Bite Marks — Or a defect?

[anotherbob]

Manufacturing defect.

While I agree that artisan pipes do not have the same quality control as a factory pipe, a pipe is still meant to be smoked. If they want you to only put it in your hand or show on a display stand, then they should have a label stating "No meant to be smoked" on it. 2 bowls is not even a break in.

Yes, be more careful with an artisan pipe but it still should stand up to normal wear and tear of its intended purpose. A pipe is a FUNCTIONAL piece of art.

Funny thing one of the things people used to tell me about why artisan pipes are worth more is that unlike a factory that turns them out an artisan pipe is babied over and is given special treatment so they have an extra blanket of quality control. The older I get the more I think people don't know what they're talking about and just repeat the things salesmen tell them.

 

[Law]

They're not impervious to the user regardless of how they are made. The pitting on that stem and scrapes around the button look pretty rough.

View attachment 219670

On a smaller note, the marks on the bottom of the bit is actually some unprofessional work I done on the bit ONLY with wet sandpaper, and I guess some scratches ended on the stem itself, so it wasn't from rough handling a 15 grams pipe. The button was too sharp and circular and was irritating my gums when resting the pipe, so I had to do some work on it to make the button more low profile. I don't have the best hands, but that pipe was for me and I didn't care for some blemishes.

Here is an image which shows a clearer view, you can see the mark is only on that side, and it isn't deep or rough. The bite through was in the opposite too. For sure it wasn't my teeth that caused it. And a side by side with a mike bay poker which I used for 2 months now, nearly daily and in some days, a couple of times, it handled my sharp tooth scratches pretty well, similar to my other pipes that I had for years and the many pipes had that I sold now.

 

[MattRVA]

I think you simply took too much material off and then bit to aggressively. I’d try to see about paying for a replacement from Tom if possible, or get another stem made somehow… or you can build the stem up with glue and sand it smooth.

 

[Law]

I think you simply took too much material off and then bit to aggressively. I’d try to see about paying for a replacement from Tom if possible, or get another stem made somehow… or you can build the stem up with glue and sand it smooth.

If you zoom in the picture, you can see the blemish is not even on the side of the crack. And I didn’t bite the stem. I do let it hang in my moral teeth and usually on top of my gums, like my other pipes. I will work something out soon for sure.

 

[MattRVA]

If you zoom in the picture, you can see the blemish is not even on the side of the crack. And I didn’t bite the stem. I do let it hang in my moral teeth and usually on top of my gums, like my other pipes. I will work something out soon for sure.

My bad. I hope you get it straightened out. Excuse me trying to play detective, it is fun to troubleshoot though.

 

[Law]

My bad. I hope you get it straightened out. Excuse me trying to play detective, it is fun to troubleshoot though.

Hey, some little fun won’t harm anybody, except when the fun of clenching a pipe turns into a horrid nightmare.

 

[MattRVA]

Hey, some little fun won’t harm anybody, except when the fun of clenching a pipe turns into a horrid nightmare.

Fun for me, not for you unfortunately.