Recently, I purchased a Nording bent apple -- one of my favorite shapes -- but the stem isn't quite bent enough. It's almost a jaw-hanger, but not quite. I've tried to get used to it, but it's annoying as hell, somehow.
Having read accounts from others in this forum about bending stems, it occurred to me that I might just take it from its current 30 degrees, closer to the 60 degrees that would be just perfect.
So, here are my questions:
1) Is it ethical to modify someone else's work? Should I just sell it and buy something that is closer to what I really want (the rest of the pipe is just great, by the way)
2) Is it even possible? Or should I ship the pipe off to someone who repairs pipes and have them make or find a replacement stem that is closer to the 60 degrees that I want?
I look forward to hearing what you all think. The floor is open for discussion.
Modifying a pipe
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Bryan Johnson
- Posts: 42
- Joined: Sat Dec 22, 2012 5:12 pm
- Location: Upper Peninsula, Michigan
Modifying a pipe
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Re: Modifying a pipe
It's easy to do and no one cares if you do.
The question is, do you have a bent pipe with a stem that isn't bent enough or do you have a pipe where you just wish it were bent more, and bending the stem is going to leave you with a bowl that points straight forward?
A bent pipe (the shape of the wood) is not the same at all as a bent stem. Look hard at the pipe, imagine the position of the bowl when you take the stem to 60 degrees (which is considered full bent by a lot of standards). My guess is that you have a pipe where you can't even see the top of the bowl to light it, and tobacco is falling out all over the floor.
The question is, do you have a bent pipe with a stem that isn't bent enough or do you have a pipe where you just wish it were bent more, and bending the stem is going to leave you with a bowl that points straight forward?
A bent pipe (the shape of the wood) is not the same at all as a bent stem. Look hard at the pipe, imagine the position of the bowl when you take the stem to 60 degrees (which is considered full bent by a lot of standards). My guess is that you have a pipe where you can't even see the top of the bowl to light it, and tobacco is falling out all over the floor.
ALL YOUR PIPE ARE BELONG TO US!
Re: Modifying a pipe
If you do eventually decide to change the bent of the stem, be very careful. Seeing that you haven't done it before, maybe try it out on a cheap/basket pipe first. And when warming it up, remember to keep moving and not keep the flame in one spot for too long.