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Yes, the pic with the original stem is fully inserted.

Why was it done that way? To fit everything into the available space. More about that in a sec.

Besides sporting "shine blasted" execution (no crisp lines), the stem was a square-sided block over .2" thick (seriously?) and made of acrylic (which the owner hated as a categorical thing).

"If possible, make it look like one of those elegant pipes in Pete's century-old catalogs that has a tapered stem. And use rubber. And make it brindle... because I effin' like brindle," said the owner.

It was possible.

To fit all the pieces-parts and keep the shank/stem gap looking authentic when assembled, the tenon and the condenser widget had to be shortened by about a millimeter each. Kinda cheatin' but kind of fun to get away with, too.

If you did nothing else than get rid of the p-lip it would have been a complete success.

Did you make the metal insert?

No, just cut down the original.

10-4 on the new generation of P-lips being simply bad.

George, can you make p-lips?? Now THAT would be a video I'd like to see......

Yeah, I can, but rarely do. Most high-end Pete stuff has a fishtail, anymore, with the low and mid grade lines being where the P-lips land. Meaning that the economics doesn't work out. More effort expended on a less valuable pipe rarely makes sense.

I've replicated a few 100+ year old P-lip Petes that were family heirlooms, and I'm sure if Mark Twain's museum exhibit got broken someone would call, but exceptional stuff like that is it.

I've made a few p-lips proper, with the little bend in the airway at the end so it's coming "up" rather than "back". They're a real pain in the ass.

Great stem George, gives that pipe a real 1920s vibe.