My First Corn

[FLDRD]

wow, how times have changed. When I last bought MM cobs, they were only offered with the black plastic stems, and forever stems had a black vulcanite and an amber acrylic. Now, MM cobs come with several different acrylic stems offered on certain styles and forever stems have a plethora of offerings... very cool!! Not all change is bad :

I got a dozen "Missouri Pride" cobs in a pkg for ~$30 and they have the cheap plastic stems. I don't mind that at all.

I gave a few away to some newbies and I've smoked only 1 of them so far. Still have 6 or 7 of them left. The one I'm smoking is holding up quite nicely.

They indent gently from tooth pressure and then "fit" a little more stable if clenching a bit. I have zero complaints about a cheap plastic stem on a $3.25 cob.

 

[FLDRD]

Personally I like the taste better with a thin layer of cake. When you clean them again in depth, the characteristic bitter smell of the cob returns. But everyone has their own tastes of course.

It could have been my imagination but I may be thinking that VA's taste nice in a cob. I don't recall any bitter taste in the beginning but I could have forgotten. I thought I noticed an additional sweetness from the cob ...

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Except for the 1970's Freehand, all my newer cobs came with acrylic stems. I don't think I would purchase one with plastic, but who knows...LOL!!

 

[timt]

I got a dozen "Missouri Pride" cobs in a pkg for ~$30 and they have the cheap plastic stems. I don't mind that at all.

I gave a few away to some newbies and I've smoked only 1 of them so far. Still have 6 or 7 of them left. The one I'm smoking is holding up quite nicely.

They indent gently from tooth pressure and then "fit" a little more stable if clenching a bit. I have zero complaints about a cheap plastic stem on a $3.25 cob.

Yeah, those little Missouri Pride cobs are awesome little Virginia flake pipes and they weigh next to nothing so there’s no need to bite down on them. The cheap stems are just fine on these.

 

[monty55]

I got a dozen "Missouri Pride" cobs in a pkg for ~$30 and they have the cheap plastic stems. I don't mind that at all.

I gave a few away to some newbies and I've smoked only 1 of them so far. Still have 6 or 7 of them left. The one I'm smoking is holding up quite nicely.

They indent gently from tooth pressure and then "fit" a little more stable if clenching a bit. I have zero complaints about a cheap plastic stem on a $3.25 cob.

Don't get me wrong, I also like the plastic stems if I'm working and need to clinch and smoke hands free. I have several I keep the plastic stems on. The Forever Stems kinds just dress it up a bit and are nice for a casual smoke. The ones to make a cob into a nose warmer are fun too. I also have a vulcanite churchwarden Forever Stem on a Mark Twain cob I smoke regularly.