A Different Sort of Stem Too Tight?

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irishearl

Lifer
Aug 2, 2016
2,146
3,762
Kansas
1 of my long-time favorite pipes which I've owned and smoked regularly for at least 20 years has suddenly developed a stem too tight problem. Took an hour in the freezer to get to the point I could with much effort wrest the stem into proper position. Now I'm afraid I'll continue to have this problem with it to the point of not being able to use it at all. How in the heck does a pipe have no problem for 20 years and then develop 1? :x

 

donjgiles

Lifer
Apr 14, 2018
1,571
2,522
I would bet the inside of the shank is dirty with tars. A good cleaning with alcohol and q-tips should fix it.

 

ssjones

Moderator
Staff member
May 11, 2011
18,317
11,068
Maryland
postimg.cc
Dip a pipe cleaner in some alcohol, and put the cleaner into the stem/shank let it set If the shank was gummed up with tars, that should help. Once you get the stem out, twirl up a paper towel (that's a technical term!), dip it in some alcohol and work that into the shank (I use a tapered pin punch) and then twist it around, that will also clean the shank nicely. (or use a brush of the appropriate diameter dipped in alcohol).

 
Sep 18, 2015
3,253
41,957
Yeah, I don’t get it either. I’ve got one I bought new and everything was how it should be, then it tightened up to the point where I was afraid to try to take it apart, graphite helped. Then it loosened up, to the point where when I bent over the strumel actually came off the stem, luckily I caught it before it went over the edge. I used beeswax and babied it for a while. At this point it’s back to how it’s supposed to be. This pipe gets smoked at least once a day, five or six days a week.

 

blendtobac

Lifer
Oct 16, 2009
1,237
213
The pipe also may have taken on some moisture causing the wood to swell. If none of the other fixes work, try putting the pipe in some (uncooked) rice for a day or two.
Russ

 
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