School me on Hand Cut Stems

[Ahi Ka]

Not sure if I agree with that statement. There are all kinds of plastics that are injection molded, and I'm sure they don't have thin it down.

I just did a copy/paste. I’m assuming it is in direct reference to ebonite. It is something i would like to learn more about, and after watching some of george’s work on the lathe with pre-moulds, they don’t have to be inferior

 

[crashthegrey]

Kaywoodie never had hand cut stems, nor Lee's. Either before or after the Great War. Molded stems are not lower quality, and the stem is reshaped and the button cleaned up. Molded stems have mold lines on them that need to he sanded. The stem has to be flushed to the shank. One can also change the draught hole, the funnel, everything. It is hard to tell when you are finished. More a matter of how much extra work is done to the premold stem. I make nQa Pipes stems from rod and production Greywoodie pipes from premold stems. Some do not know the difference. Price is a big one. Hand cutting a stem takes a long time, maybe as long as the rest of the pipe. All to emulate what a premade stem will look like. Lol.

 

[theloniousmonkfish]

Kaywoodie never had hand cut stems, nor Lee's. Either before or after the Great War. Molded stems are not lower quality, and the stem is reshaped and the button cleaned up. Molded stems have mold lines on them that need to he sanded. The stem has to be flushed to the shank. One can also change the draught hole, the funnel, everything. It is hard to tell when you are finished. More a matter of how much extra work is done to the premold stem. I make nQa Pipes stems from rod and production Greywoodie pipes from premold stems. Some do not know the difference. Price is a big one. Hand cutting a stem takes a long time, maybe as long as the rest of the pipe. All to emulate what a premade stem will look like. Lol.

I have a KW question for you. They never had hand cut stems as you say, is it possible to get premold Cumberland as used on the Regent line?

 

[Briar Lee]

Marxman made the Mel-o grade, the Super Briar grade, and then a Benchmade grade. Above all those was the $25 “400”, which were large hand shaped specials.

Here’s a Benchmade grade standard medium Bulldog.

However this was stemmed, it looks like good work to me.

View attachment 198865View attachment 198866View attachment 198867View attachment 198868View attachment 198869View attachment 198870
View attachment 198873
I can dress that slot with a miniature file and make it as perfect as it was, or should have been in 1940 something.

It’s an art to stem a pipe, whichever method used.

 

[crashthegrey]

I have a KW question for you. They never had hand cut stems as you say, is it possible to get premold Cumberland as used on the Regent line?

Yes. To this day you can order them. Just quite expensive.

 

[crashthegrey]

Marxman made the Mel-o grade, the Super Briar grade, and then a Benchmade grade. Above all those was the $25 “400”, which were large hand shaped specials.

Here’s a Benchmade grade standard medium Bulldog.

However this was stemmed, it looks like good work to me.

View attachment 198865View attachment 198866View attachment 198867View attachment 198868View attachment 198869View attachment 198870
View attachment 198873
I can dress that slot with a miniature file and make it as perfect as it was, or should have been in 1940 something.

It’s an art to stem a pipe, whichever method used.

Even better if they chamfered the tenon.