Vucanite vs Acrylic
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I'm not sure about the BPA, but the primary difference is vulcanite oxidizes and acrylic doesn't. I find acrylic is easy to scratch, but also easier to polish. You can remove scratches from acrylic, but it's difficult, as there's a very fine line between correcting a problem and making it worse. I find vulcanite to be more comfortable, but opinions on that surely differ.
Acrylic has a real hard "click" on the teeth - not giving at all like the vulcanite. But... after 20 years, you have a stem that has required no maintenance and might be showing faint tooth marks, where a vulcanite stem would probably be ready for replacement.
BPA free according to these guys:
http://www.clearlyacrylic.com/aboutplastics.html
There is sulfur in vulcanite stems, which can cause irritation of mucous membranes.
BPA free according to these guys:
http://www.clearlyacrylic.com/aboutplastics.html
There is sulfur in vulcanite stems, which can cause irritation of mucous membranes.
I think Vulcanite is easier on the teeth and jaw, if only slightly, and some purists prefer it as
a more traditional material. If people have a strong preference, it seems to be for Vulcanite.
Acrylic/plastic doesn't tend to gray or green-out (fade and stain) readily if it is high
quality. Acrylic can be done in a variety of colors and can lend a really distinguished look
to a pipe if it is done with taste. Some of the more wildly colored and far-out pipes use
really unusual colors, and this pleases some and turns off others. I have both kinds of
stems and find them both functional and fine. For a pipe that I carry in my mouth while
I work on something, I guess I'd go with Vulcanite (and a lighter pipe). What you want to
avoid is lower grade plastic that chews through rapidly, but you will only find this on
really inexpensive pipes, and souvenir pipes not made for regular smoking. BPA is a
plasticizer used to make plastic flexible and doesn't seem likely in pipe stems where
rigidity is wanted.
a more traditional material. If people have a strong preference, it seems to be for Vulcanite.
Acrylic/plastic doesn't tend to gray or green-out (fade and stain) readily if it is high
quality. Acrylic can be done in a variety of colors and can lend a really distinguished look
to a pipe if it is done with taste. Some of the more wildly colored and far-out pipes use
really unusual colors, and this pleases some and turns off others. I have both kinds of
stems and find them both functional and fine. For a pipe that I carry in my mouth while
I work on something, I guess I'd go with Vulcanite (and a lighter pipe). What you want to
avoid is lower grade plastic that chews through rapidly, but you will only find this on
really inexpensive pipes, and souvenir pipes not made for regular smoking. BPA is a
plasticizer used to make plastic flexible and doesn't seem likely in pipe stems where
rigidity is wanted.
Isn't lucite another name for acrylic? I may very well be wrong.
I have been buying Italian, so all but one of my pipes are acrylic-stemmed. I do feel the difference between its hardness and the rubber stem, but for my particular bite, the weight of the pipe and shape of the button are way more important for the feel and comfort (as opposed to the material).
I like the almost maintenace-free nature of plastic, and the colors can be pretty cool. But I would like a real cumberland stem!
Yeah acrylic and lucite are the same. I prefer lucite for the soul reason that it doesn't oxidize. After restoring tons of pipes, I lean towards acrylic, i don't really chew my stems up so the hardness isn't a factor for me.
Personally, it depends on the pipe and the stem for me. Some pipes I see with one type of stem and feel "eh", but then take a look at the same thing with a different stem and it's more of an "oohh". Yes, it has to be comfortable but the look of the total package makes or breaks the initial decision for me; the comfort factor comes into play later, after I've smoked it a while and know if it "fits" me or not.
I tend to "chew" my cobs more than other pipes as well but do prefer vulcanite over acrylic for mouthfeel. I had to buy a buffer to clean up my vulcanite stems because doing it by hand (a la matchstickman) took too long. At least that's how I rationalized it so please don't disabuse me of the fantasy I'm under. Besides, I like to play with things that spin.
All of my pipes have acrylic stems so I can't talk to the difference. I did notice though that my teeth were getting a little sore and so I tried a softy bit, at first hated the thing, but I've gotten used to is so now I have them on a few of my straight pipes. I wonder if I ever got a vulcanite stem if I could forgoe the softy?
