Crack in the Shank-How to proceed further

[PaulTheScandinavian]

Here we go again,this my hardly smoked Dunhill Ring gran has developed a pretty noticeable crack in the shank, at first the crack was almost unnoticeable and even today the stem itself fits snugly in the mortise, now, My question is how shall I proceed with this sucker further,I was thinking of sterling silver banding,but could that be done without cutting the shank shorter,This shank has unbelievably thin walls.I shoulda bee lubricate it with Graphite.a Grateful Thank for Your kind advice,

 

[jpmcwjr]

Did the crack appear as you re-inserted the stem or shortly thereafter? Or just over time? Or a drop? In any event, what a shame!
How bout a photo of the whole pipe? (If you don't use a white background the exposure should be more accurate). Then we can all "vote" on whether cutting down is a real starter or not.

 

[davek]

You wouldn't need to cut it shorter to put some kind of band on it, would you?

 

[didimauw]

This worked for my cheap Dr Grabow, but I wouldn't do it on your Dunhill.

Yes that's a literal slab of cake that I scraped from the bowl, and shoved in there. I realize this is of no help to you. It held long enough for me to lose the pipe. But it was leaking pretty bad out of it onto my hands, while I smoked, and that plugged it up pretty good. In a pinch it would work.

 

[hawky454]

I had a very similar crack in the first brand new Savinelli I bought, it was my fault, I dropped it. It broke my heart but then I decided to get it banded by a professional and now I love the pipe even more as it is uniquely mine. You shouldn’t have to trim the shank at all, just have a pipe restorer band it and it will be sturdier than ever.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Yes, the repair band means no chopping. A full photo might show that cutting a bit wouldn't be disastrous, but my 'vote' is for the band, even before the photos.
(Canadian?)

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

Thank You Gents,Your input is much appreciated,well,in all probability the very tiny crack in this Canadian did appear after several times of reinserting the stem (despite the fact pipe was cooled down),then apparently it expanded further,originally the stem fit was pretty tight and carelessly,I did not take time to lubricate the tenon nor shank,Now I'm to decide whether to send the pipe out to America or to one specific repair man here in EU,either way this sucker is becoming the priciest pipe I would ever have imagine to own.

 

[mikethompson]

If it was just some beater pipe, I would just fill it with saw dust and glue. But you probably want to take care of your Dunhill a little better.
As yourself Paul, would a metal band interfere with your enjoyment of the pipe? If not, get a band on it. If so, maybe get it filled and stained to match.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

[mau1]

Paul, I'm going to suggest a different option. I had a similar issue with a Peterson Aran 50S Rustic Poker that I have. Rather than banding the shank, I chose to go with an internal shank repair because I was loath to change the look of the pipe. A shank band is an easier/faster repair for shank cracks but an internal shank repair gives you the original factory look for the pipe, as well as providing strength. I was very pleased with the work. Here's the link to the repair done by Charles Lemon, showing the repair step-by-step.

Check it out...
https://dadspipes.com/2018/03/23/an-internal-shank-repair-for-a-peterson-aran-50s-rustic-poker/
Cheers
Mau

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

@Mau1, interesting,I'm to check this out and consider what we are to do,a grateful Thank to You,

 

[mau1]

Glad I could add to the discussion. You'll see that my pipe was in far worse condition than yours, with a couple of broken pieces poorly glued back on the shank. Charles took it apart and did a fantastic job rebuilding it imo. I also like how he walks the reader through the process. He's got a bit of the teacher inside of him.
Let us know what you decide, then when it's all done, show us the pics!

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

@Mau1, Yes,that was a pretty impressive job no doubt, nonetheless, in my case, I may choose to opt for the sterling silver banding, it won't bother me a much if? properly done, Yet,I can't stop wondering why they(Dunhill production)did not pay closer attention to this detail which may eventually cause problems down the road since the shank, in this case, has an unbelievably fragile feel to it but the pipe itself performs splendidly and is drilled spot on.

 

[B18]

Sucks man. When I get new pipes the tenon en mortise fits perfectly. But after some time, the mortise expands (i think due to the weather etc.) and it becomes very hard to insert the tenon. To make sure my shank doesn't crack, I take 2000grit sandpaper and sand the tenon down a bit and also lube the tenon en mortise with a pencil.
I do this with all my pipes; even my artisan pipes.

 

[jpmcwjr]

I don't experience that unless I leave the stem out for any length of time. Do you leave stems out as a practice?

 

[B18]

Do you mean Paul or I?
I do remove the stems when i deep clean them and only then (for about 3-4 days).

 

[jpmcwjr]

That's 3-4 days too long! No need to remove them for deep cleaning in any event.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

@JpmCwJr,and how we are supposed to proceed with mortise deep cleaning if stems are not being removed?,perhaps I must rethink my methods of cleaning and stop removing stems each and every time after the smoke is finished,,

 

[daniel7]

,perhaps I must rethink my methods of cleaning and stop removing stems each and every time after the smoke is finished,

I always remove the stem for all of my pipes after every smoking because I like to clean them properly. But I have never got any crack in my pipes no matter being cheap basket briar or hardwood (pear) pipe or middle category, more expensive ones. I think this is the fault of the briar wood itself or Dunhill's as they carved it too thin or they didn't notice a flaw in the wood. I would write to Dunhill, their pipes are the most overpriced on the market, they should have some customer support at least.

 

[jpmcwjr]

@Jpm... how we are supposed to proceed with mortise deep cleaning if stems are not being removed?,perhaps I must rethink my methods of cleaning and stop removing stems each and every time after the smoke is finished.

Removing the stem is not itself the problem above; leaving it out for any period is.
As for deep cleaning, I don't think it necessary at all following every bowl.
Frequent removal of the stem is generally recommended against.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

@JpmcwJr, Thanks for these recommendations,I shall keep them in mind,

Ps, I hardly do any deep cleaning at all, mostly it's flushing with warm water and sometimes I'm do passing bristle cleaner soaked in vodkas through the shank/mortises