Threaded Pipes

[TonyS]

So guys, I just got a new estate pipe this morning, my second pipe overall. "Earl of Essex" and "Imported Briar" are stamped on the tenon. This is an Oom Paul type, full bent. I don't know whether to be happy or disappointed with myself. This was an online purchase and I neglected to asked the seller about the tenon/stem joint. My newbie self just didn't think about it. Turns out it has a threaded metal insert:



The draw and fit/finish seem ok, though I cannot get a cleaner all the way out the drought hole. That may be because of the sharp angle though, I don't know. The PO cleaned it really well so before my first smoke can you guys give me the general consensus of these threaded pipes.... any good? Are they a PITA to clean? I already searched for "threaded tenons" and "threaded stems" but found very little. Thanks.

 

[gravel]

That is a stinger. Due to the way the stem screws in, you won't be able to remove it from the stem.

Clean up can be aided by a small bristle brush.

Yeah cleanup can be a pain, but that is part of the ritual!

 

[huffelpuff]

Tony

Many Oom Pauls won't easily pass a cleaner. Being a screw in is helpful. You can unscrew the stem even when it's hot to run a cleaner through to the bowl. The biggest problem I've had with screw in stems is that they can get out of time. Then you have to adjust it to make the stem line up with the bowl right. Enjoy your new pipe.

Jim

 

[shootist51]

Many of the "stingers" are a separate piece from the threaded tenon, and can be removed by simply pulling them apart.

This might help with the pipecleaner reaching the bowl, or, due to the disign, it might not.

I try to avoid any metal in my pipes, due to the potential for added condensation and removing the stinger might help, if that poses a problem, but you still have the threaded tenon being metal, so maybe not.

I would just try the pipe and if you enjoy it, don't worry about it.

Also, removing or altering a stinger can hurt the resale value on some of the collectable pipes that have them...Kaywoodie comes to mind.

 

[SpeedyPete]

I do not like the stingers and cut them off, using a very fine metal saw. I then use a drill to open up the metal part of the stem.

But, be careful, you can easily damage the pipe to such an extent that it will be useless.

 

[TonyS]

Aaah, so that's a stinger... OK, I'll smoke her and see how it goes. I'll be giving it the S&A treatment first. I'll try not to over tighten it so hopefully it'll stay lined up right. I think I'm going to like the different balance these Oom Paul types exhibit. I've got my first batch of tinned 'bacco, Dunhill Nightcap and MM965, hopefully arriving tomorrow from Smokingpipes.com. :cheers: I think I'll try this pipe out with those first. :bounce:

 

[TonyS]

I do not like the stingers and cut them off, using a very fine metal saw. I then use a drill to open up the metal part of the stem.

But, be careful, you can easily damage the pipe to such an extent that it will be useless.

Thanks Pete. That'd be a job for my mill but I'll hold off on that until a few smokes to see how it goes.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

If you're new to pipe smoking, stingers can usually be the difference between "...why the hell does anyone smoke a pipe," and "...wow, this ain't half bad."

Fortunately, stingers of the pull out variety are easy to deal with.

The screw-tenon style, as pictured, can be edited by cutting/filing at the outermost thread, and the pipe may or may not smoke much better. I gave such a pipe to my buddy Tom, and had to remove the stinger extension off the end of the threaded tenon, and from then on, it smoked halfway decent.

Good plan, see how it smokes for you, then monkey around with it if for some reason it's problematic. Fixing that which ain't broke is only good for experimental music.

8)

 

[shootist51]

If you're new to pipe smoking, stingers can usually be the difference between "...why the hell does anyone smoke a pipe," and "...wow, this ain't half bad."

Fortunately, stingers of the pull out variety are easy to deal with.

The screw-tenon style, as pictured, can be edited by cutting/filing at the outermost thread, and the pipe may or may not smoke much better. I gave such a pipe to my buddy Tom, and had to remove the stinger extension off the end of the threaded tenon, and from then on, it smoked halfway decent.

Good plan, see how it smokes for you, then monkey around with it if for some reason it's problematic. Fixing that which ain't broke is only good for experimental music.

8)

Some of the screw in tenons, as pictured, are actually in two pieces and the tenon can be pulled out leaving the screw in and not requiring any "mill work" at all. After cleaning look closely at the stinger and see if you can't see a seam between the two.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Huh. New revelation for me, all the screw-in tenons with stingers I've seen were all-in-ones. Which, granted, hasn't been many of them (three, I think?).

Well, the saw and file job I did didn't hurt any, nonetheless. :lol:

8)

 

[TonyS]

Some of the screw in tenons, as pictured, are actually in two pieces and the tenon can be pulled out leaving the screw in and not requiring any "mill work" at all. After cleaning look closely at the stinger and see if you can't see a seam between the two.

Shootist for the win! :cheers: After getting the S/A treatment started on the bowl I was looking at the stinger and, sure enough, I was able to pull it apart leaving only the threaded part in the stem. Now the draw is considerably better. Now just have to wait for the S/A treatment to do its thing and then it's go time! :face: Thanks guys.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

Great news!

Although now I may have to ask my friend for that pipe back to try and extract what might be left of the stinger out of the tenon of his pipe. *sigh* :lol:

8)