A Whinge on Forever Stems!

[didimauw]

As mentioned by a few guys here, I had been smoking cobs for years before I bought an original white dot forever stem. I thought I was getting an upgrade, and I actually don't like them. They are very thick and cause a bad gurgle for me. Nice to look at though!

 

[AroEnglish]

Which pipes do you prefer? Any specific companies?

I really like Petersons for the looks. Their systems work well to keep cool, dry smoke. If you’re looking to try your first I’d recommend a rusticated standard system with a p-lip.

If I had to choose to have only one pipe that’s from a factory it’d be my Moonshine Cannonball. I love the large look, the large chamber, and how it hangs really well since it’s heavy.

If you’re looking for your first pipe I’d recommend a Rossi. They’re really well priced and are well made.

Let me know if you have any other questions!

 

[alhf94]

I really like Petersons for the looks. Their systems work well to keep cool, dry smoke. If you’re looking to try your first I’d recommend a rusticated standard system with a p-lip.

If I had to choose to have only one pipe that’s from a factory it’d be my Moonshine Cannonball. I love the large look, the large chamber, and how it hangs really well since it’s heavy.

If you’re looking for your first pipe I’d recommend a Rossi. They’re really well priced and are well made.

Let me know if you have any other questions!

I just looked the cannonball up, that looks very interesting. I might go for something like that in the future that has a larger bowl for longer sessions.

I only have experience with a cob country gentleman. I ordered a Savinelli Bing's favourite and I hope for it to arrive in the coming days. Have you tried a Savinelli before, I saw many comments praising them online.

I'm looking at some castellos on eBay. I don't mind going for a used one if it means getting one for a decent price.

 

[AroEnglish]

I just looked the cannonball up, that looks very interesting. I might go for something like that in the future that has a larger bowl for longer sessions.

I only have experience with a cob country gentleman. I ordered a Savinelli Bing's favourite and I hope for it to arrive in the coming days. Have you tried a Savinelli before, I saw many comments praising them online.

I'm looking at some castellos on eBay. I don't mind going for a used one if it means getting one for a decent price.

Yeah Savs are great. I’ve had a few and they delivered well.

If you’re looking for a Castello that’s less expensive, an alternative is Radice. I haven’t owned one but I’m hoping to get one one of these days. Check out both the Castello and Radice threads and the guys there can give you their opinions.

 

[ThermionicScott]

Yes. I think it's just my inexperience.

I tried something new a moment ago. When lighting my pipe, I took much deeper inhales than I did prior to create a deeper and stronger ember.
Creating way more smoke than I did earlier. I think this is the way to go. I was able to keep the pipe lit for longer this way with the forever stem.

With the reduced airflow in my draws from the forever stem my pipe kept going out more quickly compared to the original stem.

I think the forever stem highlighted an issue with my technique, I wasn't creating an optimal ember.

You keep using the word "inhale" -- hopefully you aren't meaning that literally. You'll get the best results with the smallest sips you can manage. Some people don't even sip unless they're lighting their pipe -- do a search for "breath smoking".

 

[Coreios]

I have several and they all are great smokers. Must be defected. Should look like this.Thats more than enough air.

 

[georged]

General info for opening a straight stem airway:

 

[alhf94]

I have several and they all are great smokers. Must be defected. Should look like this.Thats more than enough air.View attachment 249314

I have several and they all are great smokers. Must be defected. Should look like this.Thats more than enough air.View attachment 249314

I've just taken a picture of my stem. The opening on mine is about 2mm big. Does this look normal to you?

 

[bluegrassbrian]

Cob smokers... amirite?

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

Title edited for brevity and whimsy. Original Title:

"Just received forever stems for cob and I don't like them"

I received a couple of straight forever stems today. Excitedly, I put them in my country gentleman mm cob, but I'm a little disappointed.

The draw on the original cob stem is so open that you can pull air through with minimal effort. It makes it so relaxing to use minimal energy. The draw on the forever stems is so tight that the pathway for air to pass through is like a needle in the forever stem compared to the original stem. Not only does the forever stem take more effort to pull the smoke through, but it also means you can't keep the pipe light as easily as the amount of air reaching the bowl is restricted.

Very disappointed with the forever stems as I had such high expectations. Sure, they are higher quality than the original stem, but the airflow requiring more effort and the reduced ability to keep the bowl alight makes me wish not to use them again and just stick to the original stem.

Am I missing something?

100% correct.
Missouri Meerschaum basic plastic stems are among the best pipe stems ever.
The internal geometry of the injection molded Missouri Meerschaum stem is so good that only a handful of legendary pipemakers are capable of producing anything better.

If anything what we should be asking for is a fiber reinforced nylon stem from Missouri Meerschaum.
Hand drilled acrylic stems are a step backward.

It's readily apparent that the drilling in the Forever Stem is very narrow and probably substandard even for a factory pipe.
Not that you can't find factory pipes with a sub-3mm bore, but 3mm is the norm in factory pipes.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

Yeah Savs are great. I’ve had a few and they delivered well.

If you’re looking for a Castello that’s less expensive, an alternative is Radice. I haven’t owned one but I’m hoping to get one one of these days. Check out both the Castello and Radice threads and the guys there can give you their opinions.

My understanding is Castello specifically drills their stems for an open draw, Radice only uses the industry standard 3mm bore.
I've re-drilled both my Radice pipes.

I don't own a Castello because it's a huge upsell and the only benefit to me would be saving an hour re-drilling/polishing the stem.

 

[Coreios]

I've just taken a picture of my stem. The opening on mine is about 2mm big. Does this look normal to you?View attachment 249342

Yeah, that looks normal. Run a pipe cleaner through the pipe the next time you load it. Then pull it out before you light. It sounds like you're packing it too tight. Also, are you using a filter? If so remove it.

 

[Steddy]

I’d say gain some more experience before forming an opinion on what you do or don’t like. I’ve only been smoking a pipe regularly for two years and I’m still a new pipe smoker. My tastes for pipes and tobacco are still forming and will change.

 

[alhf94]

You keep using the word "inhale" -- hopefully you aren't meaning that literally. You'll get the best results with the smallest sips you can manage. Some people don't even sip unless they're lighting their pipe -- do a search for "breath smoking".

Yeah, I don't inhale. When lighting the pipe do you think short puffs or deeper puffs is the way to go?

 

[didimauw]

Yeah, I don't inhale. When lighting the pipe do you think short puffs or deeper puffs is the way to go?

I tell people, slow gentle sips. Pretend like you are smoking, but trying to hide it. Barely any smoke coming out to offend anyone lol. Best flavor this way.

 

[TakeThisCobAndStuffIt]

I smoke mostly cobs and all have been fitted with forever stems. I like them a lot and have not had any of the issues enumerated above. I do find them uncomfortable to clench, but that is the case for any acrylic stems for me and I don't like the rubber covers as they make the bit too big for my taste.