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tarak

tarak

Lifer
Jun 23, 2013
1,528
15
South Dakota
Hey all. I'm about to pull the trigger on an estate pipe....but I'm hitting one snag. This pipe (the most expensive I've ever considered) has a saddle bit- which is something I've never owned or smoked.
Are saddle bits purely at aesthetic thing, or is there a big functional difference in the smoking experience?

 
smokeybear

smokeybear

Lifer
Dec 21, 2012
2,202
24
Brampton,Ontario,Canada
From my understanding and I could be wrong a saddlebit means a bigger button and a bigger button means the lips or edges on the end of the stem are more pronounced. This is favored amongst the clenchers however I have never owned one personally.

 
ssjones

ssjones

Moderator
Staff member
May 11, 2011
18,410
11,301
Maryland
postimg.cc
I have plenty of both. At one time I was strictly buying saddle stems, lately I've switched to tapered stems. Most saddle stems have a thinner "stick of gum" look & feel. The buttons on my mostly British racks vary widely, depending more on the maker than the style. So, for me, it is strictly aesthetics.

 
pstlpkr

pstlpkr

Lifer
Dec 14, 2009
9,694
31
Birmingham, AL
Most saddle stems have a thinner "stick of gum" look & feel
Click to expand...

I agree.

However; if you are a clincher, I would not opt for a saddle bit.

I have bitten through several.

Granted, I have been known to be a bit (pardon the pun) slow.

I prefer a thicker stem, or preferably an acrylic stem... as a clincher.

:puffy:

 
captainsousie

captainsousie

Lifer
Aug 1, 2012
4,601
5,157
I've got about 1/2 and 1/2 saddle stem pipes to taper. In my opinion it is mostly aesthetics as I have varying shapes and thicknesses of bits in both. Granted I don't smoke a lot but I've not had the misfortune of biting through a bit yet.

 
bryanf

bryanf

Part of the Furniture Now
Jul 16, 2013
742
8
Interesting. Saddle bit is my favorite to clench. Easiest for me. Have one on my favorite billiard.

 
sergemoat

sergemoat

Can't Leave
Oct 15, 2011
340
0
I'm a fan of the saddle for comfort, but I'm not a clencher and I like very thin bits.

 
tjameson

tjameson

Lifer
Jun 16, 2012
1,191
4
I think the saddle stem is nice to clench. I've also found its comfortable to place the stem farther in my mouth to where the button rests on the roof of my mouth. I barely have to clench at all that way.

 
fishnbanjo

fishnbanjo

Lifer
Feb 27, 2013
3,030
63
+1 I don't care to clench at all having chomped through a nice stem once years back so I've learned to allow a pipe to hang if possible and tjameson did a great job of stating how I do this so I truly enjoy pipes that want to hang naturally.
I think the saddle stem is nice to clench. I've also found its comfortable to place the stem farther in my mouth to where the button rests on the roof of my mouth. I barely have to clench at all that way.
Click to expand...

 
phred

phred

Lifer
Dec 11, 2012
1,754
4
I'm finding that my saddle bit pipes are more comfortable (for me) in general, especially as I start clenching more. I've had a lot of dental work done, so I'm kind of particular about how hard I bite down on things - I've chipped a crown in the past, and have no desire to repeat the experience.

 
mso489

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,455
I think saddle stems may lighten a pipe just a bit, and also they have a reputation among some pipe smokers

for durability, which is good. I have a number of saddle stems, and on these particular pipes, I like the way

they look. If you're not displeased by the look, I think you'll be plenty happy with a saddle stem.

 
gwtwdbss

gwtwdbss

Lifer
Jun 13, 2012
2,945
16
53
I love saddle bits for clenching. I haven't bitten through any yet. They are my favorite stem type. Very comfortable between the teeth.

 
brewshooter

brewshooter

Lifer
Jun 2, 2011
1,658
3
Count me in as another fan of the saddle stems! They seem to spread the clench pressure out over a wider area and I can put them deeper towards the back teeth/molars and need very little pressure to hold the pipe in place.

 
snagstangl

snagstangl

Lifer
Jul 1, 2013
1,607
769
Iowa, United States
I find functionally about the same as far as draw goes. I agree they fit in the mouth farther back for some of them, but I have some saddle stems that are only an inch long or so and I cant fit those very far back in my mouth.

 
curl

curl

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 29, 2014
722
461
Good thread here.

My thought re saddle bits had been "I don't get it".

But I'm a clincher, so it makes sense to add one of this kind of pipe to the collection.

 
erichbaumer

erichbaumer

Part of the Furniture Now
Dec 4, 2012
738
5
Illinois
I prefer tapered aesthetically, but the saddle is better for clenching. I honestly don't consider it when buying a pipe. It would take a remarkable situation for it to even become a tiebreaker. Especially because it depends on how the particular bit choice works with the given pipe.

 
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