I was recently introduced to a new brand of pipe cleaners by a friend. I know you are thinking, "What another pipe cleaner?" After all the pipe cleaners that have come along over the years, do we really need another one? Well, my answer is yes, if it is better than what is currently available. I feel these are better in several respects. They are tapered with a slight oval shape so they fit lots of different stems. They are all cotton and very absorbent unlike the polyester brands. The best feature is they are very stiff unlike many pipe cleaners that bend up before you get the job done. They come in an envelope of 50 cleaners. The bonus is that there is a great long, round brush in each envelope. The brush has a small nylon ball at the end so it will not damage the bowl as it passes through the shank into the bowl and sometimes to the far side of the bowl. It does a great job of cleaning the inside of the shank and the stem.