Difference Between Ebonite and Vulcanite

[staffwalker]

I had always lumped these two together. I was just looking at a German pipe shop and see he has pipes which list ebonite as stem material and others with vulcanite as the material. Could someone please clarify? Are they just different qualities of rubber?

bob gilbert

[Nick]

No difference. Just different names.

[staffwalker]

That's what I had kind of thought but was looking at a German pipemaker's site, sorry can't remember who it was, some of his pipes were listed with vulcanite and others with ebonite. Curious?

bob gilbert

[JSPipes]

I think ebonite is a higher grade and has less sulpher. Though I could be wrong.

[Tyler]

Technically, ebonite is black vulcanite. An artificial distinction is sometimes employed by pipe makers to differenciate between preformed and hand cut stems. Sometimes a pipe makers calls a preformed stem a vulcanite stem, and a handcut stem an ebonite stem.

Tyler

[staffwalker]

Thanks Tyler, that explains why the pipe maker I was referring to used both names on his site.

PS: I'll send you some photos of work since I visited you when I matter the art of photos.

bob gilbert

[staffwalker]

Oops, should have been master. Guess I need to learn to spell also.

bob gilbert

[Tyler]

PS: I'll send you some photos of work since I visited you when I matter the art of photos.

bob gilbert

I look forward to it!

[ArtGuy]

Technically, ebonite is black vulcanite. An artificial distinction is sometimes employed by pipe makers to differenciate between preformed and hand cut stems. Sometimes a pipe makers calls a preformed stem a vulcanite stem, and a handcut stem an ebonite stem.

Tyler

Heh, I remember about a year or more ago I had stated that very answer to this question over at another forum. (I think it was pipes.org?) Anyhow, this guy went on and on with me about how I was wrong and that they were the same thing. I could not make him understand that I was making a distinction in the way the terms are used by pipemakers. Eventually he stopped allowing my posts to be seen on the forum. He was some sort of moderator I think

[KenLamb]

Ebonite is a brand name for black vulcanized rubber. Charles Goodyear 1851.
Happy smoking,
Ken