Hesson Guard System Really Works

[Briar Lee]

This morning I recieved about the fifth WDC pipe I own with an intact metal tube stinger system called the Hesson Guard.

I’m a jaded nicotine addict who removes stingers from old pipes if I can, and on a Hesson Guard the removal is above my skill set.

But if you like a mild, bite free pipe, I think of all the stinger gadget type pipes, the Hesson Guard works the best to somehow cool the smoke and reduce tars.

There were two kinds of Hesson Guard mounting systems. The first involves a fragile cork ring to seal the extension.

The later and better one was called a Lock Mount.



The sad news is WDC dropped the price of the Milano Hesson Guard from $3.50 to $1 about the time of the Lock Mount joint, and used a lesser grade of briar and varnished the pipe.

But in my experience a Hesson Guard is as mild as a cigarette.

Lock Mount Hesson Guard



The Hesson Guard trapped a lot of moisture and tars, and I’ve found the old boys who smoked these were forced to clean them a lot or they’d plug up.

The early $3.50 Milano and $5 Milano Extra pipes used oil cured Italian briar of the highest grades.

The dollar Milano series used good oil cured (they called it De Risini — Italian for de resined) Italian briar, but of obviously lower grade.

Dollar grade cork seal Milano Hesson Guard- cork seal is still good and airtight

 

[xrundog]

I have several of WDC’s inner tube pipes.
Stingers typically function as condensers to remove moisture from the smoke. The point of the inner tube is to keep the shank clean. You can clean the stem and inner tube alll at once.
Some of the earlier 1920s Milano inner tube pipes are super nice.

 

[Jacob74]

I haven't yet met a stinger that I felt made a palpable difference in smoking experience, but I have noticed a positive difference in moisture control with filters.
I've figured that the reason for stingers not being more intriguing to me has been a combination of my own lacking observational ability, and the very small amount of compression and temperature change that is possible in in the small space of a pipe stem, with the low pressures of regular smoking draw. Either way, though, I appreciate your post and experience.

 

[Briar Lee]

I haven't yet met a stinger that I felt made a palpable difference in smoking experience, but I have noticed a positive difference in moisture control with filters.
I've figured that the reason for stingers not being more intriguing to me has been a combination of my own lacking observational ability, and the very small amount of compression and temperature change that is possible in in the small space of a pipe stem, with the low pressures of regular smoking draw. Either way, though, I appreciate your post and experience.

Let’s say you and me are at WDC selling a whole bunch of $3.50 pipes in a market where WDC was selling this pipe for 50 cents.



The early twenties WDC Milano had a tube in the shank (I have one and it’s invisible) and Hesson gets the idea put the tube on the stem so the customer can see it.

The Hesson Guard might have cost more than any thing else on the product. They had to put a cork gasket to seal it inside the shank. The purpose was to keep the shank clean.

I own one with the Hesson Guard expertly removed and several more that have it intact.

The gadget equals the Carey Magic Inch or Grabow filter, to tame heat and bite.

All WDC needed was Babe Ruth as a pitchman.




Instead they lowered quality and varnished the product and cut the price to a dollar.

Thorsten Veblen frowned.

 

[anotherbob]

I haven't yet met a stinger that I felt made a palpable difference in smoking experience, but I have noticed a positive difference in moisture control with filters.
I've figured that the reason for stingers not being more intriguing to me has been a combination of my own lacking observational ability, and the very small amount of compression and temperature change that is possible in in the small space of a pipe stem, with the low pressures of regular smoking draw. Either way, though, I appreciate your post and experience.

I have noticed they were sold more about not getting moisture in ones mouth then making the smoke better. But then again haven't paid a tone of attention to stingers either way. If I get a chance to own one I like I will and if not whatever.

 

[craig61a]

I have an early WDC Milano with 1920’s patent date. IIRC the stem screws into the stummel. It’s a fine looking pipe, and smokes very well. Whether or not it was oil cured I don’t know. My guess is probably not.

Two later made Milano pipes are push fit stems, and instead of stamped nomenclature, it looks like it was silk screened on. The stummels are not made of briar, but appear to be a hardwood of some type. Manzanita (Mission Briar) is my guess, and these were probably made during the WWII era.

Hidden gems they are not. Just run of the mill smoking pipes that are satisfactory for their intended purpose; burning tobacco.

And now, nearly 100 years later, the cork gaskets have probably deteriorated and are nothing more than cork fragments held together by a mass of congealed tobacco tars.

 

[Sobrbiker]

My WDC Milano Hesson 1549 (1925 Patent) has the tube in the stem. Tube is threaded and screws directly into the briar shank, sealing the tube up against the cork.
Still functions perfectly well, some 95-100yrs later.

 

[Sobrbiker]

Hesson covered his bases with the 1925 patent, including four types.
Here I was, thinking mine was special
My Milano is like Fig A.

 

[Briar Lee]

In 1983 while studying for the bar exam I had access to the excellent library at the University of Missouri Columbia and read several decades of the Humansville Star Leader newspapers on microfilm.

The twenties began the modern era. Humansville had electricity from a hydro plant at Caplinger Mills, running water, sewer, a waste treatment plant, paved streets, a Ford dealer, a railroad, Highway 13 was widened and paved, a new city park with swimming pool, a new regional hospital, a new community building and theater, a milk plant, and land reached the breathless height of $200 an acre, even a radio station.

There were big advertisements for the national brands we still know today.

The people I saw in photos in the paper, some very young in the twenties were still living, like so many Romans frolicking in Pompeii, dedicating all the new civic improvements, all now falling down or gone.

Willam Demuth Company ran advertisements like these.

1928 Saturday Evening Post



They weren’t selling pipes, they were selling trophies for $3.50, instead of 35 cents:

I can remember the 2007-9 recession very vividly. Like 1929-33 people only bought what they had to have and not many luxuries.

We, the people create or destroy our prosperity. God help us all if we all quit buying luxuries we don’t need at the same time.

 

[Briar Lee]

I bought another Hesson Guard Milano for only $18.



No fishtail stem and pre lock mount, but the cork gaskets make all of them a dice roll.

Was it a $3.50 grade or a dollar grade?

That’s the danger of cheapening a luxury product, I suppose.