Stems on Estate pipes?

mephistopheles · Oct 25, 2014

Gentlemen,
I'm curious about the stems on Estate pipes that you've purchased. Do you change them out before smoking the pipe? If not, do the teeth marks bother you? How would you go about getting a new stem if you bought one that was broken?

sablebrush52 · Oct 25, 2014

Douse them in Sterno, light a match and you won't have any sanitation issues.

papajoe · Oct 25, 2014

If the theeth mark bother you, you can buy soft theeth grip for pipe and use them. After you clean the stem that is.

mephistopheles · Oct 25, 2014

How much does it typically cost to buy a stem from a place like Walker Pipe Repair? How does a service like that work? Do you send the pipe in and they send it back with a perfectly fitting stem?

wilson · Oct 26, 2014

You need to send the pipe, then you get a quote. I think a new stem is usually in the neighborhood of $25, but depend on the details. You need to send the pipe. They make a stem to fit your pipe; they don't have boxes of ready-made stems for certain brands and models of pipes that they can just send to you.
I've just cleaned and smoked the estates that I've purchased. A few marks on the stem are no big deal for me.

highlander · Oct 30, 2014

I personally hate teeth marks around the bit. I always use rubber pipe bits on my new or estate pipes. And estates I buy have to have a clean stem. Just a personal thing.
So the above is good to know if I absolutely have to have an estate with a bitten stem.

wyfbane · Oct 30, 2014

Teeth marks dont bother me either. I Also use the rubber nubby things so as to not put any marks on stems.

jeepnewbie · Oct 30, 2014

If you don't like teeth marks you can do some basic repairs for them. Take an old vulcanite stem file it on a piece of scrap paper, then add a bit of superglue. Mix that together into a paste, then use something small to apply it. I use a piece of scrap cardboard thats very small. I let it set for a few hours till the glue sets then file it down then finish it off with sanding from coarse to super fine sandpaper. I then buff to a shine. If I find some pics I'll post them.
There is also a black glue some on here have used with very good results. I forgot the name of the glue.

gmwolford · Oct 30, 2014

There is also a black glue some on here have used with very good results. I forgot the name of the glue.

Stewart-McDonald black superglue. It also comes in clear and Amber.

pitchfork · Oct 30, 2014

On rubber/vulcanite stems, teeth marks can often be smoothed out with heat. A lighter, candle or gas stove works for this. Get the stem hot and the dents will usually pop back out. However, be careful not to burn the stem. Gradual heat -- from a distance -- is best.

saltedplug · Nov 2, 2014

Toothmarks I would say are an aesthetic, rather than a functional, issue.
The repairmen already mentioned are all said to be good.
Old-style gritty toothpaste will get oxidation off; Obsidian Oil to shine.

mcitinner1 · Nov 2, 2014

Also, like anything older, the more original the piece is, the more it's worth. : puffy

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