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oldreddog

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 4, 2014
923
6
I do a fair bit of my smoking whilst reading and have developed a bit of a clenching habit. I do quite like clenching and sipping away. But I have put some slight teeth marks in the stem, which I don't really mind too much.
Is clenching the stem good or bad,or each to their own?

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
Clenching puts wear on your pipe stem bit, and your teeth, but it's a time-honored habit and standard

if you smoke when you walk (lunting) or do work with your hands. The softy bit is a good remedy. No

question, clenching puts "chatter" marks on the pipe bit, but almost none of us buys pipes to sell (unless

we're in retail and/or restoration). With your own stable of pipes, do as you please, and take care of your

teeth. Larger pipes, I'd suggest not clenching; smoke them in hand, especially heavy pipes and pipes with

straight stems, and especially long stems that create some leverage. Just the common sense stuff.

 
I like that "hanging clench." I like adding new terms to my pipe jargon.
If you plan on ever trading your pipes or selling them, then it could be an issue as mentioned above, but me, I want my pipes all tossed on my funeral pyre with me. I'm taking them to Valhalla with me, ha ha. I'd hate to get there, and everyone else has a pipe but me :puffy:
My uncle's pipes all had a hole in the bottom of the stems from digging his eye tooth into the stem. He smoked them this way, giving them an added grip, so that he could easily fall asleep on the porch with it still clenched hanging on that tooth. Plus, if someone stole his pipe, he could easily identify it, ha ha.

 

mcitinner1

Lifer
Apr 5, 2014
4,043
24
Missouri
Coalsmoke I'm kind of surprised the 'hanging clench' isn't pretty uncomfortable for you. It is for me

because of the leverage, even with a cob. If I can't clench I have to hand hold and that makes it tough

to do anything but smoke. That's not really a bad thing though, is it.
tinner

 

oldreddog

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 4, 2014
923
6
Hanging clenching....I like that :)
Well as my pipes are for me own use and always will be I'll clench away! (although while being mindful of my teeth)

 

andystewart

Lifer
Jan 21, 2014
3,973
3
I clench pretty much whenever I smoke and have light marks on the stems because of it, with more pronounced dents from my eye teeth. However, the damage is minimal and my enjoyment from smoking while living my life enormous. Fair trade as far as I'm concerned!
Andy

 

papipeguy

Lifer
Jul 31, 2010
15,778
35
Bethlehem, Pa.
I have a friend who brings 12 pipes a month to the B&M to send out for new stems. Every month! I've never seen anything like it. He's a priest so I can imagine the cause for extreme clenching. Hearing confessions can be brutal.

 

dottiewarden

Lifer
Mar 25, 2014
3,053
57
Toronto
As a non clencher I wouldn't know, but after what derfatdutchman said about his vulcanite stems, I'm wondering how acrylic holds up to clenching.

 

saltedplug

Lifer
Aug 20, 2013
5,194
5,097
I clench. Up to 2012 I only left mild toothmarks, but since I can put deep marks in a stem with as little as 20 smokes. I use softy bits on all my pipes and have really grown to like them. I must admit that when I was trying to get used to them, I didn't like the rubbery taste they left in my mouth. Now I view them as the clencher's friend. Even if the stem is not easily clenchable, with a bit it certainly is.

 
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