Understatement....they really do, but they provide one cool smoke, I highly recomend the baker st fromI figured they got kinda hot to the touch.
http://www.pipeshoppe.com/ps_p2003S.php
Bingo. Yeah, I either hold it by the stem with the bowl hovering behind my fingers, but I have quite large hands,either that or with my thumb and two fingers like a pencil with the stem being the point and the little nubbin of the cutty resting on the meat behind my thumbI'm assuming since the bowl get so hot you hold it by the stem. Is that comfortable?