I have read several times that one should not remove the stem of a pipe while cleaning it, but one should rather wait until the pipe cools and then run a cleaner through the stem from the mouth piece to the bowl/chamber. (I'm not too keen on the specific anatomical parts of a pipe, so if I word something wrong please correct me.) Now, I have only just recently found out this bit of advice, so I can;t tell you how many times I have removed the stems of my pipes in the past. My question is, why exactly do most folks preach that stem removal is forbidden? How exactly will it harm the pipe? And does this have anything to do with why the stem of one of my `briars is now extremely hard to put back on and turn into the correct position? Thanks in advance for any feedback.
Stem Removal - Yes or No?
- Thread starter tamperpuffington
- Start date
SmokingPipes.com Updates
Watch for Updates Twice a Week
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
Site Sponsors
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
- Status
I only remove the stem when I do a deep cleaning. I'm not sure but since the stem is a friction fit, I would think after some high volume of remove/insert, the action could cause some material to wear off and cause a loose fit. I have no practical experience to validate that, it is a theory only.
That's the thing, it isn't loose but rather very tight and sometimes i can't even turn it because it's so hard to do so.
.gif)
That was one of those immutable rules, don't remove the stem on a pipe while it is still hot from smoking. Many Forums members report they do this with no ill effect. Others observe it as part of pipe ritual, and others do it because they are cautious. I only take off the stems when I need to do a deep cleaning. Otherwise, I try not to remove them much. I avoid removing the stem when the pipe is hot, but if I felt I needed or wanted to, I take it on good authority that the risk of doing damage is pretty small.
Removing the stem from a warm pipe might loosen the fit over time as well as increasing the risk of cracking the shank.
This is because everything swells a little when warm.
I guess the tighter fit on your pipe is caused by deposits. If you clean the tenon and mortise with alcohol or hot water (be careful. Alcohol will damage the outer finish on the pipe, hot water will accelerate oxidation on a vulcanite stem), you might be good to go. If not, try some high grit sandpaper on the tenon. 400 or higher. Just be careful.
This is because everything swells a little when warm.
I guess the tighter fit on your pipe is caused by deposits. If you clean the tenon and mortise with alcohol or hot water (be careful. Alcohol will damage the outer finish on the pipe, hot water will accelerate oxidation on a vulcanite stem), you might be good to go. If not, try some high grit sandpaper on the tenon. 400 or higher. Just be careful.
Removing the stem while the pipe is still warm can damage your pipe. I know from experience because I did it to this pipe when I first bought it and smoked it and it cracked the shank. The band is aftermarket to repair the shank from the crack that was caused by removing the stem while the pipe was warm.
I do occasionally remove the stem for cleaning, but only if the pipe is cool.
I do occasionally remove the stem for cleaning, but only if the pipe is cool.
When I started smoking pipes I would remove the stem to clean after every smoke (after it was cool of course). But after a few years, many podcasts, reading, pipe shows, talking to pipe makers, I realized that is not ideal. I now only remove the stem after about 10 bowels and when deep cleaning. Similar to Hoosier above.
Military mounts are an exception. No issue there.
Military mounts are an exception. No issue there.
I had a Dr. Grabow get that way once. I knew very little about pipes at the time, so stupid old me decided to put the man grip on her since it just wasn't snugging up or wanting to turn hardly at all anymore. Ended up stripping the tenon from the stem, which I was shocked to find it had metal behind it, but still, I ended up just throwing it away. Knowing what I know now, that would never have happened, but oh well, you learn as you go. No clue as to why it happened. I cleaned it very well, but it just went kaput on me.
Duh! I never even thought that it could be build up or something similar to do with the tenon. I'll check it out and give it a good cleaning, because yea, I feel the need to put the man grip on it also, otherwise there's no getting that sucker back in place. Thanks for the info fellers
A little trick is to paint the tenon with a pencil. The graphite will work the same way as a lubricant.
I don't make it a practice to regularly remove the stem; especially when the pipe is still warm. As mentioned, moisture swells the briar mortise and heat can misshapen the tenon. It's also true that tenons that don't have a slightly rounded over edge can dig into the briar over time and cause the mortise to enlarge resulting in a loose stem fit. Many new pipes with loose stems will tighten after being smoked a time or two. I'm not a fastidious pipe cleaner so the stems on my pipes may or may not get removed once a year. If a pipe is smoking well, I don't clean it. I'll run a dry cleaner through it every now and then but not after every smoke. If a pipe has a significant gap between the bottom of the mortise and end of the tenon, I may pull it apart more often to clean any gunk that builds up in that space but I don't typically keep pipes with big gaps between the mortise and tenon.
George Dibos is an expert. If he says so, it is probably true. I have tried the method once or twice. It worked, but I have no experience with long-term effects.
I never remove a stem while the pipe is still warm. Some people here claim that it doesn't matter, but I'm not among them. I'll run a pipe cleaner through the airway between smokes if needed. But at the end of a days use I remove the stem so that I can swab out the mortise. Stinky badness can develop if the mortise gets foul. So far I haven't lost the fit on any of my pipes.
- Status