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Chasing Embers

Captain of the Black Frigate
Nov 12, 2014
43,248
108,345
I'm going to ask the dumbest question possible: are they (all) made out of actual corn cob?
Unless listed as their hardwood like, yes.


I've seen quite a few which just look too good/big/round to convince me they are out of corn
Missouri Meerschaum use a breed of large cob small kernel corn specifically hybridized for pipe making.

These are really cobs.

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elnoblecigarro

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 27, 2020
171
869
The original plastic stems are horrendous. I bought few cobs and was disappointed. No way I'm sucking on some cheap plastic leaching nobody knows what. They feel like toys to me.

Not for me at all.
 
  • Wow
Reactions: JOHN72

Seamaster

Starting to Get Obsessed
Sep 16, 2020
191
948
Scotland
The original plastic stems are horrendous. I bought few cobs and was disappointed. No way I'm sucking on some cheap plastic leaching nobody knows what. They feel like toys to me. Not for me at all.

The cobs that come with an Italian acrylic stem — eg the Dagner Cob, Carolina Gent, etc — feel completely different. The stem transforms them. Worth the few extra dollars. I agree with you that the standard stems are awful.
 

edger

Lifer
Dec 9, 2016
2,988
22,299
74
Mayer AZ
ef8ab12249fe7e05e4c81706f09b42ce--wooden-pipe-pipe-smoking.jpg

:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
 

elnoblecigarro

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 27, 2020
171
869
Some stems have delrin tenons. Heated delrin can release formaldehyde. Think of all the chemicals in tobacco smoke.

I use mainly vulcanite stems, I'm not aware of delrin in these?

The chemicals in tobacco smoke are not estrogenic in nature like those in plastics. I find it concerning that plastics can leach chemicals that can bind to estrogen receptors. Not something I as a man want. Acrylic seems to be the among the safest as far as plastics are concerned, but these "amber" colored stems are worrying. Research into plastics is relatively new and only some compounds have been identified but most seem to have estrogenic effect.
 
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elnoblecigarro

Starting to Get Obsessed
Jul 27, 2020
171
869
Acrylic can contain vinyl acetate (been found to be possibly carcinogenic to humans) or methyl acrylate (may cause liver and kidney damage).

How much of toxic compounds are released once the product is in its solid form? If it isn't accumulative and doesn't bind to anything I wouldn't be very concerned. Liver and kidneys are used to dealing with toxic substances.

Carcinogens are not my main concern (since almost anything can be carcinogenic in some form) but endocrine disruptors are. Human endocrine system is quite vulnerable to outside factors. There is a difference in something being toxic in high amounts and something having hormonal effect at any dose. Whether the effect is observable in practice is of course another matter. But if it binds to estrogen receptors then it is already having some effect, whether the person notices it or not.

At least acrylic is used in medical prosthetics and dental applications so it should be fairly safe (nobody would put PVC for example in human body). Vulcanite is my main choice though. Vulcanite is also the most pleasing in mouth and looks better.
 
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JOHN72

Lifer
Sep 12, 2020
5,136
51,568
51
Spain - Europe
How much of toxic compounds are released once the product is in its solid form? If it isn't accumulative and doesn't bind to anything I wouldn't be very concerned. Liver and kidneys are used to dealing with toxic substances.

Carcinogens are not my main concern (since almost anything can be carcinogenic in some form) but endocrine disruptors are. Human endocrine system is quite vulnerable to outside factors. There is a difference in something being toxic in high amounts and something having hormonal effect at any dose. Whether the effect is observable in practice is of course another matter. But if it binds to estrogen receptors then it is already having some effect, whether the person notices it or not.

At least acrylic is used in medical prosthetics and dental applications so it should be fairly safe (nobody would put PVC for example in human body). Vulcanite is my main choice though. Vulcanite is also the most pleasing in mouth and looks better.
Perhaps the Chinese government..................:mad:
 
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Reactions: edger

canucklehead

Lifer
Aug 1, 2018
2,863
15,323
Alberta
The original plastic stems are horrendous. I bought few cobs and was disappointed. No way I'm sucking on some cheap plastic leaching nobody knows what. They feel like toys to me.

Not for me at all.
I assume you also refuse to ride in or drive any newer car, since sitting a new vehicle for 5 mins in the sunshine would expose you to 1000000× more plastic product's volatile compounds and offgassing than a lifetime of sucking on a cob's plastic stem. How about new carpets? Carpets offgas high levels of VOCs for 5 years after installation.