Stingers

beardedcavalier · Feb 24, 2015

Hi guys,

In a nutshell, what's the purpose of a stinger and are the generally desirable or not?
On a related note, are all stingers removable or are some built into the tenon? Just picked up a vintage Kaywoodie from ebay, but the stinger seems to be stuck fast.
Cheers!

Chasing Embers · Feb 24, 2015

Stingers supposedly cool the smoke, and I really don't care for them as they make it difficult to run a pipe cleaner through the pipe. Some are removable, some not, but you could try soaking the stem in everclear to loosen the stinger.

kimbiker · Feb 24, 2015

The only pipes I've had with stingers are Dr Plum, the've been removable. Quick wipe with a tissue and back in she goes. No problem

cortezattic · Feb 24, 2015

The only Kaywoodie stingers I have seen are threaded so they can screw into the mortise; so, it's not something you would want to remove.

If you Google "Kaywoodie stingers" you'll find some relevant info.
I had a 1960's vintage Kaywoodie Supergrain with a permanent, threaded 3-hole stinger. Over the years, the bit ran out of alignment with the shank (sometimes referred to as over-clocking). I discovered that one could manually rotate the stinger until the bit and shank were aligned correctly once again. I did this by inserting a tiny screwdriver through the stinger holes and torquing it around. It was very stiff, but it did rotate. I can't really say that all such stingers rotate.

beardedcavalier · Feb 24, 2015

Thanks! Just realised that the stinger does indeed screw into the shank. Lucky I didn't pull any harder!

yorkshirepipe · Feb 24, 2015

I don't really experience a cooler smoke with them, but if it came as part of the pipe then I like to keep in.
I once bought a pipe in need of some TLC, the stinger was completely wedged through the drawhole and into the chamber wall, was a nightmare trying to remove it!

ssjones · Feb 24, 2015

I like smoking my Kaywoodies with the stingers. A lot of folks simply cut off the ball, just past the threads. Don't do that if your pipe is older, with a 4-hole stinger. I'd recommend smoking it first.

condorlover1 · Feb 24, 2015

We had a thread on this about six months ago. I find a hack saw and a pair of pliers deals with stingers very efficiently!

michiganlover · Feb 24, 2015

I have two Dr. Grabow pipes that have removable stingers. I normally smoke them with the stinger.They tend to trap a lot of moisture during the smoke, and require me to take the pipe apart 1-2 times during the typical bowl to clear the moisture. They will eventually cause a gurgle if not cleared.
In my opinion, stingers are unnecessary, and best removed.
I own one Kaywoodie, and it gurgled badly within a minute of lighting up with the stinger attached. It performs much better (but not perfectly, still gurgles just not as often), with the useless stinger sawed off.

shanelktown · Feb 24, 2015

I honestly don't mind stingers if they are removable. The pipes that they are built in are just a pain to clean but other then that no big deal right? The purpose is to cool and prevent moisture in the smoke ... I really don't believe that other then the science of the metal absorbing heat but how much heat do they absorb....and as far as moisture being removed I think most of the time you end up with a gurgle in your bowl. Why because the moisture being "absorbed" has to go somewhere...

I agree with most who say saw them off or remove them. Best of luck and enjoy your smoke!

igloo · Feb 24, 2015

I detest stingers and filters .Off with there heads ,the stinger heads that is .

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