Practice makes perfect. I'm a left side clencher/retrohaler 95% of the time.
There's a reason few of my pipes exceed 30g or 5.25".
There's a reason few of my pipes exceed 30g or 5.25".
Clenching - how?
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I only clench if I have to. I prefer not to because it shows on the stems over time.
Now my shop pipes, I'll clench em while working. But indoors with my nicer pipes, I don't have a need to clench and prefer not to.
YMMV
Now my shop pipes, I'll clench em while working. But indoors with my nicer pipes, I don't have a need to clench and prefer not to.
YMMV
It is a difficult process. I can "hang" on to a pipe but for the life of me can't clench it. And, of course, walking around is way beyond,
I agree. Two smaller pipes this morning and two completely different stem shapes (both bent) and the sweet spot is my teeth just at the base of the bit and in general I’d have to say that is preferred and I guess I wouldn’t call it a clench, either, but I’d I was out on a golf cart like @hoosierpipeguy there would be a lot more pressure and I suppose a clench for semantics.
Full disclosure, some can be more in the lips, as I said, it depends, but I haven’t found a comfortable way to clench a straight stem of any size at all and tend to just hold them.
My Al Pascia Curvy is the only pipe I can clench with zero effort. It seems to smoke better that way.
Clinching hard on your pipe is a bad habit. I have pipes over 50 years old that I smoke all the time and the original lucite stems look almost new. Back in the 60's I did have my dentist smooth off the sharp point of my lower right canine because it drilled a hole in the bottom of my Castello bent egg's stem. That solved the tooth problem and a little epoxy solved the stem hole problem.... and yes, it has the original stem to this day. 
I hadn't really thought about it, but I guess I hook the top part of the button between the two points of the upper tooth to the outside of my canine tooth ( I have no dental knowledge, is that a premolar?). The pipe is securely hanging with no pressure from my teeth holding it in place.
I just tried that ... and if not for my relaxed posture and substantial mid-section, the pipe would have hit the ground. I think I am simply just going to have to try the rubber bits, start holding my pipe in my hand much more, or simply resign myself to probably replacing stems from time to time. Not that I care once I die, those who get my pipes can do with the stems as they wish, use/sell them as they are or replace them. It is not as if I have a pipe that has a stem that cannot be replaced ...
Ah, sorry man. It might be I just have unique teeth and it only works for me!
That's why I like vulcanite and ebonite. I form little tooth grooves right away and then the pipe just hangs there.
That is what I was saying, I may have to give those a try ...
No clenching here. Never have. My teeth/bite does not line up in the way that would make it stable for more than a few seconds.
Everyone's different, u gotta be patient and practice. Also as many pointed its really not clenching but hanging, u just have to not give up and you will figure out the best position for you to the point that you will do it completely automatically. 
No one mentioned the advantage of false teeth, mabe my dentist can add a permanent softy ?
Whatever works for you.
I just clench in behind my eye teeth and let it hang. I don’t even have to think about it, nor do I. Just leave a pipe in my clench all day.
But, some guys have so much stress that they can’t control their bite, some drool uncontrollably, and others feel a need to puff like a freight train. YMMV
I just clench in behind my eye teeth and let it hang. I don’t even have to think about it, nor do I. Just leave a pipe in my clench all day.
But, some guys have so much stress that they can’t control their bite, some drool uncontrollably, and others feel a need to puff like a freight train. YMMV
Yeah I’m new here and was reading through these responses and wondering if softee bits are sacrilege around here or something.
To me they make the whole pipe smoking experience nicer and more comfortable.
I don’t like stressing about damage to my stems. I just want to clench it however is comfortable for that particular pipe and smoke away.
I grind and clench my teeth all the time anyway, so I don’t think my pipes would stand a chance if I was smoking absent-mindedly without a softee bit
