I first seriously smoked pipes about 2006. Did lots of reading, video watching, and talking to a few who smoked themselves. Vulcanite was overwhelmingly the choice of stems for the comfort, quality, etc. The years passed and I find myself growing tired of the struggle to keep vulcanite shiny. I realize that’s lots of pipers enjoy fiddling around buffing and polishing their stems, at times I still do. The past four or five years I have purchased more Italian makers pipes than not because they predominantly use acrylic. Your thoughts please....
Vulcanite vs Acrylic Stems.....Which do you Prefer?
- Thread starter Keweenaw
- Start date
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Prefer the comfort of vulcanite but the ease of keeping acrylic looking nice.
Ebonite is more better (technical term ?). Haven’t tried Cumberland stems yet but I’m getting there.
Ebonite is more better (technical term ?). Haven’t tried Cumberland stems yet but I’m getting there.
Cumberland definitely doesn’t show the oxidation nearly as much as vulcanite.
I'm mostly good with them all as long as they are made correctly.
Most of my pipe stems are vulcanite, and I’ve never had any issues with them, but I prefer acrylic. Nonetheless, if I find a pipe that I like, the stem material is secondary...
half a dozen of one half a dozen of the other. Honestly could not care either way. Vulcanite feels slightly better but not too much. And oxidization is annoying but not not that annoying to deal with. Basically it's never had any effect on my pipe choice in any way. I have not even thought of stem material at all until joining this forum and hearing two members say never on acrylic, heard their complaints and said makes not a difference to me.
Exactly. That’s why these questions are always fun.
Italian pipes also suck. Unless they have vulcanite stems.
Hello Pierluigi, the only Italian pipe I’ll ever own.
BTW, I hate cobs too.
P.S. if you really on my opinions for life advice. Get a life. Lol.
funny my Italian pipe has a vulcanite stem that I just recently cleaned up. My oldest pipe by the way.
Has to be old. Italians are all in on the acrylic train.
it was new back in the mid 90's when I picked it up for well under the market value. My tobacconist refused to sell me another pipe until it went on sale and someone bought it so I got the Brebbia for the none sale price on the other one. An offer I couldn't refuse literally.
As an old guy with old teeth, that tend to mark up my stems, I now always use rubber stem tips. Therefore, the comfort level is the same no matter the stem material of the pipe. I actually like the stem tips, as they allow me comfort, no matter how much I clench when out walking or working hands free.
And, no, I don't get any adverse "rubbery" taste from the tips.
And, no, I don't get any adverse "rubbery" taste from the tips.
Vulcanite only for me. I find that with minimal care, a once a year good cleaning suffices. I think the amount of care needed is overstated and exaggerated. They are soooooo much more comfortable!
Doesn't really matter to me. However, Acrylic is less effort to maintain.
Over the years I've grown to like vulcanite over acrylic. Especially since I've gravitated towards lightweight clenching pipes. Having said that if it's light enough then I can't necessarily say vulcanites advantages over lucite are realized. I've got some badly oxidized stems that suck moisture away from my mouth...but I still prefer vulcanite over acrylic for its clenching "softness". If looks are your thing then you probably won't have the same preferences.
For comfort, either as long as the pipe balances well as I have a pipe dangling out of my mouth pretty much all day. I do, however, much prefer the look of a good old rubber bit.
I've got italians from the '50s up to the 2000s with vulcanite. From there up they've mostly gone acrylic, artisans included.
About 50/50 mix of vulcanite & acrylic. Vulcanite is softer and more comfortable in the clench for sure. Going forward it promises to transition more to the acrylic side as I’m only purchasing Meers & the occasional MM. 
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