Are Some Acrylic Stems Better Than Others?

[Mike N]

Having moved from ebonite stems to mainly acrylics, I would appreciate any insight about whether there are “grades” of acrylic stems, or if they are all essentially the same? I don‘t think I’ve ever seen a thread that addresses that issue.

I’m in the process of breaking in the mid-range ($100 or so retail) Italian pipes shown below made by Stefano Santambrogio and Volkan/Alberto Paronelli. The briar bowls are each excellent— they burn cool and seldom require a third light. The only difference I’ve noticed so far is the “smoothness“ and sweeter taste of my more expensive acrylic stems. Of course, the stem is what comes in contact with a smoker’s lips so the texture and “taste” as it were are very important.

Do these acrylic stems just need some time on my buffing wheel, or do higher quality pipes come with higher quality acrylic stems? Thanks.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

I guess there may be a difference in fragility. higher quality ones mustn't be that prone to breakage.

 

[RustiePyles CPG]

The type of acrylic typically used for pipe stems comes in two varieties, cast and extruded. Cast is useable but has less impact resistance than extruded, cast also tends to be more transparent than extruded in the solid color versions. Meaning that you can get a black stem with a nearly transparent bite zone. The vast majority of acrylic used by pipe makers is extruded though. There tends not to be a lot of quality issues with any of the materials themselves but rather with how they are cut and shaped by the maker. Two pipe makers given the exact same materials can make wildly different stems in terms of quality and functionality.

 

[Searock Fan]

The type of acrylic typically used for pipe stems comes in two varieties, cast and extruded. Cast is useable but has less impact resistance than extruded, cast also tends to be more transparent than extruded in the solid color versions. Meaning that you can get a black stem with a nearly transparent bite zone. The vast majority of acrylic used by pipe makers is extruded though. There tends not to be a lot of quality issues with any of the materials themselves but rather with how they are cut and shaped by the maker. Two pipe makers given the exact same materials can make wildly different stems in terms of quality and functionality.

RustiePyles seems to know a lot more about this than I do. However, when I was making pipes I only used black lucite stems and I noticed early on that there was a difference in the "blackness" of some stems. I always used the ones with the blackest color. A good example of this is the stems on Castellos. They're blacker than a woodcuck's ass hole.

 

[RustiePyles CPG]

RustiePyles seems to know a lot more about this than I do. However, when I was making pipes I only used black lucite stems and I noticed early on that there was a difference in the "blackness" of some stems. I always used the ones with the blackest color. A good example of this is the stems on Castellos. They're blacker than a woodcuck's ass hole.

Yep, that's precisely the visual difference between cast and extruded. Cast tends to get transparent the thinner it gets and extruded is nearly completely opaque even when cut very thin. Black is when it's the most obvious, the black cast tends to look somewhat grey and when held up to a light you can see through it. I have a whole sheet of 1" thick cast at the house and have made several stems out of it. It produces a very cool gradient effect but isn't for everyone. Extruded will stay black as night even when cut thin and the amount of light transparency is minimal. Cast can be prone to tenon breakage if the tenon isn't cut with a small radius at its terminus, but so can extruded and vulcanite, just to a lesser extent.

 

[sablebrush52]

The short answer is yes, There are different formulations for acrylics and their properties vary. I have a few acrylic stems made for me by George Dibos, that use a special acrylic which has some "give" to it. It feels quite similar to high grade Vulcanite and has the benefit of not needing much maintenance at all.

 

[AroEnglish]

RustiePyles seems to know a lot more about this than I do. However, when I was making pipes I only used black lucite stems and I noticed early on that there was a difference in the "blackness" of some stems. I always used the ones with the blackest color. A good example of this is the stems on Castellos. They're blacker than a woodcuck's ass hole.

I’m afraid of learning what a “woodcuck” is, let alone learning about its

 

[bullet08]

When two things are different, they are different. I assume same things for acrylic. BUT! Now days, if you wish, you can be an elephant and call yourself Horton.

 

[RustiePyles CPG]

I’m afraid of learning what a “woodcuck” is, let alone learning about its

Woodchuck, Groundhog, whistle pig, marmot. It's a big ass ground squirrel.

 

[LeafErikson]

I would say yes. I don't know the science behind it but my Savinelli stems are certainly more comfortable and have slightly more give than my cheaper meerschaum stems. The Savinelli stems are Italian-made acrylic and the meers have Chinese-made acrylic but again I don't exactly know the scientific explanation. I've also noticed that the Savinelli acrylic can really take a beating. I've had a Savinelli pipe knocked out of my mouth while closing the rear window on my truck and my stomach dropped as I watched it slam onto the asphalt. It bounced around and got dinged up but the acrylic didn't break at all.

 

[RustiePyles CPG]

I would say yes. I don't know the science behind it but my Savinelli stems are certainly more comfortable and have slightly more give than my cheaper meerschaum stems. The Savinelli stems are Italian-made acrylic and the meers have Chinese-made acrylic but again I don't exactly know the scientific explanation. I've also noticed that the Savinelli acrylic can really take a beating. I've had a Savinelli pipe knocked out of my mouth while closing the rear window on my truck and my stomach dropped as I watched it slam onto the asphalt. It bounced around and got dinged up but the acrylic didn't break at all.

