Fancy Lucite Rod Stock

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kashmir

Lifer
May 17, 2011
2,712
63
Northern New Jersey
Does anyone know a pipe repairman or pipe artisan who uses fancy swirled Lucite rod stock? I have a set of Dunhill shells and I'm tired of dealing with oxidation of vulcanite stems. I'm looking for the bright almost day glo swirled Lucite stock as used by JT Cooke. I think a black malachite green swirl Lucite, would look cool on a darkly blasted pipe. Or an orange black swirl. I've seen the Lucite stock offered by Walker Briar Works, but they seem muted and lack the bright colors. Anyone know who is using such exotic stem stock?
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patiobum

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 5, 2009
661
37
Baytown,Texas
Joe Case of Joe Case pipes makes some nice pipes and uses bright colored lucite.
He has a utube video of himself making a stem and has quite a few utube videos showing his pipes. joecasepipes.com

 

pitchfork

Lifer
May 25, 2012
4,030
605
As I understand it, Cooke mixes his own acrylic in order to achieve those colors and patterns. That sort of thing may not even be available in ordinary rod stock. I'd keep asking around, though.

 

patiobum

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 5, 2009
661
37
Baytown,Texas
One pen blank supply that I know of that carries lucite is exoticblanks.com Most carry acrlyic,a lil brittle for a stem.

 

kashmir

Lifer
May 17, 2011
2,712
63
Northern New Jersey
Thanks to Mr. Lowercase, for providing me the link below, and to master pipe repairman Mike Meyers, who's agreed to re-stem a set of Dunhill shells, I'm set to go.
I've got four Dunhill shells who carry worn out vulcanite stems. I'm thinking if replacing them with dayglo Lucite stems.
So, I'd like to ask my brother's here which of the stems below do you think would work best on black Dunhill shell strumels. I'm having a hard time deciding, and could use some help.
I'm partial to the green and sky blue. Larry Roush has made some gorgeous black blasted pipes with baby blue bakelite stems and green Cumberland stems which these approximate.
http://www.pipemakers.org/lucite04.html
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kashmir

Lifer
May 17, 2011
2,712
63
Northern New Jersey
Well now, I'm having the darndest time finding a pipe repairman who will to cut me a stem from acrylic Lucite pen blanks. These are 3/4 x 3/4 x 5 inch acrylic swirled blocks that are sold to the pen making community as sold on Woodcraft Inc. I seem to be caught in a catch 22. Pipe artisans will craft stems from straight rod stock, ebonite or Lucite, but only do so on their own line of pipes. Pipe repairmen seem only to want to fashion stems from what they term stem blanks that already come pre-cut. Anyone know of someone who crafts stems straight from rod stock?

 

cigrmaster

Lifer
May 26, 2012
20,249
57,280
66
Sarasota Florida
Kashmir, have you dropped a hit of blotter lately? lol
Why not get some high quality German vulcanite cumberland stems? I think cumberland looks great with the Dunhill's and all you need is Obidisian to keep them looking great. I have no issues with any of my newer vulcanite stems.

 

kashmir

Lifer
May 17, 2011
2,712
63
Northern New Jersey
Not lately cigrmaster. LMAO. It's just after thirty years of maintaining nice glossy stem finishes on some 65 pipes, with no buffing wheels - just elbow grease. Plus at my rate of smoking 5 to 8 bowls a day, I think I've had it with vulcanite. I just got better things to do with my time. The few Lucite stems I do have on my Downies, Castellos, Radices and Negoitas are a real pleasure. Always looking brand new, with minimal fuss. After some inquiries I've got Ronni B. over at Night Owl Pipeworks and Floyd Norwood from Norwood Pipe Repair, who've both graciously agreed to hand cut me some stems from my store of exotic Lucite blocks. I'll post pics as these materialize. Of course I'll keep the original vulcanite stems in labeled sealed ziplocks. My idea of pairing up blue and green stem colors with black sandblasts was inspired by Larry Roush's color combinations on his gallery pages. Check out some of these Lucite blocks and imagine them paired up with black blasted strumels.
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