Help Needed for Modification.

[Franco Pipenbeans]

Hello everyone. I bought a 9mm filter pipe (see photos) and it’s a nice smoker but it doesn’t sit well in the mouth, it’s top heavy on the bowl and consequently only gets smoked occasionally, when I have hands free to hold it.

I keep thinking that it would be a better fit for my mouth if it had a mild curve to the stem; nothing crazy, just a slight bend.

I’m not sure what it is made of: ebonite, vulcanite, any other ‘ite but will I be able to bend it with boiling water or will this do too much damage potentially and I should just buy a new one with the curve already on it? It was massively expensive but I’m in a tinkering sort of mood.

It is stamped ‘since BPK 1842’ if that helps.

Thanks for your suggestions and time. ??

 

[AJL67]

Well it’s Danish, not much on the site.

A long tradition of producing pipes. BPK company exports pipes to more than 40 countries. The production of pipes has been traditionally connected with small town Prosec u Skutce since 1842. Prosec is situated in the heart of Czech Republic, approximately 150 km (93 miles) far from Prague. Since the change of political situation in 1989 the company BPK, Ltd has been continueing in the tradition.

Have you considered just buying a new stem and keeping the original unmolested?

 

[Franco Pipenbeans]

Well it’s Danish, not much on the site.

A long tradition of producing pipes. BPK company exports pipes to more than 40 countries. The production of pipes has been traditionally connected with small town Prosec u Skutce since 1842. Prosec is situated in the heart of Czech Republic, approximately 150 km (93 miles) far from Prague. Since the change of political situation in 1989 the company BPK, Ltd has been continueing in the tradition.

Have you considered just buying a new stem and keeping the original unmolested?

*original post should’ve said “wasn’t” massively expensive but the edit function has gone AWOL.

Yes, I was thinking about just buying another one, in which case the straight stem one above would be made redundant and probably used even less than it is at present.

I was just trying to save money I guess but I also saw a post the other day talking about a meerschaum stem that had warped and the Captain of the Black Frigate suggested readjusting it with boiling water; I was curious if the boiling water trick could be applied in this case.

Glad to hear it’s Danish, it was sold to me as French. ?

 

[AJL67]

*original post should’ve said “wasn’t” massively expensive but the edit function has gone AWOL.

Yes, I was thinking about just buying another one, in which case the straight stem one above would be made redundant and probably used even less than it is at present.

I was just trying to save money I guess but I also saw a post the other day talking about a meerschaum stem that had warped and the Captain of the Black Frigate suggested readjusting it with boiling water; I was curious if the boiling water trick could be applied in this case.

Glad to hear it’s Danish, it was sold to me as French. ?

Oh if it wasn’t expensive boil away! ?

 

[simong]

BPK's Czech isn't it?

 

[AJL67]

BPK's Czech isn't it?

You passed the test!

It was the danish pipe shop.
Johnny tell him what he won!

Johnny:

 

[Franco Pipenbeans]

Oh if it wasn’t expensive boil away! ?

That’s the answer I was looking for!! ???

 

[Honkytonk Man]

As AJL67 said, "boil away". But, you might want to run a pipe cleaner through the stem before you start heating and bending.
I've been going through the back-log of SP Radio the last few weeks, Jeff Gracik (spelling) had replied to a guy who'd written in and asked the same question you're asking.
Good luck. Let us know how ya got on.

 

[Franco Pipenbeans]

As AJL67 said, "boil away". But, you might want to run a pipe cleaner through the stem before you start heating and bending.
I've been going through the back-log of SP Radio the last few weeks, Jeff Gracik (spelling) had replied to a guy who'd written in and asked the same question you're asking.
Good luck. Let us know how ya got on.

Do you mean: boil and bend it with a pipe cleaner down the shank or do you mean to clean it before boiling?
I presume the former?

 

[CoffeeAndBourbon]

Bend with the pipe cleaner inserted to keep the airway from collapsing.

 

[kcghost]

I'd buy a new stem and avoid the hassle. Why have a problem if a few bucks would have avoided the whole issue.

 

[Franco Pipenbeans]

Update - well, that didn’t work at all but, on the downside, there is now an oxidised stem that I need to clean up. ??

 

[lraisch]

Place a small bed of sand or rock salt on a baking tray and set the stem, with pipe cleaner inserted, on it. Put this in a 200-degree Fahrenheit oven for 3 or 4 minutes. Remove the stem and use a couple of pot holders to shape it. You'll probably need to bend it a little more than the desired curve, because it will relax somewhat as it cools.

 

[Latakia Dave]

Put a pipe cleaner in the stem and boil the stem until it becomes pliable and bend it to the desired shape and submerge it in cold water to set the shape.
I myself use a heat gun , but boiling water is probably easier and less chance of ruining the stem.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

This post by Steve Laug of rebornpipes might help.

George Dibos has mentioned here that the pipe cleaner isn't necessary to keep the airway from collapsing; I do think it would come in handy for holding the pipe when dipping in the heated water.

 

[Franco Pipenbeans]

Place a small bed of sand or rock salt on a baking tray and set the stem, with pipe cleaner inserted, on it. Put this in a 200-degree Fahrenheit oven for 3 or 4 minutes. Remove the stem and use a couple of pot holders to shape it. You'll probably need to bend it a little more than the desired curve, because it will relax somewhat as it cools.

I might give this a whirl. Thanks for the suggestion. ??

 

[Franco Pipenbeans]

This post by Steve Laug of rebornpipes might help.

George Dibos has mentioned here that the pipe cleaner isn't necessary to keep the airway from collapsing; I do think it would come in handy for holding the pipe when dipping in the heated water.

Some good suggestions in there Iron Monkey. ??

 

[edger]

I use a heat gun for vulcanite and acrylic…….VERY carefully!

 

[Franco Pipenbeans]

I think it would take a lot of boiling to make the stem malleable enough to bend. I had it sitting in a cup with a kettle freshly boiled each time. It really wasn’t bending anywhere but going that lovely brown colour.

 

[Franco Pipenbeans]

I use a heat gun for vulcanite and acrylic…….VERY carefully!

Thankfully @edger i haven’t got one of those; I’d very likely need the help of the fire brigade if I did have access to one of those. ? ??