Are Wood Stems Better Than Plastic Stems
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LHS made a briar stemed pipe as well. I also have a wally frank with a removable briar stem and a vulcanite tennon, that I have to clean up now, just to test it out.
As far as i know, all stems (vulcanite, acrylic, horn, wood, etc.) are manufactured by the native spoecies from this [planet made from materials found on this planet. How is that not natural?
I love my high quality German Vulcanite stems above all others. They are the softest on my teeth and I have no issues keeping them nice. The older sulphur laden british vulcanite while even softer than the German stuff is such a pain in the ass due to oxidization that they are not with bothering for me. I have 2 pipes that have acrylic stems and the only reason I bought one of them is because I have always wanted a Castello Collection Occhio di Pernice and the other one was the first pipe I ever owned( my Savinelli) and I did not know any better back then. I do own one pipe that has horn for a stem and honestly I am not a big fan. It is a Trevor Talbert Ligne Bertagne and while it is a great smoker, I had to have Zack trim it down because it was so uncomfortable.
Here is the Talbert with the horn.
For my tastes the comfort of the stem is a huge factor in how I enjoy my pipes, if the stem is not comfy, I don't like the pipe as much.
Here is the Talbert with the horn.
For my tastes the comfort of the stem is a huge factor in how I enjoy my pipes, if the stem is not comfy, I don't like the pipe as much.
That Collector grade LB is a stunner!
Thanks for talking about the horn bit also, I've always been interested because I've read that Talbert cuts those horn stems thick because he thinks they're brittle otherwise, but he's gotta cover his ass against over-zealous chompers, so I guess he does 'em thick for added security and longevity.
...so true,
it's a drag really,
I was sitting outside once with an older Britbriar and I literally watched as the damn stem went brown right in front of my eyes!
I wasn't even in direct sunlight.
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Thanks for talking about the horn bit also, I've always been interested because I've read that Talbert cuts those horn stems thick because he thinks they're brittle otherwise, but he's gotta cover his ass against over-zealous chompers, so I guess he does 'em thick for added security and longevity.
LOL
...so true,
it's a drag really,
I was sitting outside once with an older Britbriar and I literally watched as the damn stem went brown right in front of my eyes!
I wasn't even in direct sunlight.
I agree 100%
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If you've had that stem filed down, be VERY careful about bite-through. I made that mistake years ago with those very same horn stems by filling them down thinner because I wanted them flat, and every one of them collapsed on me within a week to a month. The horn material is just brittle by nature, and when it's wet it becomes badly fragile. I normally hold my pipes in hand rather than bite, and I *still* managed to ruin the several stems that I'd filed thinner. So, be cautioned... I learned fast that they were thick for a reason.
I was just talking about this with pipemaker David Huber over the weekend, at Pipe & Pint. There's this trend among high grade collectors to think that ultra-thin bits = craftsmanship, and that a 1mm thin bit somehow represents the mark of a high grade pipe. This makes me wince whenever I see them, because I've been doing this for longer than 2 years and what I see are bits that just won't last... Any biting at all and they'll start to bend or pierce or collapse down the road, and on top of that, the fact that they're usually ebonite cut this way means they'll inevitably fade and need to be compounded back to a gloss, which will gradually remove surface and risk collapsing the bit every time it's done. Basically, I regard ultra-thin bits as ticking time bombs - Nice to look at when new, but ill-suited for ten years of regular use.
I must admit that I like thin bits,
but damn, 1mm?
Are they really being made that ultrathin?
From looking at the chart that N.A. Roan made up, I wooda thot there was sumsorta close-to-universal consensus on the limits of what would be comfortable yet still durable...
...it would seem like 3mm and below would be a total dangerzone as far as longevity and durability is concerned.
but damn, 1mm?
Are they really being made that ultrathin?
From looking at the chart that N.A. Roan made up, I wooda thot there was sumsorta close-to-universal consensus on the limits of what would be comfortable yet still durable...
...it would seem like 3mm and below would be a total dangerzone as far as longevity and durability is concerned.
Nah, I was exaggerating, but I've seen a lot that were dangerously thin for longterm function, IMO. That chart is a little nuts because it's trying to quantify something that's handcut and that will vary from pipe to pipe and stem to stem. Pick three random pipes and you'll likely get three different sets of measurements. I don't work mine to numbers at all, I just work them to what feels "right" to me. I've been doing this a long time and so I'm able to pretty reliably do matching stems without using any calipers, but I'm sure they're not micro-exact matches. I actually think it's pretty funny how consistent they are, though, in that I can grab a stem I did 6 years ago and put the bit next to one done today, both without any measuring instruments, and they'll be close to identical.
Also, sometimes you just want the stem to vary a bit with the pipe. A really lightweight, elegant pipe calls for a very thin cut bit, while something big and heavy needs a thicker stem for the bite and bigger buttons for leverage. Trying to say, "X makes stems that are Y size" is a mistake because the needs of the specific pipe itself are the prime factor in designing what size the stem should be.
Unlike Trevor, I do take measurements for consistency although I agree that the stem, bit and button dimensions should match the size and style of the pipe. Most large pipes look silly with a small button and thin stem and vice versa.
+1
Neil’s list gives you an idea of tolerances but no hand maker can intentionally duplicate these figures without a lot of wasted effort. If the button is too high it can feel intrusive in the mouth and too low and it may not feel secure.
It comes down to, do you smoke with the pipe in your mouth (I don’t care for the word clench but it is descriptive) or do you exclusively hand hold.
Button shape can determine where your teeth imprint. Flat inside walls of the button usually force the smoker to bite onto the button for purchase while a rounded inside wall tends to put the teeth pressure more on the stem. I prefer the latter.
As far as thick / thin, it has to be the smoke hole diameter plus (approximately) two (2) times the thickness of the tolerance of the materials used. Too thin and it may not hold up to the initial bite pressure.
The best button/stem maker I’ve ever seen was Massimo Palazzi when he was with Ser Jacopo through the early 1990s (now of L’Anatra). The buttons were a refined smoothed ridge on both sides that placed your teeth directly on the stem and he also achieved some really thin tolerances that have held up for 30 years to my clenching. The few L’Anatras that I’ve seen don’t show this quality of stem/button work. I imagine that Massimo makes the bowls now so different hands, different result.
Wooden stems of any kind present several problems even for hand holders. The residual taste (ghost) is burned away when in the bowl but a wooden stem will retain that flavor and you’ll have to retort the pipe many times to remove it. It’s the same problem as too much moisture in the mortise that can retain a persistent taste. Clenching a wooden stem is just silly. Test it out with your dog, he’ll gladly chew it and deposit a nice load of bacteria and possibly breach or crimp the smoke hole. Wooden stems get dull fast and buffing them will misshapen them.
Trevor, Zack told me he filed it down a very small amount( because he knows how brittle horn can be) and it was enough so it now fits my teeth just fine. The pipe is light enough that I don't have to clench it hard at all. One of the reasons I smoke pipes that are mostly under 50 grams is so I don't have to bite hard on my stems. My vulcanite stems barely show any teeth marks if at all. I really do love the pipe and have been smoking it almost every other day. It is definitely a great flake pipe as it burns extremely cool and dry.
I'm a 50/50 guy - half the time clenching, half the time holding.
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I'm not really an experienced smoker though,
Robert Young is definitely experienced and I envy the ease of his laidback natural clenching,
like, wow.
8)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eMf6tOPmqg
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:I'm not really an experienced smoker though,
Robert Young is definitely experienced and I envy the ease of his laidback natural clenching,
like, wow.
8)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eMf6tOPmqg
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