Pipe Smoking Myth #2

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stanlaurel

Part of the Furniture Now
Jan 31, 2015
701
9
From my earliest days of reading-up on pipe smoking, I was told that removing the stem from your pipe while it was still warm was a huge taboo. The tenon would become loose and this would ruin your pipe.
I still observe this rule when possible, but sometimes not.
If my pipe will pass a pipe cleaner, I am able to clear obstructions or remove unwanted moisture mid-smoke. But if the pipe-cleaner won't pass, what am I to do? I go ahead and remove the stem, clean the shank, replace the stem and continue the smoke. I am not aware of having damaged one of my pipes so far.
I have an estate which arrived with a loose tenon that I fixed with a coat of nail polish. As a matter of fact I have a pipe which was new that I fixed this way too.
Will removing a warm stem really cause the tenon to become loose? Or is this a myth?

 

stickframer

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 11, 2015
875
8
Something along those lines was among the first things I read too, and I took it as gospel lol.
I would venture to say it's myth, as long as you put the pipe back together before it cools. That's my experience anyway.
I've only had one pipe develope a loose tenon. I heated the tenon very carefully with a lighter and it's good as new. The tenon has shape memory and heating it slightly will make it go to its proper shape.

 

aldecaker

Lifer
Feb 13, 2015
4,407
42
I always let a pipe cool before taking it apart, just in case. It's one experiment I wouldn't want to go wrong.

 
Jan 4, 2015
1,858
11
Massachusetts
I do it whenever I get a clog and I've never had it cause the bit to become loose. I suppose there is a possibility but in my experience it minimal. One exception, if the bit does not want to move when its warm I don't force it.

 

voorhees

Lifer
May 30, 2012
3,834
937
Gonadistan
Meh. If I need to clear some moisture and if the bend is too extreme to pass a cleaner. I will remove the stem, swab the draft hole and reinstall the stem. No problems so far.

 

shawnofthedead

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jun 5, 2015
249
5
I don't know to what extent is this true, by that I mean how cool do pipes have to be before you can take them apart to clean them? I've even gone as far as purchasing a laser thermometer (pyrometer?) to check the temperature of the bowl and shank, only taking them apart after it had dropped to room temperature... I'm sure that's overdoing it.

 

allan

Lifer
Dec 5, 2012
2,429
7
Bronx, NY
I don't know to what extent is this true, by that I mean how cool do pipes have to be before you can take them apart to clean them? I've even gone as far as purchasing a laser thermometer to check the temperature of the bowl and shank, only taking them apart after it had dropped to room temperature... I'm sure that's overdoing it.
Wow, I thought I took things too far...
 

allan

Lifer
Dec 5, 2012
2,429
7
Bronx, NY
I don't know to what extent is this true, by that I mean how cool do pipes have to be before you can take them apart to clean them? I've even gone as far as purchasing a laser thermometer to check the temperature of the bowl and shank, only taking them apart after it had dropped to room temperature... I'm sure that's overdoing it.
Wow, I thought I took things too far...
 

derfargin

Lifer
Mar 3, 2014
2,028
28
Kennesaw, GA
Talk about over thinking. Just another reason why buying expensive pipes to smoke is silly. Too afraid to pull out a stem while it's warm or hot. I'll pull the stem of mine out at anytime. Never had a problem.

 

shutterbugg

Lifer
Nov 18, 2013
1,451
21
I don't know where you heard that removing the stem while it's warm would make it get loose. Things expand when they heat up. It's a lot harder to pull the stem off a hot pipe. The danger is breaking it. The exception letting it cool are military stems (like Peterson system pipes for example) and spigot stems. Those are ok to pull off hot. I pull my Peterson stems off hot in mid-smoke and shake/blow the moisture out of them. (I don't recommend doing that indoors though unless you're a total pig).

 
Mar 1, 2014
3,646
4,916
As far as I can tell heat actually has very little to do with it, otherwise we would be telling people not to leave their stems off on sunny days, and my pipes should explode when I take them outside in winter (many degrees below freezing).

I've never felt a shank get hot either, the idea itself sounds ridiculous with Canadian shapes.
What I do know for sure is that about half the literature I can find on wood deals with moisture, and the tenon on my pipe gets quite tight after a bowl because wet wood expands.
My conclusion then is that it is important that your pipe not be allowed to dry with the stem out, because during that time your shank is literally changing shape, and could very well end up going out of round if you don't leave the stem in.

