So what is your take on rubber tips? Is this the new hype or something that should be done for practical reasons. Tell me what you think.
Rubber tips?
- Thread starter jorgesoler
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I'm new to pipe smoking and only have two pipes, a MM cobb and a Dr. Grabow (I know big spender).
I don't know how practical it is, but I tried one and it made it much easier for me to hold the pipes in my mouth comfortably.
I don't know how practical it is, but I tried one and it made it much easier for me to hold the pipes in my mouth comfortably.
LOVE LOVE LOVE them. It was one of the first bits of advice I recieved. Saves on the tooth marks and is so comfortable.
I like them, as I also like to clench and prefer a bit of heft to my stem. I do push them down past the button to make them more comfortable. They appear to be designed to fit over and protect the button, but, if I had to use them that way, I'd take them off!
I use them for all my clenchers. If you trim the thick end off of the softy bit, they still work just same and are nearly the same thickness of the stem.
Don't like them on most pipes. Good for MM cobs with the standard plastic stems to keep them from getting chewed up.
Good for sensitive teeth, to keep from chipping enamel or dental work; if you have problems that way, probably good on
all pipes. Good for people who mostly clench, although it can make the grip a little less certain (to me). Some make them
out of tubing cut to length, but the regular ones are so cheap, and take up so little space, I don't bother. Don't love 'em,
don't hate 'em. Glad to know they are there when needed or wanted. Mostly, I haven't used them.
Good for sensitive teeth, to keep from chipping enamel or dental work; if you have problems that way, probably good on
all pipes. Good for people who mostly clench, although it can make the grip a little less certain (to me). Some make them
out of tubing cut to length, but the regular ones are so cheap, and take up so little space, I don't bother. Don't love 'em,
don't hate 'em. Glad to know they are there when needed or wanted. Mostly, I haven't used them.
In my personal opinion, the main point to consider when adopting this habit, has very little to do with making the bite more comfortable, or not leaving tooth marks in your stem (which is a bonus), but the fact it stimulates salivation. This is the main reason why I will clench the pipe with my teeth (either with a rubber tip or without it) instead of holding it.
Yes, there are some who have tried, and or use heat shrink tubing but I’m somewhat leery of the health aspects of using such a material. Also, you would be quite surprised how much saliva accumulates under that materially and also the softy bits after just one smoke. I’m admittedly and somewhat anal retentive when it come to cleanliness/sanitation, but I always remove the softy bit after a smoke and wipe off the end of the stem with alcohol and also clean the softy bit with alcohol.
By the way, and for what it’s worth, softy bits are not made of latex.
"By the way, and for what it’s worth, softy bits are not made of latex."
Not THAT kind of disease! I meant from contaminated bits.
Not THAT kind of disease! I meant from contaminated bits.
I have a couple of pipes with them but the rest of my pipes I don't bother. Took some getting use to for me, they do help when chomping down on some stems.
I ave a combination of strong clinch and very sharp teeth. I have ruined too many stems the replacements of which were just not the same. I use them on all my pipes. I am experimenting with cut to length tubing.
I don't really clench. I smoke mostly straight pipes and the pipes are a sort of lever in my mouth, with my bottom jaw as the fulcrum. So no, I don't use these. I also think they're hideous, though I suppose if you're a clencher the practicality might outweigh the aesthetic imbalance.
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