custom stems

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Boxerbuddy

Boxerbuddy

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I think this is the right place for this post....Idk. Anyways, I have this LJ Peretti pipe, it is an awesome, neutral smoker....a great piece of briar. However, it has the tendency to gurgle once in awhile....I suspect that it's the crap production vulcanite stem on it. I'd like to have it replaced with a quality acrylic stem. I only paid $50 for the pipe, but it smokes so good I'm willing to spend more to make it exceptional.

Anyways, to the point. Can anyone direct me to someone who fabricates quality stems? I always see Yak talking about his LL custom lucite stems, but I don't know who LL is and if he will do stems for anyone else.
 
I'll give another nod to Walker Briar Works. I just bought 2 of their cob stems in acrylic, and they are worth their weight in gold to me. In addition, I have learned I can cut my cob filters in half, and there is still enough room in the shank for a perfect stem fit. This also brings the pipes original air flow back, which I prefer.
 
An inexpensive replacement stem will almost certainly be a modified cast one, which puts you back to square one again as far as the airway goes.

If someone out there who knows what he's doing will offer to fit you a replacement and open the airway properly (it isn't just a simple matter of bigger is better), you've scored.

George (LL) does mine from minimally modified rod stock, which ain't cheap work. But his work is state-of-the-art.

What you might try is funneling the intake at the tenon. This can cut down on gurgling quite a bit IF that's the problem involved.

Old pipes with great stems are THE way to go, IMHO :cheers:

:face:
 
IndySmoker":w0mxmpei said:
monbla256":w0mxmpei said:
I've used these folks for years. Great folks to deal with: http://www.walkerbriarworks.com/html/pipe_repairs.html
Click to expand...
I want short stems made for a couple pipes and brand new stems made for a couple other pipes. Is this who you'd recomend for this?
Click to expand...
Here are a couple pics of a short vulcanite stem I got from Dave at Walker Briar Works. It has excellent stem fit and airflow.....

DSC00163.jpg


DSC00164.jpg


Also, here is an acrylic bit I purchased from him as well that I am extremely pleased with.....

DSC00165.jpg


DSC00166.jpg
 
Tim Thorpe makes great stems!
http://www.timthorpepipes.com/contact.html

Check out the video on YouTube about his stem work:
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8RbdwyuZKlk" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
The whole crux of the matter is that if a cheap cast stem is replaced by another one that
only has the outside re-shaped, you're back where you started as far as performance.

Anybody reputable can do a stem replacement. What you want (beside the end of the
shank not being mutilated in the process) is the INSIDE -- the airway -- being adjusted.
Adjusted -- not just opened way up. THAT's what you discuss with the guy doing it.

FWIW

:cat: :face: :study:
 
Dutch I have one of the longer vulcanite stems from walker briar works LOVE IT all my cobs are stemless now I just switch it out, Kinda stumped all my buddies when they saw cobs in the rack with only one stem
 
If I were to determine that I needed a replacement stem, I'd go to LL. From what I've read there is a wait, but the praise for his work is always effusive.
 
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