Questions on Gepetto Stem Fit.

[/Adam\]

Title changed to make it specific and add capitalization.

Original:
"New guy with a question about my latest purchase, eBay Estate Pipe."


What’s up fellas. Ladies Too. So I just got this to my house. It’s a Maestro Geppetto that was super cheap so I pulled the trigger. It was listed at $80 but I was sent an offer at $53 plus $6.03 shipping. I thought even if it’s not perfect it’ll be worth it. I’d Like for any of you guys that feel like weighing in to do so because I’ve only bought a few pipes from eBay and I’m not sure what issues or amount of issues would be something you guys would consider a good reason to ask for a refund. This pipe definitely has a few.

First the stem is very very loose. It doesn’t have any identifiable markings on it either so I think it may be a replacement stem. In talking at length with the seller prior to purchasing he never mentioned any Of these problems. He had a few nice pipes for sale that seemed to be good deals but definitely not a big pipe seller. Also the stem right at the end of the tenon has been sanded or filed in a way that made it not flat at all But it has a few almost gem like facets filed onto it now lol. I tried to get what I mean in a pic or 2. Hopefully you guys can see what I’m talking about. So when the stem is pushed all the way in it doesn’t rest flat against the back of the mortise. So it sort of wiggles around when the stem is all the way in. It sort of rocks up and down, side to side, because of the non-flat End of the tennon.

Another issue I found is it won’t pass a pipe cleaner all the way to the bowl. I took pics of the inside of the shank so you can see how off center the airway has been drilled. It looks almost like when the maker started to drill it he had it set to be drilled dead center because there’s a small hole started dead center. But for some reason the actual drill hole ended up being drilled at the very top of the inside of the mortise. I’m pretty sure this is why it won’t pass a pipe cleaner. The tiny airway hole on the stem doesn’t line up at all with the off-center airway drilled from mortise to chamber. I mean the hole in the chamber is dead center and all the way to the bottom of the chamber. So from that end it looks good.

Ive tried 2 different methods from YouTube videos to try and tighten the stem. But neither has worked. It’s still too loose and would fall out if I held the pipe at the wrong angle. But it’s just tight enough to smoke. And I have smoked 2 bowls. It doesn’t smoke bad. Infact it still seems to smoke pretty good. What would you guys do?

 

[Chasing Embers]

First the stem is very very loose.

Heat the tenon slowly and dip it in water.

It looks almost like when the maker started to drill it he had it set to be drilled dead center because there’s a small hole started dead center. But for some reason the actual drill hole ended up being drilled at the very top of the inside of the mortise.

The initial drill was made for the mortise and tenon. The actual airway was drilled to accommodate the degree of the bend.

 

[/Adam\]

Heat the tenon slowly and dip it in water.



The initial drill was made for the mortise and tenon. The actual airway was drilled to accommodate the degree of the bend.

View attachment 343733

I’ve tried dipping into boiling water a few times. I also tried using a drill bit in the hole to try and open It up a bit. I saw a few YouTube videos using this method. But it didn’t work. This particular stem has such a small airway that pushing a drill bit inside didn’t do much because of the thickness of the plastic. I didn’t use much pressure because I didn’t want to crack or break the tenon. I was worried the thick plastic around the airway would crack if I pushed too hard. I also tried using a q-tip dipped into water to wet the inside of the mortise. It’s supposed to soak into the wood causing it to swell just a bit. But that didn’t work either. Might be because the inside of the mortise has a little coating of tar and oils built up. Maybe if I clean it good the water will soak in better.


So the airway drilled into the chamber is ok? I always thought that was supposed to be drilled as close to the center as possible. If so I’m ok with that. But I do think that being drilled up so high on is the reason why a pipe cleaner won’t pass.

 

[sablebrush52]

Passing a pipe cleaner is no big deal, especially with bents. Drilling looks correct for a bent.
Search out Walt Cannoy’s YouTube video on fixing a loose stem. Works every time I use it.
Since you did some work on the pipe, it’s yours whether you want it or not.

