So, I'm trying out these "Softy Pipe Bits" rubber things, and I like 'em in a way and don't like 'em in another.

I love the security in the mouth, doesn't feel like the heavier pipes are gonna pop out.

The problem: The square edge on the opposite side. You see, the mouth-side is nice and rounded, the other side is not. Where I clench (if and when I do clench, which I did not before these bumpers, for fear of ruining my stems), this 90° edge of unfinished sharp rubber sits right on my lower lip. It's terrible.

I may try to file these down or do something to round out the corner, but are there any manufactured that are a bit smoother?

The fine side of an emery board nail file should smooth them up nicely.

Crap, forgot I posted this.

So, I actually sanded down the edges with 200, 500 and 100, and made it a LOT better. Popped the sucker on the end of a small Sharpie to keep it a little more rigid, and worked around it until it seemed to calm that edge down.

Worked alright, might try some different angles to really get it smooth.

I used those on a few pipes awhile back and ended up tossing them. They are great, like you said, for clenching the bit and making the pipe feel secure. But after a while I noticed that the stem under the rubber tends to oxidize a lot faster than the rest. The reason, so far as I could tell was from the moisture that is held in place there against the stem.

I might have been able to get around that by removing and replacing the rubber every smoke but that kind of defeats the purpose for me.

Strange. I wonder if it has to do with the stem quality, or how nasty my mouth is then? In all honesty I am at something of a loss now...

I have an old Peterson that the second I walk outside on a humid day it turns green so I just gave up buffing it I'll just leave the patina, but under the rubber is still black. go figure. I say embrace the oxidation, gives a pipe character and a nice aged look.

Well, mouth "nastiness" notwithstanding , people's body chemistry can be different, then adding to the mix smoke and the combusted contents liquified in solution with saliva, then put in close proximity to your vulcanite stems, so it's possible to my mind that different or sped-up oxidation might happen from person to person.

It's all chemistry, when it comes down to it!

Some people like to use rubber tubing instead of softees for just this problem.

Richard, when you suggest "a black vinyl tubing," what is the tubing's original purpose? I'd like to try some (or any alternate tubing, truthfully) because the rubber bits are good, but they're pricey, and in some instances, too darned think.

I was also considering the shrink tubing used for electrical wiring. I have ton of that, and it's cheap.

Kyle, I don't really know what the tubing is used for, but it was easily found. Comes in at least two sizes, but I can't remember which I chose. Big help, right? It may possibly be used for water line for refrigerator freezers, the ice-cube maker thingy, but I don't know. It does feel a bit thick to the bite, I hate it, but it's effective, and one does almost get used to it. The shrink tubing, I hear, is the way to go if you can find the right size. It's much thinner and quite durable. I couldn't find any without buying huge amounts, so the hell with that. I only want it on beater pipes anyhow.

Hahaha yeah, big help... It's cool, I'll just go in and be as uninformed as the equally-clueless Home Depot folks and see what turns up.

Harbor Freight is a chain store of junk tools from China that sells all sorts of stuff, including shrink tubing, have literally miles of the stuff for electronic projects--might as well see if it works!