Pipe Storage, Stem Up or Stem Down and Why

[05venturer]

What is the best way to store pipes in between use?

 

[ohin3]

I store mine stem up. My logic is that any left over gunk will be carried, via gravity toward the bowl to dry out and be smoked up next time rather than into the stem and in my mouth the next time.

 

[philobeddoe]

I store mine stem up, I just like the the way it looks better, that simple.

 

[eaglerico]

Well, if it fits in a rack, how ever it actually fits in the rack. Others how ever they end up on the shelf.

 

[tbradsim1]

I often wondered if we weren't doing it wrong, stem down moisture would run into stem where a fluffy pipe cleaner could easily get it out , stem up moisture in bowl, a no no, now I know it's not a lot of moisture but it defies common sense, if you have a good rifle you should stand it barrel down so oils won"t screw up stock, what do you fella think? The old cajun

 

[sasquatch]

If your pipe is clean and dry before you store it, as it should be, it doesn't matter.

 

[nsfisher]

Stem up for me because it is what I have always done, however, I do have one Meer with a Bakelite stem that I store stem down.

 

[sparroa]

I've always gone stem up to keep any residuals out of the mouthpiece.

 

[ghost]

Stem up, I haven't known any other way but I also never really think of it. Stem down makes me think of clay pipes in an old tavern, or my grandparent's spoon collection.
Working on estates has made me very conscious of cleaning, so I'm with 'squatch.

 

[bronxbill]

Stem up because thats the way they fit in my pipe racks.

 

[jwp159]

I have been storing mine stem down for the last year and found I got a dryer smoke. May just be me, I like to do things old school. I haven't had any problem with any bitter taste at the start of my smokes so any moister the pipe cleaner didn't get before the pipe went into the rack must escape out the mouth piece and evaperate, I have noticed the bowls drying faster than when they were down so my reasoning is in the 7 day rest each gets between smokes the wood gets a little extra drying so a dryer smoke. The difference is probably very small but makes me happy.

 

[05venturer]

Thanx for all the input, one of the reasons I ask is that I am getting ready to make a pipe rack and I found an older wooden single shelf that I am going to use. Now I believe all I will have to do is some measuring and hole drilling and I will be able to hang my pipes stem down, a much easier build. :clap:

 

[cigrmaster]

I store mine stem up because that is how my pipe rack is designed. Every rack I have ever seen has this feature so it makes sense. I clean my pipes very well before putting them up so there is no moisture in them. I think storing them stem down was old school because people did not clean their pipes very well.

 

[numbersix]

I thought I read somewhere that it's common in Britain to store stems down. Don't know if that's true or not.

 

[instymp]

I thought I read in here one time, Europeans do stems down. Some of my bents do better down, the rest of my measly collection are up, depending on the rack, full circle or open (1/2 circle).