Actually your shank might be out of round before you take the stem off, and in practice it's exactly the same problem as the myth describes, just the idea that heat is the cause doesn't sound very accurate.
I appreciate my military mount pipes all the same, regardless of your pipe maintenance theories.

 

redpanda

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 11, 2015
286
1
I never remove the stem while smoking the pipe. So I can't tell whether or not it is a myth.But I can tell you one sure way to end up with a loose stem.It happened to a beloved Savinelli of mine and I did not even see it coming.
- Never leave your pipe out in the strong sun,with the stem on - I leave my pipes in the sun,because here in Cyprus the sun is really strong and they can dry for few hours,but I always take the stem out.This one time I did not and it has loosen. I just want to warn everybody,in case someone is not aware of this.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
That used to be gospel, now it's not. I observe it, as a holdover from the old days I suppose. Still, pulling off the stem mid-smoke seems unusual, the need to do it at all; I can't remember when I've done it, and I've certainly used pipe cleaners and tampers plenty, successfully. After a smoke, I usually use the residual warmth of the pipe to polish the briar (and stem while I'm at it) and that seems to bring up the shine better than doing it after the pipe cools. However, if you are pulling the stem mid-bowl, regularly, it sounds like you're doing something else "wrong." Packing, rubbing the tobacco out, or cleaning the pipe after each bowl.

 

blackbeard

Part of the Furniture Now
Sep 13, 2015
706
0
I can't call this a myth for two reasons. I've seen pipes dropped and not have any issues before a smoke. However, I myself dropped a briar while hot, as did my neighbor. His cracked, mine literally broke in half. So heat seems to make the briar easier to damage. As to removing the stem while hot, if you have a meerschaum and the tenon gets heated, it will expand. Removing it will put more pressure on shank, and can cause damage. For briar, I've seen one break when removed while hot. Whether this was caused by a flaw, or a crack to begin with I don't know. While it may not be likely; it is possible. There are a lot of factors to this, temperature, material, construction, force, and frequency. I personally wouldn't, but that's just me.

 
Mar 1, 2014
3,646
4,916
I should correct one thing in my post, the change I see from moisture isn't exactly as the myth describes, it's only similar in that it may be advisable to avoid removing the stem after smoking a bowl.

That said, I remove the stem for cleaning immediately after every bowl, but then I put it back on.

None of them have gone loose, so the exact myth is debunked in my mind (though it could just be that I'm in the wrong climate), but what I am worried about is breaking the tenon (I've broken one thus far) or not being able to get my stem back on.

Apparently sticking your pipe in the freezer should loosen the tenon if you've got something that's really stuck, but mine pretty much just broke from fatigue over time.

 

jimbo69

Might Stick Around
Jun 21, 2014
84
2
On the fence with this myth or fact. I've attempted to remove the stem from an off the truck (admittedly budget pipe) that resulted in a broken shank.
I live in the Texas heat though. I'll usually just run a cleaner through after smoking, fold the cleaner in half and wipe the bowl out then set the pipe aside and come back to it later.
Cheaper to be safe and to have an excuse to buy more pipes, um... I think :rofl:

 

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,570
27,077
Carmel Valley, CA
The only time I've had a problem with tenon fit is when I've left the stem out of the pipe too long. So cleaning by taking apart can happen hot or cold, no problem. I never ever leave the pipe disassembled.
Perhaps oddly, I always twist the stem clockwise to both remove and insert it. (50 years ago a respected gent said that was the way!)

 

bigpond

Lifer
Oct 14, 2014
2,019
13
I recall Fred Hanna mentioning some of his oldest pips have had their stems pulled hot for 30 years now without any sign of loosening or weakening. I've since adopted this and I believe the pipes have benefited from it. I clean my pipes immediately after every smoke with cleaners and no longer experience "sour" pipes and I don't have to bother with alcohol anymore. Myth busted around here.

 

zack24

Lifer
May 11, 2013
1,726
2
The only issue is pulling the stem when hot and leaving it to dry overnight...The moisture in the shank as it dries and cools will screw up the fit. Pulling a stem hot, cleaning and reinserting doesn't make any difference.

 
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