Acrylic Or Vulcanite

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Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,248
108,348
Figured I would share this question that I get asked alot by new smokers that I know. Is it acrylic, or is it vulcanite? My answer to them is this. Other than the difference of one being harder than the other, there are two tests that I do. First, I tap the stem on my thumb nail. Sharp tap, acrylic. Dull tap, vulcanite/ebonite. Second is smell. Rub your thumb against the stem with enough pressure to make your thumb slightly warm. If there is the smell of hot rubber, vulcanite/ebonite.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
Usually, I can see the difference if I am shopping pipes at a shop or show. Acrylic has a slightly higher reflective surface. With new, well polished vulcanite, sometimes there is not much difference, but with a new pipe that has been in stock longer, or an estate pipe, you can usually tell just by looking. This thread is just about telling the difference, but I can say, I like them both equally for their qualities. With a heavy pipe, vulcanite is a little easier on the teeth, but acrylic doesn't oxidize and shows less wear.

 

clickklick

Lifer
May 5, 2014
1,700
212
I've found some acrylic acetate material that is very soft on the teeth. Very surprised. Feels softer than ebonite. I prefer acrylic.
I do the same as embers. But I can tell you that handcut German ebonite shines up to that of a black gloss acrylic that it can be impossible to discern from looks alone.

 
P

pipebuddy

Guest
I have stopped buying vulcanite stems and only buy acrylic. The pros are too numerous to consider buying vulcanite. I will live with cumberland but the pipe really must be an absolute beauty to my eye.

 

pruss

Lifer
Feb 6, 2013
3,558
370
Mytown
I have stopped buying vulcanite stems and only buy acrylic. The pros are too numerous to consider buying vulcanite. I will live with cumberland but the pipe really must be an absolute beauty to my eye.
That's the nice thing about our hobby, there's an option for everyone.
I am generally in the opposite camp. High quality German ebonite/brindle is a wonderful stem material with a fantastic feel on the teeth. I don't mind acrylic, as my chompers aren't too sensitive, but I do prefer a rubber stem to a hard plastic one. I like the look of some acrylic stems, but generally not at the expense of comfort.
That all being said, I check stems using similar processes as Chasingembers. The signs of oxidation on a stem is also a sure sign of the stem being a rubber based material. There are some horrible, horrible, vulcanite stems out there. Some of the worst I've ever had the pleasure of cleaning up were on mid-20th century drug store pipes. There is also some wonderful vulcanite/ebonite in the market place which with proper care won't show oxidation for years.
-- Pat

 
P

pipebuddy

Guest
I probably ended with the really crappy stems, then, because within 10 pipefuls, the oxydation was visible and it was downhill from there. Wheter buffed out, rubbed with obsidian oil, toothpaste, olive oil, etc, the oxydation shows right away (and the taste) as soon as your lips close around the stem.
I have seen acrylic stems evolve over the last 5 years or so. They are much better and softer than they used too. On some of my pipes, I can't make a difference between the two materials, in terms of how it feels between the teeth.
I have heard too that the german vulcanite stems were awesome, much better than before.
Now, to answer chasinmember's comment (as I did not read all of it the 1st time around), one can also tell immediately between the two if the pipe has been hanging for a while in the shop without being maintained. It will look greenish.

 

jon11

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 25, 2013
619
591
Vulcanite for me! Way better feel and most artisans use them.

 

georged

Lifer
Mar 7, 2013
5,491
13,920
Trust me on this. Making stems is what I do for a living. I go through more stock in a month than most solo pipemakers do in a year.
NEITHER vulcanite nor acrylic are automatically bad or good. Both materials are made with all manner of recipes and formulations. Hard, soft, variable heat resistance, varying degrees of blackness, density, and oxidation resistance (for vulcanite), bubble filled, bits-O-crap filled, you name it. Like every other man-made product in the world, there's a quality spectrum.
And please don't get lulled by the often heard "rod stock stems are automatically better than molded ones" mantra. I have seen both done brilliantly well, and both done so badly you wish murder was legal.
The only commonly repeated thing about stems that's completely true is: 1) all vulcanite oxidizes eventually; and 2) acrylic never will.

 

sparrowhawk

Lifer
Jul 24, 2013
2,941
219
I recently purchased a Peterson with a Vulcanite stem. I believe this is the only pipe I have with Vulcanite. Given that, how long does it take for oxidation to occur, and how do you clean it so it doesn't happen?

 

Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,248
108,348
If you keep it out of direct daylight, it will take a long time to happen. After each smoke, wipe down the pipe and stem with a soft cloth and massage a drop of Obsidian Oil into the stem.

 
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