Is My Pipe Stem Upside Down?

[tmgaus51]

Hi,
Just wondering if there's any trick to determining right side up on an unmarked tapered stem? I have one of these at home: https://www.smokingpipes.com/pipes/new/Genod/moreinfo.cfm?product_id=179457, and it's pretty tough to tell when I take the stem out.

Thanks,

Dave

 

[Chasing Embers]

Chatter marks are the only tell with stems like that. Like billkay said, it doesn't matter.

 

[tmgaus51]

Thanks for the help!

 

[music4cash]

i have a Baraccini pipe with no marks on the stem however when the stem is upside down it doesn't fit into the shank as tightly and it has a funny angle to it...You might examine the way it fits to see if there is a difference between the two different orientations.

 

[mso489]

If the stem works better in one position than the other, I'd either find a tiny mark or other recognizable nick or spot, or make a minute scratch on the bottom to position it in the future. With most military mounts I don't think it matters, which is a sign of their field-worthy quality. Smoke 'em in the dark, no problem.

 

[tschiraldi]

If you can't tell, neither will anybody else! Smoke on!

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Jeez everyone, stop misleading him so that he'll look silly. Of course it's upside down. ::

 

[tmgaus51]

Sorry to reopen this--just a little bit obsessive I guess
I've got a number of cob mods with short tapered stems and half the time I forget which side of the stem was the top on the previous smoke. I assume there's no ill effect smoking with the stem one way and then smoking the next time with the stem the other way? In other words, so long as it smokes the same, no need to keep the stem's orientation consistent?
Thanks again for easing my craziness.

 

[aldecaker]

I'm a little OCD on this myself, and really like consistency. When I find the orientation I prefer, I put a minute mark on the bottom of the stem to make sure I always re-install the stem the same way.

 

[woodsroad]

Upside down?

It's difficult to tell sometimes....

 

[blueeyedogre]

Jeez everyone, stop misleading him so that he'll look silly. Of course it's upside down. [::]

And they made this guy a MOD?!? LOL :nana:

 

[tmgaus51]

Lol, clearly we're making progress.

 

[cortezattic]

I think you should mark the stem. But also, I think you should alternate the way you insert it,

so that the top and bottom sides get equal wear.

 

[tmgaus51]

So no problem with switching back and forth? And just to be clear, there is no way to really tell which side was intended as the "top" or "bottom," right?

 

[pagan]

Jeez everyone, stop misleading him so that he'll look silly. Of course it's upside down

...and this from a MOD :laughat:

 

[pagan]

Really, it doesn't matter, if it feels strange then turn it over, if that don't feel any different the it really don't matter

 

[cosmicfolklore]

A piece of white tape, a hole punch, and you can have yourself a homemade Dunhill. ::

It is my understanding that the white dots were put on stems to keep guys from putting the stem in upside down. But, with this design, it doesn't matter.
Ha ha, Woodsroad seems to have lost his blue pills. ::

 

[tmgaus51]

Thanks guys. I guess I'll try to keep track of which side I've been smoking by looking at the teeth marks, but it sounds like switching back and forth makes no difference. Unless you ask Cosmic...

 

[dottiewarden]

@woodsroad
That's the first double-full-bent I've ever seen. Is there a special technique to smoking it?

 

[didimauw]

I think you have to lay on the couch with your head hanging over, upside down to smoke that thing.