Castello pipe
- Thread starter allan
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I love Castellos. They are fantastic, high-grade pipes. (And that's a beauty you picked up!)
I feel like putting in my .02 regarding stems, though. I've noticed that a lot of folks -- even online sellers -- identify lucite as acrylic. That may technically be accurate, I don't know the science differentiating these two materials, but I don't think it's helpful.
Vulcanite is rubber; we all agree on that. It can easily "cloud" and get discolored at the bit.
Lucite is a hard, usually black plastic that can be hand-carved and result in a thinner mouthpiece than Vulcanite. It is glossy and will always be glossy. It is more resistant to teeth marks, but that's because it also doesn't "give" very much when clenched in the mouth. For some, that might make it a bit more uncomfortable to hold for long periods.
An acrylic stem is thicker, colored, molded plastic. You see them on some GBDs, a lot of older Caminettos, and virtually every meerschaum. They can become a bit dull, but they never discolor like a Vulcanite stem. They don't "give" at all when clenched by the teeth.
(Finally, there's simple plastic, like what you'd find on a corncob. With a little effort, you can chew your way through a cheap plastic stem.)
Feel free to disagree! But these are the definitions I was raised on, and I think they're still useful today.
Bob
I feel like putting in my .02 regarding stems, though. I've noticed that a lot of folks -- even online sellers -- identify lucite as acrylic. That may technically be accurate, I don't know the science differentiating these two materials, but I don't think it's helpful.
Vulcanite is rubber; we all agree on that. It can easily "cloud" and get discolored at the bit.
Lucite is a hard, usually black plastic that can be hand-carved and result in a thinner mouthpiece than Vulcanite. It is glossy and will always be glossy. It is more resistant to teeth marks, but that's because it also doesn't "give" very much when clenched in the mouth. For some, that might make it a bit more uncomfortable to hold for long periods.
An acrylic stem is thicker, colored, molded plastic. You see them on some GBDs, a lot of older Caminettos, and virtually every meerschaum. They can become a bit dull, but they never discolor like a Vulcanite stem. They don't "give" at all when clenched by the teeth.
(Finally, there's simple plastic, like what you'd find on a corncob. With a little effort, you can chew your way through a cheap plastic stem.)
Feel free to disagree! But these are the definitions I was raised on, and I think they're still useful today.
Bob
I will reopen this discussion. I just bought my first Castello (shape 55). It is enroute from Germany. I have steered away from them due to the Lucite stem. I do have one acrylic stemmed pipe - a Davidoff. Though I don't care too much for the harder feel of the stem, it is comfortable and a good clencher. So what the heck, I decided to give Castello a try. I expect Castello makes a very good stem or they wouldn't remain at the top of the heap.
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