehydrated on a fairly regular basis. It can crack otherwise.
It's not a -delicate- material, but like our own skin, it needs love, too.
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