This is what I wanted to say but failed to due to crankiness. Thank you.
Can the Tenon be Fixed? I Say It Can?
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And still more word salad.
It's interesting how often people who've never DONE the thing being discussed are among the first to offer opinions about it.
I'll repeat what I've said since day one about this subject, and then be done with it.
Replacing tenons is simple in concept, but difficult to do well.
There is a long list of technical gotchas waiting in the bushes, and the process is also GREATLY affected by the pipe itself---the actual specimen being repaired. Some shapes/sizes are straightforward, others require a lot of thought to even come up with an approach and take several hours to accomplish. And in EVERY case there is no re-wind button.
I have seen countless botch jobs over the decades I've been working on pipes. The simplicity of the problem and (apparent) simplicity of the solution endlessly lures wannabe repairmen into the swamp.
If your definition of a proper repair is simply to be able to smoke the pipe again, finding someone with the equipment and desire to do it shouldn't be too hard.
If your definition of a proper repair is spot-on external shank stem alignment, zero light gap, a "functionally invisible" seam/join between the tenon and stem face, no compression dents or damage to the stem itself, no "trough" between the end of the replacement tenon and the original airway, and spot-on internal alignment of the airway between the tenon and stem... DO NOT ASSUME that anyone who is willing to repair your pipe will check all those boxes.
The reason all this matters to me enough to comment on in the first place is because some of the botch jobs I've seen were performed on max dollar collectables. A high-end Barbi comes to mind, as well as a Lars. There's been no shortage of less expensive but still valuable/collectable Italian, Japanese, and British pipes, either.
Their owners' reactions in every case? "I didn't realize something so simple could result in such an expensive, heartbreaking mess. I wish someone had told me..."
Well, here I am, trying to do exactly that.
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Oddly, though you attempt the elementary ad hominem of "word salad" you said the same general thing that I did...I appreciate your word salad too...could use more radishes though.And still more word salad.
It's interesting how often people who've never DONE the thing being discussed are among the first to offer opinions about it.
I'll repeat what I've said since day one about this subject, and then be done with it.
Replacing tenons is simple in concept, but difficult to do well.
There is a long list of technical gotchas waiting in the bushes, and the process is also GREATLY affected by the pipe itself---the actual specimen being repaired. Some shapes/sizes are straightforward, others require a lot of thought to even come up with an approach and take several hours to accomplish. And in EVERY case there is no re-wind button.
I have seen countless botch jobs over the decades I've been working on pipes. The simplicity of the problem and (apparent) simplicity of the solution endlessly lures wannabe repairmen into the swamp.
If your definition of a proper repair is simply to be able to smoke the pipe again, finding someone with the equipment and desire to do it shouldn't be too hard.
If your definition of a proper repair is spot-on external shank stem alignment, zero light gap, a "functionally invisible" seam/join between the tenon and stem face, no compression dents or damage to the stem itself, no "trough" between the end of the replacement tenon and the original airway, and spot-on internal alignment of the airway between the tenon and stem... DO NOT ASSUME that anyone who is willing to repair your pipe will check all those boxes.
The reason all this matters to me enough to comment on in the first place is because some of the botch jobs I've seen were performed on max dollar collectables. A high-end Barbi comes to mind, as well as a Lars. There's been no shortage of less expensive but still valuable/collectable Italian, Japanese, and British pipes, either.
Their owners' reactions in every case? "I didn't realize something so simple could result in such an expensive, heartbreaking mess. I wish someone had told me..."
Well, here I am, trying to do exactly that.
Everything you said is true...And still more word salad.
It's interesting how often people who've never DONE the thing being discussed are among the first to offer opinions about it.
I'll repeat what I've said since day one about this subject, and then be done with it.
Replacing tenons is simple in concept, but difficult to do well.
There is a long list of technical gotchas waiting in the bushes, and the process is also GREATLY affected by the pipe itself---the actual specimen being repaired. Some shapes/sizes are straightforward, others require a lot of thought to even come up with an approach and take several hours to accomplish. And in EVERY case there is no re-wind button.
I have seen countless botch jobs over the decades I've been working on pipes. The simplicity of the problem and (apparent) simplicity of the solution endlessly lures wannabe repairmen into the swamp.
If your definition of a proper repair is simply to be able to smoke the pipe again, finding someone with the equipment and desire to do it shouldn't be too hard.
If your definition of a proper repair is spot-on external shank stem alignment, zero light gap, a "functionally invisible" seam/join between the tenon and stem face, no compression dents or damage to the stem itself, no "trough" between the end of the replacement tenon and the original airway, and spot-on internal alignment of the airway between the tenon and stem... DO NOT ASSUME that anyone who is willing to repair your pipe will check all those boxes.
The reason all this matters to me enough to comment on in the first place is because some of the botch jobs I've seen were performed on max dollar collectables. A high-end Barbi comes to mind, as well as a Lars. There's been no shortage of less expensive but still valuable/collectable Italian, Japanese, and British pipes, either.
Their owners' reactions in every case? "I didn't realize something so simple could result in such an expensive, heartbreaking mess. I wish someone had told me..."
Well, here I am, trying to do exactly that.
But when my car's body is damaged - I mean really messed up - it goes to the body shop where it is repaired and made drivable. It really is never the same - but it is back on the road for many, many years of good service. I had a Paronelli - I broke the tenon. I loved that pipe. I sent it off for repair. It came back - but all of the gaps and poor fitting between the stem and the pipe were gone. It came back better than how I sent it.
In the particular case of my Stanwell, I made it very clear that I wasn't wanting to spend the money to "check off all of the boxes" all though I knew the pipe repair person was capable of doing so - I had seen what they did with the Paronelli. I am quite pleased with the $25 repair and the pipe looks and feels no different - other than it has a better drawl and fit then it did before. For $99 it could be made totally whole with everything mentioned above that you stated.
I think it is important that pipe owners understand that "not all is lost" when the tenon breaks. There are options beyond sending them back to the factory. My Honda , to use the car example, was repaired by what some considered the best in Southern California - a man with an extensive racing record as well as a reputation for restoring old classics. The repairs were outstanding, but... not perfect. I drove the car another 70,000 miles. If perfection was the standard in all things, nothing would get done.
I am about to send in an old MasterCraft where someone glued the stem to the pipe. The stem material is Bakerlite and it will be a challenge to redo. I have every confidence that it will come back with a tenon that works and in this case, a perfect fit with no gaps.
I don't know about you, but I take pleasure in knowing that my old relics can be salvaged instead of being tossed away forever.
I am confident that there are many others on this forum who would be happy knowing they had an option rather than despair. Pipe repair people are far and few between.
It is possible for two things to both be true. In this case, a repair can be made. In your case, a "proper" repair will take additional skill and time. But both things are still possible.
At the end of the day a tobacco pipe is a piece of wood with two holes in it, no matter how rough a tenon might look it's not going to affect the smoke.
I'll add only this: I was devastated when my Stanwell 91 broke. It is a Sixten Ivarrson designed pipe and it is truly a unique looking pipe. Knowing it could be repaired and brought back to working condition was something that made the harshness of what happened bearable. Seeing it sent back in the condition it was in before it left me was a joy. I am not sure what else there is to say. My pipe that was lost has come home to me and tomorrow I'll throw a feast.
A perfect time to end this on a good note—after every jot and tittle has been examined, refuted and recast.
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