From: ??????????????????????? (Elias Mazur)
Subject: Stems.
Steve wrote:
>Now on to stems: I have a couple of pipes (a Savinelli and an "Amphora"
>special - both have been around since my _first_ stint in college!) whose
>stems have loosened. On the theory that the stems might be thermoplastic,
>I've tried using hot water to soften them - no luck. If anyone has some good
>tricks for tightening stems, please write in!
I don't know any trick for tightening stems, but I can suggest that you
contact a good pipe store owner, who can fix your stems, or even put on a new
one. I know of a pipe shop in Utica (I mentioned in previous mails), whose
owner, Mr Bob Smith, is an expert on the subject. He has a large quantity of
new stems, and the know-how. Every time I go to his pipe shop, I take a pipe
with me, so that he can clean the stem. It looks like new ! Anyway, I'm going
to pass you his address and phone number, and you can contact him. I'm sure
you'll be pleased to do business with him.
Pipes Unlimited
Bob Smith, Tabacconist
19 Auburn Avenue
Utica, NY 13501
(315) 735-2588
Good luck !!
Smoke in peace ~\U
Elias Mazur
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>From: cbema!wbt (thacker,w b)
Steve Masticola writes:
>[I can't really describe how a mango tastes - it's somewhere in between a
>peach and a melon,[...] My broker says that with the
>money I saved buying a corncob instead of a Dunhill, I can get about 150 of
>them. :-) -S.]
Oh, yes, I forgot to mention the tremendous investment potential of
corncob pipes ! 8-)
norm writes:
>Based on the news from this group I have tried a more English style
>of tobacco. The Tinder Box chain here has a brand called Sherlock's
>Choice. I can't remember the mixture except that is has some Latakia.
>When I know I will make a better statement, but so far I am enjoying it
>more than the sweetened brands.
Deja vu ! Just yesterday, I went to the TB (the only pipe store in
East Columbus open on Sundays...) to try some latakia. I turned my
nose up at Sherlock's, and picked Connoisseur, which sits right next
to it.
I got two ounces and promised myself not to make a decision until I'd
smoked it all (to make sure the my pipe cake picks up the full flavor,
after years of smoking flavored cavendish), but my initial impression is
underwhelming. There is a certain plain, woodsy flavor, which is
pleasant, but that's offset by the smell, which is certainly no crowd
pleaser. We'll give it a while, yet.
Steve Masticola writes:
>Now on to stems: I have a couple of pipes (a Savinelli and an "Amphora"
>special - both have been around since my _first_ stint in college!) whose
>stems have loosened. On the theory that the stems might be thermoplastic,
>I've tried using hot water to soften them - no luck. If anyone has some good
>tricks for tightening stems, please write in!
You need to sand down the stem a little, then it should fit fine. If not,
sand off a little more.
Some stems are too far gone to be recovered, I'm told, so you may find
after a few sandings that the stem literally falls out of the pipe. In
that case, you'll need a replacment stem.
8-) 8-) sorry, couldn't resist.
A couple of my hard rubber stems, and one lucite, did the same thing,
giving me to presume that the pipe itself has expanded, as opposed to
the stem loosening. Anyway, my quick fix (which has been in place for
a year or two now 8-) was to wrap a small bit of thin paper around the
tip of the stem, to act as a shim. Experiment with the exact thickness you
need, but one turn is usually sufficient. Scotch tape works even better,
so long as you carfully clean the stem first.
My greatest pipe repair to date was on a favorite old deep bend (the sort
that bumps your chin as you smoke). Managed to drop this one, splitting
the pipe neck in half and breaking off the top half:
-----------
/ \ /\
| | / x\
| | xxx /
| \_/ /
\ /
\_______________/
where everyinging above and to the left of the x's was broken off. As the
pipe was a fine smoker, I refused to give up so easily. I put the too
half back in place (it fitted perfectly, no chips were lost), and
tightly wound that broken area of the neck with wire. Then, I placed
a bit of heat-shrink tubing over the wire wrap, and with a heat gun,
shrunk it tightly into place.
Sure, it looks funny, but by God, it's held up for over 2 years now !
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Bill Thacker att!cbema!wbt ??????????????????
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