Pipe Stems

[bostonromeo]

I guess I'm a little tough on my pipes though I enjoy 2 to 3 well packed bowls a day but I chew the stems espec. at the end and within a month or 2 they break or chip. I'm partical to Petersons half bents and to replace the stems (3 pipes) is expensive and it takes forever. I'm into pipe smoking not collecting and do not have the extra cash for expensive pipes and accessories though I do enjoy reading about them. I need an alternative purchase option where I can order couple stems within the states that won't cost me time and extra money. Thx.

 

[maduroman]

smoke corn cobs or put rubber bits on the end of the pipe.

 

[marmal4de]

I am gonna +1 on the rubber bits, they're unsightly, and taste bad for about a week, but man do they feel good to chomp on! I too am a biter, and this has saved my cheap and expensive pipes alike.

 

[salewis]

I have some old Petersons and they use to use volconite stems, I believe that they still use these stems. Try having your Peterson stems replaced with acrylic which is considerable more difficult to bite through which should save you money since acrylic is usually less then volconite. Also, many pipe makers use acrylic on their pipes.

 

[greggors]

I'll agree with the rubber bits and/or cobs. If you like cobs but still don't like the rubber bits you can buy the stems for cobs cheap at 4noggins.

 

[pstlpkr]

Some use a shrink wrap material. I'm sure those that do will chime in.

And... Welcome aboard!

 

[hilojohnny]

Hey Romeo...Welcome to the Forum....just stick around and you'll be getting more feedback shortly.... ::

 

[wolfscout]

I like rubber bits on wider stems. on small narrow stems they don't do so well.

shrink wrap wrapped around the end works ok I suppose. I have a chipped stem on a Dr Grabow Regal that I use it on or else it would be useless till I find another stem. It's workable.

 

[ichbinmuede]

I've been meaning to get some heat shrink to dress up a stem but I think it's mainly for your typical clencher who is more concerned with keeping his stem pristine and not preventing bite through.

Heat shrink doesn't really provide much padding at all unless you really load it on there but at that point you may as well have a cheaper rubber bit.

 

[forsooth]

Per another thread somewhere, latex tubing was suggested. I bought 1-foot lengths of various diameters (and colors) at a local medical supply store.
I cut off about 1/2 inch from the most appropriate latex tube and stretched it onto the stem. This was the most difficult part for me. To facilitate the process, I used olive oil as a lubricant. Once on the stem, this works better (IMHO) than the rubber bits. Also, they don't have the "lip" that rubber bits have.

 

[sirbogglesworth]

@forsooth how thick is the latex tubing you use on the tip of your stems?

 

[puffintuff]

I use 1/2 in. shrink tubing and it works fine. I bought a 4 ft. length at Amazon for about $5. If you really chow down on the stem, you may want to double up on it. Give it a try, it's cheap enough.

 

[echopipe]

If you live in the US I have some of those rubber stem gaurds that I have not used. I would be happy to send you a few to try out. just pm me with your address if you like.

 

[antipodesman]

In my experience the softie bits are way better than the latex tubing. They are much easier to fit and they just feel better in your mouth. Latex tubing feels like chewing on balloons. I use the shrink wrap on my clay pipes but it is not as comfortable as the softies for briar pipes.

 

[romeowood]

There are different wall thicknesses of the 1/2" heat shrink (polyolefin) tubing made by 3M. The best, cheapest, most reliable place to get it is HERE. I'm a teether myself--a tad more aggressive than a clencher--and have no fear of bite-through with the thin-wall tubing. If you are a downright chewer, go for the medium-walled tubing. Non-allergenic (my lips would swell like Fat Albert if they weren't), easy, clean-looking and supremely functional.

Thanks to Richard for the original tip!