How to Identify Vulcanite vs Other Stem Materials

[AlabamaDan]

Total newb question, but I hope y’all don’t haze me for it. As I begin my journey into pipe restoration I find myself stumped right out of the gate. I had sellers on starting with the stems in an oxy bath, old toothbrush scrub, and magic eraser. BUT I think I saw something about this could damage acrylic or plastics. Is that true? How can you identify the stem material?

 

[BROBS]

vulcanite will have brown tint to it..
if you look at the tenon/inside the stem you can often see rougher brownish areas.

also if you click your teeth (or something similar in hardness) on an acrylic stem it will make a "click" whereas vulcanite will be muted since it's rubber.

 

[oldgeezersmoker]

Rub the stem against your pants leg (jeans are best) vigorously to get it warm. Smell it. Sulfur odor = Vulcanite. No odor- not vulcanite.

 

[burleyboy]

Also so far any acrylic stems I had, were slightly translucent, when I had hold them against strong light sources. This is not the case with ebonite.

 

[mso489]

Acrylic and Vulcanite/Ebonite are fairly easy to discern after a while. Some of the other materials like amber, horn, and especially the various plastics used on many MM cobs and Dr. Grabow other than the Royalton series with acrylic, are less common and therefore require research. Some of the plastics I still haven't figured out. I gravitate toward Vulcanite and acrylic just because I know what they are and how they will "behave."

 

[AlabamaDan]

Will an Oxy bath hurt any of the various stem materials?

 

[adui]

FWIW I have found that heating a vulcanite stem with hot air (heat gun or blow dryer) gives off a distinctive odor. You don't have to heat it to the point it gets soft, just a little will do it and then you know.

 

[olkofri]

Just rub briefly wth your finger. If you get the rubbery smell it's vulcanite. Speaking of heat, don't leave that pipe with vulcanite stem in the car or elsewhere where it will be under direct sunlight: discolouration will occur, and I wouldn't find it impossible for the sun to heat it to the point where the stem twists.

 

[mingc]

Yup, vulcanite/ebonite and light do not go well together

 

[cigrmaster]

The teeth don't lie, use them. There is a big difference between different types of vulcanite/ebonite. The high quality German stuff rarely oxidizes if kept out of direct sunlight and you use stem oil. The older sulfur laden stuff can stink and it will oxidize very quickly.
Out of the 85 or so pipes in my collection only 5 pipes are not vulcanite. I really enjoy the much softer feel as I clench almost all the time.

 

[Sonorisis]

I agree with what's been said, they sound different -- especially when tapped against the teeth.

 

[AlabamaDan]

Rub the stem against your pants leg (jeans are best) vigorously to get it warm. Smell it. Sulfur odor = Vulcanite. No odor- not vulcanite.

boy are you right! When you start sanding it stinks to high heaven!