I guess I'm a bit different. I actually prefer the mouth feel of the acrylic stems. They are smoother and I like that. The vulcanite stems have a slight roughness to them and unless you clean and polish after every other smoke, to me, they just feel dirtier. I don't really choose my pipes over this issue though. I'll buy either.
One other thought after my above post: Wider bits at the end of the stem, the part between your
teeth, distributes the weight better for either Vulcanite or acrylic stems. I have some acrylic stems
that are wider and are more comfortable than some of the more narrow Vulcanites. With the pressure
of your teeth spread across the width of a wider bit, you don't clench as hard and holding a pipe in
your mouth is more comfortable. A light pipe with a wide bit (of either kind) is easy on my teeth.
Different people have different jaws and teeth, so this will work for some and not others, but it works
for me.
teeth, distributes the weight better for either Vulcanite or acrylic stems. I have some acrylic stems
that are wider and are more comfortable than some of the more narrow Vulcanites. With the pressure
of your teeth spread across the width of a wider bit, you don't clench as hard and holding a pipe in
your mouth is more comfortable. A light pipe with a wide bit (of either kind) is easy on my teeth.
Different people have different jaws and teeth, so this will work for some and not others, but it works
for me.
On one of my MM cobs, with the stem getting chewed up, I bought a softy, the only
one I've tried, and it works fine, gave the pipe a whole new life. Didn't have to go for
a new stem, stock or improved Vulcanite, and didn't have to discard the pipe. Especially
with cobs, scorch and wear is part of the charm for me. Until the bowl actually cracks
down the side along the seams, like a crack in a brick wall, I prefer the well worn pipe
to a new one any day. Wear on pipes in my mind is good. Not abuse, but careful wear.
one I've tried, and it works fine, gave the pipe a whole new life. Didn't have to go for
a new stem, stock or improved Vulcanite, and didn't have to discard the pipe. Especially
with cobs, scorch and wear is part of the charm for me. Until the bowl actually cracks
down the side along the seams, like a crack in a brick wall, I prefer the well worn pipe
to a new one any day. Wear on pipes in my mind is good. Not abuse, but careful wear.
I use the soft on all my pipes. I actually like the feel of it, and I'm a clencher so it protects the pipe. Because I use softies, I really don't notice the difference between vulcanite or lucite.
I dislike the feel of acrylic stems and think they're too wide and thick at the button. The one pipe I still have with an acrylic stem is never smoked.
All plastics turn me off - probably because every time I'm in a theater or a concert hall somebody's always rustling and rattling some plastic candy- or cough drop wrappers. At meetings, people are forever digging through plastic pretzel bags. Plastic pens and mechanical pencils feel cheap and fake to me, too. Plastic utensils, even on a picnic or at a barbecue, give me heartburn.
(Yes, I'm typing this on a plastic laptop computer. I don't care for it, either!)
All plastics turn me off - probably because every time I'm in a theater or a concert hall somebody's always rustling and rattling some plastic candy- or cough drop wrappers. At meetings, people are forever digging through plastic pretzel bags. Plastic pens and mechanical pencils feel cheap and fake to me, too. Plastic utensils, even on a picnic or at a barbecue, give me heartburn.
(Yes, I'm typing this on a plastic laptop computer. I don't care for it, either!)
With the high quality German vulcanite, maintenance is really not much of an issue at all. The older British stems that are heavy in sulfur oxidize much easier. I have mostly vulcanite stems and not once has the German stuff oxidized on me. I really prefer the feel of rubber and will only buy acrylic if it is a Castello. I am not a fan of the Ashtonite stem, it feels just as hard as my acrylic ones. It is the reason I only have one Ashton pipe, plus the button design is not comfortable to me.
I just can't stand the acrylic. Of course, I didn't know at the time that many Italian made pipes come with acrylic. Since I'm a clencher, to me it's like biting on glass, although I was told that the newer acrylic is 'softer'. (Can't imagine what the harder acrylic must have been like)
If I can spend time away from this forum, my Castello is tolerable if I hold it and not leave it in my mouth.
If I can spend time away from this forum, my Castello is tolerable if I hold it and not leave it in my mouth.
Vulcanite feels better but requires more maintenance, acrylic doesn't feel as good but doesn't require much maintenance at all.
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