This post was headed for the Black Pipe topic, but I thought I would post it here instead. It started with this black pipe I was going to rejuvenate. Upon arrival I noticed, but did not really recognize, that the stem wasn't inserted fully into the stummel.
I spent an enormous amount of time just cleaning this thing. The stummel was completely clogged. I finally opened it up with a needle-point file. The stem was nearly blocked as well. Whomever owned this pipe must have smoked it until there was no draw left. As you can see from the amount of cake, it was well loved. I cleaned it and re-dyed it. (The cleaning revealed a lot of big fills.) I then went to refit the stem and found the tenon was too long. Hmmm... Does it make sense that the owner replaced the stem with one that did not quite fit and kept right on smoking with it? I thought for a moment of shortening the tenon. It then dawned on me to check my parts bin to see if I had another stummel to try the stem on. Eureka! A GBD!
I don't think there's any doubt as to which stummel is going to the parts bin!
I spent an enormous amount of time just cleaning this thing. The stummel was completely clogged. I finally opened it up with a needle-point file. The stem was nearly blocked as well. Whomever owned this pipe must have smoked it until there was no draw left. As you can see from the amount of cake, it was well loved. I cleaned it and re-dyed it. (The cleaning revealed a lot of big fills.) I then went to refit the stem and found the tenon was too long. Hmmm... Does it make sense that the owner replaced the stem with one that did not quite fit and kept right on smoking with it? I thought for a moment of shortening the tenon. It then dawned on me to check my parts bin to see if I had another stummel to try the stem on. Eureka! A GBD!
I don't think there's any doubt as to which stummel is going to the parts bin!
