pipemakersforum.com

I am considering trying my hand at some handmade ebonite stems, but I am unsure if it is the right step.

My concerns:

1. Cost (~$7.95 per stem; average 3" at $2.65/in)
2. I don't have a lathe
3. Time consuming

My pros:

1. Freedom in design
2. I don't have to order stems with foresight, I can make them according to my own 'vision'
3. I don't have to order a dozen stems just to get one style
4. My pipes can be officially fully handmade
5. Ebonite is considered more valuable/collectable to pipe smokers for some reason?

So what do you think?

Also, does anybody know why 12 3.5" vulcanite stems are $20.00 at PME, but a 20" rod is $53.00?

I'm in the same boat you are. I will say that you need to start hand cutting stems as soon as possible. The freedom that allows in composition is well worth any trade off. That said, why not practice on something else? I've been using the Rhinoplastic blanks from exoticblanks.com that Sas recommended. I don't like them as well as ebonite, but they're cheap. Granted they work differently than ebonite, but you'll use a lot of the same techniques. If you absolutely must do ebonite, Tim West has some small diameter rod for, as I recall, $10 a stick. It's got a frustratingly small diameter but its usable for small pipes. I don't think I'll buy any of the expensive rod stock until I'm comfortable with the process. Just some suggestions. I'd be curious to hear what you decide.

There is no reason not to start with preformed to learn pipe making, but there is also no reason to stay there if you want to make great pipes.

I'm not a big fan of practicing on the crappy stuff. If it works for you, great, but I'm more motivated by the possibility of a really great pipe made of the best possible stuff. If I were to nail a pipe only to have used inferior stuff, that would be a bummer. And too, the good stuff causes me to be more careful.

That said, handcut stems are superior in almost every way, some of which you've already mentioned.

1. Design flexibility.
2. Superior ebonite over pre-formed
3. More comfortable because the superior material can be thinner.
4. Totally control over air flow.
5. Handmade

I'd handcut for any one of the above. All five make it a no-brainer.

As for price, you invest 8? 10? 20 hours of heart and soul in a pipe. That makes springing another $5 for a superior end result an easy decision. It's painful when you make the order, but if you can save up I'd vote that it's definitely worth it on a price-per-pipe basis.

A lathe is pretty much the best way to do this. It can be done on a drill press, but will have a much more brutal (read expensive) learning curve. There's nothing wrong with using premolds at first. You can heavily modify premolds so they are completely customized and almost unrecognizable as a premold. Just don't pass them off as hand cut (not that anyone has actually tried this ... ok fine, a few have been slapped around for being less than totally honest.

The main thing is rod stock equals lathe (pretty much).

Not trying to discourage you from hand cutting stems, but you are tetering on the edge of a precipice of which untold joy (and suffering) await you at the bottom. Abandon all hope Ye who enter. Just ask Uber. Now in addition to a fiance he has a big green mistress named Bertha.

Geeez Tyler. You beat me to it by typing on a real keyboard...

Hand cut stems beat the pants off premolds. Just in case that wasn't clear....

andrew wrote:Geeez Tyler. You beat me to it by typing on a real keyboard...

iPad. It's finally beneficial to be all thumbs.

A lathe isn't necessary to make handmade stems. A drill press will do just fine. Get a rod of Ebonite and some Delrin. Don't worry about turning tenons until you have the right tools. It will just frustrate you and waste expensive material. If you don't want to waste money on ebonite at first then go with acrylic. It's much cheaper and actually more difficult to cut a stem out of. Once you have that down then you can switch to ebonite and it will seems that much easier.

Wayne's right, delrin tenon will help immensely. I forgot about this. Drill press can make a fine hand cut stem with a delrin tenon. Thanks for the save Wayne. Don't want to leave anyone without all their options laid out.

All great points. I too am struggling with this, ordering lots of different types of stems to see what will work on what shape. It seems to me, after ordering so many stems I have no idea what I am going to do with them, that it might actually be cheaper (not taking into account time) to go with handmade stems.

Great discussion, great ideas. Thanks.

You can start with lucite rod to learn with (less expensive), and if you can make a stem from lucite, ebonite will be a breeze.

andrew wrote:Not trying to discourage you from hand cutting stems, but you are tetering on the edge of a precipice of which untold joy (and suffering) await you at the bottom. Abandon all hope Ye who enter. Just ask Uber. Now in addition to a fiance he has a big green mistress named Bertha.

Just to clarify, I currently have no fiance. Good thing the mistress likes me!

Thought I should chime in before my girlfriend (somehow) sees this and Andrew here gets me in trouble.

Tyler wrote:iPad. It's finally beneficial to be all thumbs.

Next customer I speak to about iPad, I'm totally using this.