Despite their claims the vast majority of meerschaum stems are not acrylic, they are vinyl or nylon. There is a tendency within the industry to call any stem that's not ebonite/vulcanite acrylic. When in reality there are pipe stems made of all manner of thermoplastics with meer carvers using the lion's share of the non-acrylic thermoplastic stems.

 

[AroEnglish]

Despite their claims the vast majority of meerschaum stems are not acrylic, they are vinyl or nylon. There is a tendency within the industry to call any stem that's not ebonite/vulcanite acrylic. When in reality there are pipe stems made of all manner of thermoplastics with meer carvers using the lion's share of the non-acrylic thermoplastic stems.

Yeah I’ve noticed this but assumed it was just another type of acrylic. Now that you say nylon I think that’s actually what it is. It looks just fine but I hate how it feels.

 

[RustiePyles CPG]

Yeah I’ve noticed this but assumed it was just another type of acrylic. Now that you say nylon I think that’s actually what it is. It looks just fine but I hate how it feels.

I actually like nylon stems, they are very soft and still resilient. But they are nearly impossible to buff.

 

[Chasing Embers]

they are very soft and still resilient.

The very reason I like juma.

 

[RustiePyles CPG]

The very reason I like juma.

Yep, juma is pretty outstanding stuff. I'm surprised more pipe makers don't use it.

 

[spike]

I’ve been a great fan of acrylic stems since I bought a Caminetto in the mid-70s. The last two vulcanite stem pipes I’ve owned were a pair of Dunhill Ruby Barks. Great pipes, but I could not deal with the stems; so I traded them. Now I own 33 pipes, all acrylic or nice ebonites, and I use a softy bit on them to preserve my 71 year old teeth. I know that’s anathema to a lot of our community, but so be it.

That said, I think the old Perspex stems on GBDs are the best.

 

[PipeIT]

I will say one thing I’ve noticed on some pipes I’ve owned with acrylic stems, a plastic/chemical taste, when I’d draw on them, when the pipe wasn’t lit.

I never noticed anything like this, with the few vulcanite/cumberland pipes I’ve smoked, they were all very neutral clean tasting.

I’d say for anyone owning acrylic stemmed pipes, when they are not lit, at different times throughout smoking, draw on the pipe, and see if you taste anything too.

I wonder if Radice is using Cast, because when I shine the light on one of my Radice it has a gray color, and I can also now see part of the airway near the button.

I use to run Everclear 151 through the stem in the past after smoking, I wonder if it ate away at the airway, because when I bought it, I don’t recall ever being able to see the airway when shining light on it.

After this experience with an a acrylic stem, I will never dip any cleaners in any form of alcohol with them again, I’ll only now run dry pipe cleaners through them, and the same too with vulcanite/cumberland.

 

[RustiePyles CPG]

I will say one thing I’ve noticed on some pipes I’ve owned with acrylic stems, a plastic/chemical taste, when I’d draw on them, when the pipe wasn’t lit.

I never noticed anything like this, with the few vulcanite/cumberland pipes I’ve smoked, they were all very neutral clean tasting.

I’d say for anyone owning acrylic stemmed pipes, when they are not lit, at different times throughout smoking, draw on the pipe, and see if you taste anything too.

I wonder if Radice is using Cast, because when I shine the light on one of my Radice it has a gray color, and I can also now see part of the airway near the button.

I use to run Everclear 151 through the stem in the past after smoking, I wonder if it ate away at the airway, because when I bought it, I don’t recall ever being able to see the airway when shining light on it.

After this experience with an a acrylic stem, I will never dip any cleaners in any form of alcohol with them again, I’ll only now run dry pipe cleaners through them, and the same too with vulcanite/cumberland.

Alcohol won’t eat acrylic, it causes micro fractures. They look like spider webbing and can cause breakage but it won’t make material disappear.

Radice has used both cast and extruded as have most makers.

 

[georged]

Plastic stems are definitely not created equal.

In a nutshell: the easier it is to shape, the less durable/tough it is.

The worst acrylic is fragile, crack-prone, crumbly garbage. The best of it is tough as hell, but so difficult to cut and shape that practically no one uses it.

Juma's main problem is that it won't hold a bend. Otherwise, it's nice if the material's muted color "thing" doesn't bother you, or the additional weight.

 

[PipeIT]

Alcohol won’t eat acrylic, it causes micro fractures. They look like spider webbing and can cause breakage but it won’t make material disappear.

Radice has used both cast and extruded as have most makers.

Ok, well I’m assuming because of these micro fractures, it’s a good enough reason to avoid dipping the pipe cleaner in anything to run through them, and only use dry pipe cleaners through the stems.

I can also say, as long as I’ve been running a dry pipe cleaner occasionally through the stem while smoking, which everyone should be doing, and then after smoking, I’ve not noticed cleaners dipped in anything after smoking, making a better difference, so now I avoid it.