 

[paulfg]

plenty of manufacturers drill bent pipes high in the mortice ,as @Chasing Embers explained.As for not passing a pipe cleaner,for some its a deal breaker.Personally I dont mind as I rarely need to use a cleaner during a smoke.
For 53 $ I would smoke it and see if the stem tightened up after several smokes before trying anything else to fix it.

if you want it to pass a cleaner you could try ramping the draught hole in the stummel a bit

 

[Sigmund]

If the stem does not tighten up after smoking a few bowls you can always resort to putting a coat of clear nail polish on the stem. Just make sure its dry before inserting. If its too thick take the enamel down with 600 grit or steel wools with a couple of spins.

 

[khiddy]

The advice @Sigmund gave is what I've done and it has worked fairly well. I have to re-apply a coat of enamel every 10 smokes or so, as my pipe has an acrylic mortise (it's a military-mount stem), but it has prevented the stem from coming dislodged during a smoke, so I'm relatively satisfied with this solution.

 

[/Adam\]

All good info guys, this is exactly why I posted this. I really don’t know much yet but have been reading tons. So a lot of what I’ve read must have been opinions rather than facts. I’m happy to hear that pipe Makers often drill high in the mortise. And passing a pipe cleaner isn’t a real problem to me either. Definitely not a deal breaker. I never have to use a pipe cleaner while I’m smoking. I always make sure to clean the stem, mortise, airway and bowl chamber with a pipe cleaner but that’s after I’m done smoking and the pipe has cooled down. I’ll smoke a few more bowls to see if that helps the loose stem. If not I’ll look for Walt Cannoy’s YouTube video.

I was so happy to add a Maestro Geppetto to my small Collection. And the price was too good to pass up. It’s not the prettiest of pipes but I plan on getting a bench top wheel buffer/polisher. I think a good cleaning and few coats of compound will help. I’m not sure if a coat of carnuba would help or not. The rustication on this is pretty deep and craggy. Might be difficult. Anyway…thanks again for all the info and insight. I’m a bit more comfortable now, relieved actually.

 

[Hillcrest]

It looks fine to me but I would give it a thorough cleaning as it looks a bit gunked up. I find a looser stem on a bent to be advantageous in case you want to run a pipe cleaner through while smoking. I have also found loose stems tighten up with use. I agree with all the above advice but would advocate small steps at a time until you get it where you want. If its been sitting around the shank may have dried up a bit and will re-hydrate from condensation with use. 2 smokes isn't enough, try 10. You got a Geppetto for $53 ... a deal to my mind. Enjoy it !

 

[kcghost]

Seems like a typical Geppetto pipe. I still think you ought what @Chasing Embers said rather than what you did,

 

[lraisch]

I will second the notion that the inability to pass a pipe cleaner is not a big thing and the drilling of the air way looks fine. It does appear that the draw through the mouthpiece is quite restricted, and I would consider sending it to a pipe repair service to be opened or make a new bit for it.

I would be very careful with cleaning and buffing because that rustication will make it difficult and probably looks better with just a matte finish.

 

[Dave760]

That's a Gepetto from the original set that Ser Jacopo made for th US market. The original stem should have had the same inlay that current Geppetto pipes have. I'm pretty sure, based on your photos, that the stem is a replacement. There's nothing wrong with a replacement stem on an inexpensive pipe if it's made well.

Are you familiar with bending the end of a pipe cleaner and then twisting it to get through to the bowl on a bent pipe? If not: insert the first 1/4" - 3/8" in the stem, bend the cleaner at the button 10°-20°, then feed the cleaner down the stem. (Do this slowly to avoid ramming it into the mortise, or you'll end up folding up the part of the cleaner still outside of the stem.) If the cleaner stops at the mortise, back up slightly, spin the cleaner a bit, and try again.

If you still can't get a cleaner through then it might be worth trying something thinner. Dill cleaners are narrow and might be worth a shot if you're not already using them.

I enjoy the US Gepetto pipes I have and hope you can enjoy yours.