Tell me about a bone stem please

[nsfisher]

At my local antique shop, there is a pipe, i dont remember the name, in very good condition, smallish bowl needing cleaning of course. Anyway, this pipe had a full bone stem. I think i can git it for probable 10 -15 bucks but is it worth my while? Is it collectable or just another pipe?

 

[lifeon2]

for 10-15 bucks it would be cool to have just for your collection

 

[lonestar]

I like bone stems. They feel good in the teeth and its a traditional material.

The downside to bone is that it is a natural material. It *can* get fragile and chip easily. It will also hold bacteria better than a rubber or plastic stem.

If the pipe is lightly smoked with no chips in the stem, I'd consider cleaning it up and smoking it.

If the stem is gunked up, chewed up and funky, I might think twice or just consider it a collector piece.

 

[eaglerico]

I agree with Lonestar. I have a nice pipe from WWII that has carvings of a Japanese village on it with a bone stem. I am always afraid that if I drop it the stem will break, so I don't smoke it often.
Another reason I don't smoke it often is I can't pass a pipe cleaner through it, I can get to the same point from either end, but there is a shard of something preventing me from passing it through.
Foe me it also feels almost to hard on the teeth. I am not much of a clencher because I have sensitive teeth and the bone hitting my teeth makes my skin crawl.
For me, great to have in the collection. No one else will have one. I got it for $25 with a pipe stand at an antique store.