I'm Such a Noob

[DanWil84]

Smoked my only Briar pipe yesterday morning. Thought it wasnt hot anymore, so pulled the stem and cleaned it. Wanted to smoke it again, 0 draw.... Watched the stem, it had a bit offset, put a little pressure and broke the tenon in a gazillion pieces.....

So fair warning, let it cool more! And I'm on the hunt for another pipe....

 

[Ethan]

Bad news friend....any pics of the aftermath? Also this doesn't sound like a letting it cool issue to me.

 

[DanWil84]

Nah I dumped the pipe in emberassement. I might also have pulled the stem with to much force when cleaning. Lesson learned!

 

[Merton]

Hi, if you can afford it buy a couple of good inexpensive briars and a couple of decent cobs (e.g. carolina gent or dagner poker). This will reduce the urge to disassemble a hot pipe, although i agree with Ethan that it could be something else. You also might find a military mount or a spigot more to your liking as they can be broken down much more readily. Good luck

 

[CoffeeAndBourbon]

I second the cob suggestion. They are affordable, smoke well and last a long time. I have been very impressed with the ones I have.

 

[STP]

Yeah, you’re suppose to let pipes cool down, but I’ve disassembled warm pipes many times without any issues... maybe luck.

 

[Ethan]

A little beeswax on the tenon goes a long way towards assembly/disassembly for your next go round.

 

[DanWil84]

Thank you for the replies, I think it was just bad luck and a combination of factors. The Cobs are smoking good for now till I get my new Briar!

 

[danimalia]

I've broken a couple of tenons by dropping pipes, and another I had snap because the stem wasn't full in my car's center console so when I closed it...

I'll second the suggestion for army mounts and spigots. Not only can you break the pipe down at any point, even in the middle of smoking a bowl, but you can store it broken down so it will air out quicker if you want to smoke it again the same day. They tend not to be as inexpensive as some of the more affordable briars, but if you are willing/able to spend a hundred bucks or so, you will have a number of options from Peterson, and maybe others. And of course, the higher your budget, the more options you'll have.

 

[Chasing Embers]

I've always taken them apart immediately after smoking. Thirty years in and no breaks.

 

[karam]

Noob's an overused word, I snapped the shank of my first pipe once by putting it together without looking at what I was doing. A fraction more force applied made the shank explode.

I bet this is the last tenon snapping on you if no outside factor is at play, you'll be fine

 

[Fiddlepiper]

Accidents happen. Chalk it down to a learning experience. I always let mine cool a little but sounds like bad luck to me.

 

[thedoc333]

I've always taken them apart immediately after smoking. Thirty years in and no breaks.

A military style shank with metal on the mortise or acrylic on the mortise should help.

 

[Chasing Embers]

A military style shank with metal on the mortise or acrylic on the mortise should help.

?

I've never had a shank crack from removing the stem from a hot pipe. I've had military fits and never noticed a difference.

 

[olkofri]

I always let them cool. No point in drawing out that Murphy guy, and I'm in no hurry to take them apart, really.

 

[Humblepipe]

Tenon replacement is not expensive... less than $30 door to door. I have had a few tenons replaced/repaired (something I do not do myself) and have always been satisfied with the work. I am very picky too.

 

[Berg]

A little beeswax on the tenon goes a long way towards assembly/disassembly for your next go round.

Good tip; on the list of things to do. Thanks mate

 

[gamzultovah]

Happens to us all, noob or not.

This wasn’t hot, this was dropped.

 

[bullet08]

?

I've never had a shank crack from removing the stem from a hot pipe. I've had military fits and never noticed a difference.

Me neither. But it seems, it's a well known "fact" in some circles.

 

[bullet08]

Happens to us all, noob or not.
View attachment 72356
This wasn’t hot, this was dropped.

Pencil thin shank. I still don't own one. I'm afraid to break them.