Meerschaum Tenon Question

[Chasing Embers]

With all the commissions, and Meers, I didn't take you for a modern Grabow Kinda guy....

I've bought a few if the blister pack ones over the past couple of years and that slit in the tenon has always chewed at the mortise to the point of the stem falling out. Nothing like they were in the 90s and earlier.

 

[didimauw]

I've bought a few if the blister pack ones over the past couple of years and that slit in the tenon has always chewed at the mortise to the point of the stem falling out. Nothing like they were in the 90s and earlier.

Yes but when the shank wears out and stem gets loose, you can bend the tenon to widen it and tighter! ???

 

[burleybreath]

Just curious--are those nylon (or whatever they are) mortise-tenon inserts all the same size, no matter the source, no matter the maker?

 

[Chasing Embers]

Yes but when the shank wears out and stem gets loose, you can bend the tenon to widen it and tighter! ???

Tried that, chewed it up even more. The ones I bought in the early '90s had the same tenons but didn't do that.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Just curious--are those nylon (or whatever they are) mortise-tenon inserts all the same size, no matter the source, no matter the maker?

Most are universal but should be replaced in pairs. I've had one instance where I just replaced the mortise insert and the stem was loose so I replaced the stem insert and it was fine.

 

[dunnyboy]

This is actually how they should be made.

Stainless steel tenons. I absolutely love them

The bottom photo shows stainless steel inserts in an Albatross Bone and then Cumberland

I realize these are custom refits, but why can’t modern pipes use stainless?

View attachment 155507View attachment 155508
View attachment 155509

Two excellent carvers—Roman Kovalev and Cornelius Manz—use stainless tenons. Not only do they make an excellent connection, they also allow a lot of flexibility in the materials they use for the stem.

 

[ashdigger]

Two excellent carvers—Roman Kovalev and Cornelius Manz—use stainless tenons. Not only do they make an excellent connection, they also allow a lot of flexibility in the materials they use for the stem.

The only way to save these pipes was stainless tenons.

The silver work is original so the amount of space was slim

 

[Chasing Embers]

The only way to save these pipes was stainless tenons.

The silver work is original so the amount of space was slim

View attachment 155634

No moisture buildup like there is with stingers?

 

[craig61a]

As Embers points out, that is a sleeved mortise, both are screwed in.

Reminds me of that old joke: Californians don’t screw in light bulbs, they screw in hot tubs…

 

[ashdigger]

No moisture buildup like there is with stingers?

None. Zip. Nada. I don’t think the thinness of stainless is as much a condenser point as an aluminum chunk, no matter how many holes they put in it.