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I was doing regular cleaning on one of my briar pipes yesterday. Not daily cleaning, but the less frequent cleaning that involves removing the stem and using alcohol (vodka), a pipe brush, pipe cleaners, and Q-tips to clean the airways and joints. It's been hot and humid here and one of the stems was difficult to replace. Alarmed, I let the pipe dry out more overnight and the stem was a easier to remove in the morning, but was still tight and squeaky.
To lubricate the joint I used a graphite pencil to thoroughly draw a coat of graphite onto the surface of the tenon (the male part of the joint that is on the pipe's stem). Then I replaced the stem. That helped a lot. This application of the graphite pencil is a well known and often recommended technique for lubricating the mortise and tenon of a briar pipe and its stem.
I do not like the concept of lubricating that joint with wax or oil because those materials tend to build up and they are unstable, depending on temperature. Some of them may also harden. I have read that it works to use them, but I choose not to.
To lubricate the joint I used a graphite pencil to thoroughly draw a coat of graphite onto the surface of the tenon (the male part of the joint that is on the pipe's stem). Then I replaced the stem. That helped a lot. This application of the graphite pencil is a well known and often recommended technique for lubricating the mortise and tenon of a briar pipe and its stem.
I do not like the concept of lubricating that joint with wax or oil because those materials tend to build up and they are unstable, depending on temperature. Some of them may also harden. I have read that it works to use them, but I choose not to.
