Amber Stem Question

[milk]

Hello folks who have a pipe with an amber stem. Question: Do you get any added joy from
owning something that’s millions of years old? They look rather beautiful. What do you think of their aesthetic and technical qualities? Why do you think they’re not used much anymore?

 

[Waning Embers]

Why do you think they’re not used much anymore?

Expense, difficulty to make, and fragility.

 

[OzPiper]

Expense, difficulty to make, and fragility.

^^^^^ this
They look great




You have to treat them with kids gloves
They are prone to breakage and chipping.
Avoid dissembling the pipe as much as possible

Not the most practical material available

Trophy pipe or smoker ?

 

[milk]

They’re really beau

^^^^^ this
They look great

View attachment 399962
View attachment 399963
View attachment 399964
You have to treat them with kids gloves
They are prone to breakage and chipping.
Avoid dissembling the pipe as much as possible

Not the most practical material available

Trophy pipe or smoker ?

^^^^^ this
They look great

View attachment 399962
View attachment 399963
View attachment 399964
You have to treat them with kids gloves
They are prone to breakage and chipping.
Avoid dissembling the pipe as much as possible

Not the most practical material available

Trophy pipe or smoker ?

These are beautiful. They really make great looking stems. I want one but I wonder if I’ll just end up avoiding smoking it though. I was also curious if there’s an added mystique about Amber being so ancient.

 

[OzPiper]

I take them out from time to time,
Synthetic amber or acrylic may not have the cachet of amber, but is so much more practical
Otherwise you might come across ones with both an amber and a vulcanite stem like this one.


Or the amber stemmed Petersons released a few years ago featuring both amber and vulcanite stems for day-to-day use

 

[Cory H]

They are really neat pipes. Peterson imo seems to have the corner for weird and wonderful designs on a mass scale. I’d love an amber stem but I know it would end up on display more than used. Pipes and pocket knives for me are funny enough viewed in the same manner, I have five or six expensive or unique ones but the ones I carry or use everyday are budget. I have a pipe I’ve never used because I’m saving it for my children’s graduation day which no one would even care about but me! I’ve literally reached for a pipe and thought “oh, no that’s for my good tobacco.”

 

[condorlover1]

Speaking as regular user and owner of amber stemmed pipes I can make the following observations. A lot of what is claimed as amber or 'Cherry' amber is either Amberine or Redmanol which was used for pipe stems and even cigarette holders from the late 19th century through to the 1920s in the case of Redmanol which is a type of Bakelite this had it's hey day just before and after WW1. Real amber can be as hard as glass on the teeth, has a nasty habit of degrading if exposed to sunlight and if dropped can mimic a fragmentation grenade. You can easily test for the stuff with a hot needle but remember the golden rule of amber stems, never try and use anything but the softest pipe cleaner when cleaning and don't strip down the pipe or you will break the stem. Beyond these observations the stuff is great but not overly practical if you intend to go hunting in the woods!

 

[craig61a]

Yes, they are nice, and I own/have owned several.

I don’t clench, so I’m not worried about them being hard on my teeth. The most common issue would be destroying the bit by chewing on it.

They are notoriously fragile. I’ve broken a few by inattentive/careless handling.

I tend not to smoke the ones I have all that often as they require careful handling to avoid breaking them…

I sold off a bunch of amber stem pipes I had a few years ago just because I rarely smoked them. The novelty just kind of wore off.

 

[sablebrush52]

Amber stems are beautiful, but due to their age and the effects of drying out they are very fragile and brittle.

Also keep in mind that the last restorer experienced in making amber replacement stems retired a few years ago. So, you’re on your own. Break it, you’re fucked.

Synthetic amber can give you the same bling without the drawbacks.

 

[milk]

Amber stems are beautiful, but due to their age and the effects of drying out they are very fragile and brittle.

Also keep in mind that the last restorer experienced in making amber replacement stems retired a few years ago. So, you’re on your own. Break it, you’re fucked.

Synthetic amber can give you the same bling without the drawbacks.

You might find this interesting from someone who has sold pipes here and who is, I think, well liked. He had an acrylic stem affixed in place of what might have been an amber one. It's a unique looking specimen:
Pardon Our Interruption... - https://www.ebay.com/itm/316997923873

 

[renfield]

I love my amber stemmed pipes but they always get gentle handling. As was mentioned above, old amber is very delicate.

 

[xrundog]

You might find this interesting from someone who has sold pipes here and who is, I think, well liked. He had an acrylic stem affixed in place of what might have been an amber one. It's a unique looking specimen:
Pardon Our Interruption... - https://www.ebay.com/itm/316997923873

That’s probably the best color acrylic I’ve seen to mimic amber. The curve and bit shaping are a little off though. Price isn’t bad though.

 

[anotherbob]

Not a fan. In part if it breaks it's super sharp like broken glass sharp. Also find that it always seems like the proportions are off.

 

[captainsousie]

I enjoy my amber stems. I worry about them too and don't smoke them as much as I should. I've gone to wrapping them so they're more comfortable on my teeth and less likely to chip. I have a great one courtesy of @Ahi Ka which I enjoyed regularly when I was still smoking. Hopefully I'll enjoy it again soon.

 

[milk]

Not a fan. In part if it breaks it's super sharp like broken glass sharp. Also find that it always seems like the proportions are off.

It looks like a quality stem but it also looks a little modern somehow. Would you have taken the challenge or do you think it just can’t be done? I think the diamond shape is part of what makes it a hard ask.

 

[bayareabriar]

^^^^^ this
They look great

View attachment 399962
View attachment 399963
View attachment 399964
You have to treat them with kids gloves
They are prone to breakage and chipping.
Avoid dissembling the pipe as much as possible

Not the most practical material available

Trophy pipe or smoker ?

What Dunny cigar is that?

 

[OzPiper]

What Dunny cigar is that?

A Cuban Dunhill Estupendo