Small Metal Rod Inside Pipe (Stinger?)

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ivapewithfire

Starting to Get Obsessed
Nov 26, 2014
268
0
West Virginia, USA
I just bought a basket pipe from my local B&M.
It has a small metal rod in the stem. It's in the same spot that a filter would be in my MM Cob (which I remove btw). I think it's called a stinger.
Is this necessary? It looks like it would just make it harder to clean and tighten up the draw on the pipe some.
Since I don't use the filters in my MM Cob or my Dr. Grabow, my inclination is that I probably will want to remove this piece also.
If it's necessary for the function of the pipe for some reason, I'll be sure and leave it in place.
It looks like the second from the right in the following picture:
stingers.jpg

Thanks

 
Apr 26, 2012
3,342
5,130
Washington State
It's not necessary. I removed the one from my basket pipe a couple years ago, and it smokes better in my opinion. Some people use them others don't, but it comes down to preference. Its not essential to have it. Try it both ways and see what you think of each. Maybe you'll prefer it in the pipe, but I doubt it. :puffy:

 

huntertrw

Lifer
Jul 23, 2014
5,219
5,338
The Lower Forty of Hill Country
ivapipewithfire:
The second from the right in the image above looks like a Dunhill Inner Tube. This aluminum tube was designed to connect to the pipe's stem at one end. The other slid snugly inside of the pipe's draft hole, the angled part fitting flush and aligning with the contour of the inside of the bowl. Its purpose was to keep the briar surrounding the draft hole from becoming soaked with tars from the tobacco, thereby keeping the pipe fresh. When the tube became internally soiled it could be easily removed and cleaned, or simply replaced.

 

ivapewithfire

Starting to Get Obsessed
Nov 26, 2014
268
0
West Virginia, USA
That's what I thought, but wanted to make sure I had identified the part correctly.
The pipe is a no name stamped Italy, but sounds exactly like what you are talking about huntertrw.
Thanks for the quick response and advice guys.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
A little more about stingers. If you keep them in the pipe, they really need to be cleaned pretty

much every smoke. You can let them go, but as you will see, they get soiled and sludgy soon.

I take them out and keep them labeled, so I know what pipe they came with, so I can pass it along

if I sell the pipe (which for me would be unusual). A few pipes actually use the stinger to fasten

the stem to the shank. This is true of the Kaywoodie Drinkless pipes; these pipes smoke fairly well

with their stingers, but the screw mount doesn't always bring the bit perpendicular to the bowl, which

is annoying. Kaywoodie actually makes some new briar pipes that do not have this feature, such as

their Saxon line with a push bit, which I prefer, but they are hard to find new. I think stingers were

introduced in the heyday of pipe smoking, when pipe makers were in rigorous competition and wanted

to distinguish themselves, so introduced the stinger as a means to a dryer, milder smoke. I have never

noticed that a stinger provided either of these benefits. Only two of my dozens of pipes have stingers,

and one has been removed and is in storage, and the other is a Kaywoodie Drinkless.

 
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