Clenching Very Thin Stems

[tmgaus51]

@georged thanks for the detailed reply. I agree that's probably not the issue as I can still definitely feel the presence of the button when clenching.

The more I think about it, I reckon having to close my mouth almost all the way shut to clench must be causing me to inadvertently lock my jaw up more.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

The bowl moves laterally (side-to-side) with the tooth/stem contact area being the "axle" or pivot point.

People assume buttons are to keep stems from sliding forward, like the barb on a fishing hook (sort of)... But they are more to provide a contact point in addition to the bite zone so that the pipe doesn't keep moving sideways when the smoker turns his head.

The additional bite pressure necessary to keep such spinning from happening when the button is too short is fatiguing.

If your saddle mod didn't involve shortening the button height then that's not the cause of your clenching problem now, however. (I was just making a guess based on your telling the guy to make the new profile as thin as possible... I see a lot of cases where the button was sanded down as part of the package.)

I don't understand all that as I'm not a pipe mechanic. All I know is I like my stems weird and thin. If there's a bump in the middle it can cause problems, at least for me. Rad made and Rubio, Alden and Larrysson make very comfortable stems I find ideal for my style of smoking.

 

[Misanthrope]

I never have a problem with clenching awkwardly balanced pipes. After I’ve lit the pipe, I just tear off about 14 inches of duct tape, slap one end on the top of my head, press the other end onto the front of the bowl, then I insert the stem in my mouth as normal. For some reason, this also brings great joy to the people around me.

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

I would add that fort me at least, the button is nearly irrelevant to the way I clinch.

 

[BROBS]

I never have a problem with clenching awkwardly balanced pipes. After I’ve lit the pipe, I just tear off about 14 inches of duct tape, slap one end on the top of my head, press the other end onto the front of the bowl, then I insert the stem in my mouth as normal. For some reason, this also brings great joy to the people around me.

 

[mso489]

Some really don't like saddle stems on any pipe. I like saddle stems fine, and in some cases I think it accentuates the shape of the briar and gives a better look. For example, that horn shape looks at lot better with a saddle stem, I'd guess. Personal taste, of course.

 

[bullet08]

I don't bite my stem. Just park it on upper teeth and have lower lip support it. I'm sure everyone's different in the way they clench.

 

[craiginthecorn]

Actually, no. Not necessarily, anyway....

... They'll want to spin/pivot/rotate unless a bit of extra pressure is applied when clenching, and that effort "accumulates" into jaw muscle discomfort after a while.

This very true, in my experience. It is exacerbated by the fact that many small pipes also have narrow bits, giving your teeth less surface area to grip. I love using the @npod bondage tape in this situation. The wrap of thin, non-adhesive tape gives my teeth a little something to grip on, so it’s more secure while exerting less jaw pressure.

Although it has a taper stem, a prime example is my Eltang pencil shank Liverpool. A mere 15g, but it is damned near impossible for me to clench without the tape.

 

[Magpiety]

If I'm truly "clenching" the pipe, I run into the same issue. The bit usually leans on the back up my upper teeth and sits on the top of my bottom teeth. I'm not actually biting down at all. I started doing this because I have a bunch of heavy pipes that I wind up holding in my mouth while doing chores on the farm after I get home from work. It seems to work pretty well.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Not really clenching, in other words! That's what I do- or at least try to do, as sometimes I find my jaw in a clench- not a good thing. Pipe gets removed, self chastised, and repositioned in a different part of the jaw.

 

[Magpiety]

Not really clenching, in other words!

Exactly. I think I just have the jaw muscles are just weak or something like that, I was never able to clench properly

 

[hoosierpipeguy]

This very true, in my experience. It is exacerbated by the fact that many small pipes also have narrow bits, giving your teeth less surface area to grip. I love using the @npod bondage tape in this situation. The wrap of thin, non-adhesive tape gives my teeth a little something to grip on, so it’s more secure while exerting less jaw pressure.

Although it has a taper stem, a prime example is my Eltang pencil shank Liverpool. A mere 15g, but it is damned near impossible for me to clench without the tape.

The friction tape is phenomenal for me. Makes every pipe easier to clinch, is easier on my teeth and protects the stem. Doesn't exactly look great but most of my smoking is in my man cave by myself so I'm much more into function over aesthetics in this case. And if I want to, I can unravel the tape in less than 10 seconds.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Exactly. I think I just have the jaw muscles are just weak or something like that, I was never able to clench properly

Nothing to do with weakness, per se. I hold the pipe with as little pressure as possible, both for the sake of the stem and my gums and teeth.

 

[Magpiety]

Exactly. I think I just have the jaw muscles are just weak or something like that

Ugh, I started to write "the jaw muscles of a wuss," but that sounded wrong so I tried to change it to "My jaw muscles are just weak..." The result is the abortion of a sentence you see before you today.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Well, I thought the construction unusual, but there were no additional apostrophes, so all's good in my book.

And I am no dentist, but chomping down on the stem has to be bad for the gum structure.