Yet Another Pet Peeve

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smoker13

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Well, I found some members who agreed with me when I posted my pet peeve about coated bowls, and plenty more who voted the opposite way, and still some who didn't care one way or another.  But the one thing all of the posts had in common were they were interesting to read.

Well here goes, I'm firing away with another one of my pet peeves, I was just reminded of how much I disliked and just plain couldn't understand: WHITE STEMS.  I mean, a pipe craftsman presents a beautifully worked briar shape and the fluidity, the whole motion of the piece just stops dead when it hits that white stem.  To me, the pipe just doesn't seem to move as a unified piece.  It's an immediate dealbreaker.  No matter how much I love the bowl and shank, I will not purchase a pipe with a white stem, period.

So what say ye, fellow pipesmokers and pipe purchasers - does the white stem bother you as much as it does me?
 
I have an Albin I like the looks of quite a bit.

fFjj2s.jpg


The stem provides a nice contrast.
 
Different strokes for different folks. Not for me either but thankfully one doesn't see many. Not really worth the effort to get upset about for me :twisted: :twisted:
 
"Not really worth the effort to get upset about" for me either, monbla. Hence, the relegation to the category of "pet peeve". It just pops up when surveying some pipes with an eye to purchase and seeing one with promise but that damn stem spoils the enthusiasm.
 
I like to wear white dress shirts and see white blouses on wimmin, but that's about it for me liking white. I agree with you in general, but it depends on the pipe. The pipe posted above, for example, "works" because the stem isn't pure white. But I know what you're talking about: a perfectly shaped rhodesian or whatever, then the stupid brassard sticks a blindingly white stem on it. It just looks too incongruous, a clown pipe.
 
Richard Burley":ep37dvte said:
I like to wear white dress shirts and see white blouses on wimmin, but that's about it for me liking white. I agree with you in general, but it depends on the pipe. The pipe posted above, for example, "works" because the stem isn't pure white. But I know what you're talking about: a perfectly shaped rhodesian or whatever, then the stupid brassard sticks a blindingly white stem on it. It just looks too incongruous, a clown pipe.
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Ardor and Pipa Croci like to go off on such tangents. Matter of taste really.
 
For the most part I'm not crazy about white stems. But every once in a while I'll see one that fits the pipe. The one pictured in this post is such a pipe.
 
Well, apparently I'm still more of a newbie than I thought, because I immediately replied to eklektik's post and I see, or rather CAN'T see it now.

I pointed out that that pipe IS gorgeous and I'd love to own it myself, but it does NOT represent what I'm complaining about. The stem is not completely white, it also is carved ini such a way as to provide angles that complement the shank and bowl as well as provide shadows that break up the color of the stem.

My problem is with those stems that are purely white and smooth, a perfect fit, as Richard has given an example of , to something like a Rhodesian. A stem that just completely breaks up the flow of the profile of the pipe.
 
I think they can look great in photos, so I guess I like them. Depending on how opaque the material is, they could get ugly really quickly. I've seen some sharp Ardor and Roush white and whitish stems, but I really like the pop of a colored stem. They can surely get gaudy, but to me, that has more to do with shaping, twelve rings of other materials, and the maker getting carried away with it all. I'm not even a fan of a simple silver band. A white stem with a logo is good. Start adding ridges and shoulders and obsidian rings...no thank you.
 
Whatever floats your boat I guess.

Ron posted one of his creations recently with a smooth white, flush stem. I'd not paid a huge amount of attention to white stemmed pipes before, but this one of Ron's changed my thinking. Looked stunning!

 
Stick":e1jcu8kn said:
Whatever floats your boat I guess.

Ron posted one of his creations recently with a smooth  white, flush stem. I'd not paid a huge amount of attention to white stemmed pipes before, but this one of Ron's changed my thinking. Looked stunning!
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Stark white can be a bit rough on the eye's but, I think put on the right pipe it can make all the difference.
The ones I've done were more of a off white/Ivory color and in my eyes looked well with them.

And thank you Stick.
 
Cartaphilus":04fvwzl0 said:
Stick":04fvwzl0 said:
Whatever floats your boat I guess.

Ron posted one of his creations recently with a smooth  white, flush stem. I'd not paid a huge amount of attention to white stemmed pipes before, but this one of Ron's changed my thinking. Looked stunning!
Click to expand...
Stark white can be a bit rough on the eye's but, I think put on the right pipe it can make all the difference.
The ones I've done were more of a off white/Ivory color and in my eyes looked well with them.

And thank you Stick.
Click to expand...
Not usually a fan of white stems, but agree that Ron's pipe changed my way of thinking.



Cheers,

RR
 
I was ambivalent towards white stems until I saw Ron's great example and almost simultaneously picked up a beautifully blasted GBD Prehistoric poker with a lovely pearlescent white stem which works really well on the pipe.

My two scintillas

Cheers

Tim
 
smoker13":am263ks0 said:
eklektos44 - I think Ardor brought that pipe out to commemorate the Chickenpox virus!
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It's pretty hideous. Seems like I saw a Savinelli somewhere that they thought would be a good idea to put polka dots on. They were wrong.
 
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