Unusual Re-stem Project (pic heavy)

[georged]

Thanks for the props, guys, and I'm delighted that so many people seem to be interested in the behind-the-curtain stuff. :D
This one was definitely a memorable challenge.
As for this:

The Crescent may become or is it already? your signature touch?

The answer is no. The elongated football "slash" logo is uniquely Baldo's.

 

[okiescout]

Great replacement. Much improved over the original stems shape.. Masterful work with that dremel, Georged. The hands of an artist.

 

[disinformatique]

:worship: Speechless !!

 

[janosh]

!That is an amazing work!

 

[andy]

Simply jaw dropping! I did not even know repairs like that could be executed so cleanly.

 

[mrbigglesworth]

georged sir, you are a true artist! :clap:

 

[exibar]

absolutely stunning work!
is that a round bar stock of vulcanite?

how did you bend the stem, just heat and bend with a wire inside the draw hole so it wouldn't collapse in?
Mike B

 

[georged]

is that a round bar stock of vulcanite?

Yes. It is generally available in meter-long pieces, and the large diameter stuff is occasionally sold by the inch. There are three major makers in the PipeWorld: NYH and SEM in Germany, and Nikko in Japan. (I personally prefer NYH for its consistency.)

how did you bend the stem, just heat and bend with a wire inside the draw hole so it wouldn't collapse in?

Heating to pliability and then cooling is indeed how ebonite is bent. There are a number of ways to do it. High volume producers usually use specialized ovens, artisan makers most often use heat guns (the common variety found in hardware stores).
Though many people think a supporting wire of some sort is necessary to keep a stem's airway from collapsing, it actually isn't the case. (Provided there's enough supporting material in the side walls of a tubular hole, the top and bottom won't move closer together when it's bent. And all pipe stems of conventional design have more than enough.)

 

[gaget]

For whoever might still be following this post or stummel (LOL) across it: I'm that gorgeous pipe's owner and I wanted to add a couple things. First, this is the consummate case study in the importance of bits. love the FB forums but very little attention is paid to the importance of a bit in the overall piping experience, from mouth feel to aesthetics. Second, I agree with the poster who said the line and aesthetics of Goerge's re-bit are FAR superior to the original. It's a magnificent piece of briar and incredibly elegant design for a large pipe. You simply can't get a sense of how large it is, yet supremely graceful and fits beautifully in the hand. but Baldo missed the mark on the stem, which was wimpy. And, (George's was too nice to say), the lucite was crappy and brittle, which led to the tenon snap when gently taken apart, as I do with all my pipes. We collaborated on the new bit, and it's sturdier and more appropriate for this magnificent pipe than the original. Definitely a lemonade from lemons story.