How Fragile are Pipes?

[anotherbob]

Just Clumsy. I drop stuff all the time or it goes flying out of my pockets or I knock it over. I just spilt my tea lol.

Not quite the same thing but I had a cat who hated tea. He loved water (weird obsession) and when he'd see a glass he'd get excited and sniff the content. If it was tea he'd scrunch his nose up and then knock over the glass with a clear air of indignity. I think he thought it was poison.

 

[anotherbob]

this pipe is great for dropping. This one seems like it would be too.

 

[Chasing Embers]

This one came out unscathed after leaving a dent in my kitchen floor tiles.

 

[instymp]

Depends on how they land.
Like me.
Don't bounce as good as I used to.

 

[The Clay King]

I've lost count of how many clay pipes I've broken...

 

[username]

I broke the tip of a a meer stem a few years ago. Pipe is fine just broke the stem. So they are definitely more durable then I thought initially

 

[Hovannes]

I had a straight Bulldog pipe from Benederet's in San Francisco (Bea Benederet's ---of Pettycoat Junction fame--- father opened the shop long ago and this was a Benederet's imprint made IIRC by Comoy. It was a rugged little pipe that survived my senior year in high school, college, grad school, numerous camping trips and part time jobs for about 10 years.
Then it broke in two while I was foolishly tapping out against a tree, one of many lining a promenent boulevard
A sad day!
My sincerest condolences to anyone who has ever broken a good pipe.

 

[bullet08]

Hardwood floor and carpet are pretty forgiving. Concrete is rather harsh. Angle of drop can make big difference. Been lucky so far, but still dings and dents.

 

[burleybreath]

I've broken several pipes. Always the tenon, and always acrylic.

 

[ak2000]

I've broken one, snapped the tenon in the shank. We an easy repair, Briarville even salvaged the stem. Briar and even Meers are quite durable but if they land just right, goodbye.

Did the same thing with a Don Carlos, and same result with a tenon replacement from Walker for around $20

 

[Eye-level]

Well having one in your pocket and leaning against something the wrong way is a good way to mess them up. My local tobacconist told me he is having a difficult time obtaining tendons so I'm going to see if he can use this stem (Danish) to repair the pipe. It's an 1116 nr. 7 Edwards with a France stem.

 

[Searock Fan]

Guess I've been lucky. Since 1963 I can remember only 3 pipes I've broken, all with broken tenons and 2 of the 3 I fixed.

Tip: If you break a pipe at the tenon you might be able to fix it yourself. First: remove the piece of tenon from the stem. It may be stubborn so try freezing the pipe first and "carefully" use a screw extractor. Note: lucite is more likely to shatter than vulcanite so be careful! Now, assuming you got the piece of tenon out in one piece, the trick is to attach it to the rest of the stem. A simple trick I've used (I have one pipe I did this to over 50 years ago and she is still in service) is to get a ballpoint pen or refill cartridge that is made of metal. Haven't checked in a while but used to be easy to find. Now cut a small piece of it, wash it good, let it dry, then use it in the draft hole to join the two pieces using super glue. Be sure to rotate it so the two pieces fit the way they originally were. Let it set for 24 hours before you try it in the pipe. That's it.

 

[mikethompson]

Some pipes can't even take repeated blows with a hammer!



Other pipes take abuse quite well:

 

[karam]

Some pipes can't even take repeated blows with a hammer!

View attachment 117664

What material is this?

 

[TheIronMonkey]

A hammer? That's not from a tobacconite explosion?

 

[mikethompson]

What material is this?

The jury is still out on that one.

Chronicling an AliExpress Pipe and Purchase for Science :: General Pipe Smoking Discussion

In the interest of scientific research and development, I have taken one for the forum. I've spent hard earned money on a pipe from AliExpress, the chinese version of ebay, just to see how bad or good the pipe is. My initial impression from the site was that it is not suited to mobile use, but...

pipesmagazine.com

 

[seagullplayer]

I would hazard to guess that for every pipe that is broken in a fall, a thousand cell phones fair much worst.

And most of the phones are in a "protective case"... Its all in the perspective.

 

[Searock Fan]

Some pipes can't even take repeated blows with a hammer!

View attachment 117664

Other pipes take abuse quite well:

View attachment 117665

Top picture: Why are you saving it? And why would you hit it with a hammer?

Bottom picture: What's the wire for?

 

[Laurent]

I dropped my first pipe I bought in the garage weeks after getting, luckily no breaks

 

[mikethompson]

Top picture: Why are you saving it? And why would you hit it with a hammer?

Bottom picture: What's the wire for?

1a) I'm not
1b) for science of course. See the link I posted in a subsequent post.

2)to hold it on the roof for 6 months (see below)

Long Term Cob Torture Test: 6 Months Under The Elements :: Pipe Talk

Just took delivery of a Huck Finn cob courtesy Smokingpipes. I used Super saver international shipping, and the package was well packed and secure. How durable is a cob? How porous is the bowl? The conventional wisdom is that briar, being dried, aged, and much harder makes for a better pipe...

pipesmagazine.com