Do you use soft rubber/vinyl bits on your pipe?

[Ropey]

Please 'splain your reasoning... I'm up in the air.

[Horseshoe]

It is more comfortable. A pipe is a tool, so I am not worried about teeth marks. I think it is easier to clinch and feels better in my mouth.

[Tobias Lutz]

I clinch my teeth in my sleep, and while I refuse to wear the custom mouth guard my dentist insists on, I find the least I can do is use softy bits when I smoke a pipe.

[tmoran]

I use them on all my pipes, except cobs. I put shrink tubing on my cobs and the smaller Forever Stems. I must have some jagged teeth, because before I started using them all my pipes would have bad tooth marks, and I darn near chewed through the MM bits. I don't find them overly comfortable, but I didn't want to damage my stems.

[JustTroItIn]

I don't have them on all of my pipes but quite a few of them. Mostly vulcanite stems as they seem to be a bit easier to leave tooth marks.

[Horsefeathers]

I do the same as tmoran. Softy bits on both of my nicer pipes, and nothing on my cobbs.

[Lostmason]

Just never tried one,,so I haven't bought any either.

[Haebar]

I use them on new pipes or pipes with new stems, but not on my estate pipes that already have tooth marks.

[izkeh]

I use them on all of mine except my cheapo cobs.

[Nature]

I began to use them on all of my pipes after I noticed I had a tooth mark dent nearly all the way through the stem on my original MM cob. I must have a fang or something. This is also the same pipe I clench the most as I use it on my commute.

[Branzig]

I use them on all my vulcanite pipe stems.

I don't waste money on those softie bits though. They're way over-priced and I chew right through them.

I make my own out of vinyl tubing. :thumb:

[quo155]

I bought some years ago but never put them on my pipes and now there's lost! I've been wanting to try one as I am quiet the biter. I'm not worried about my cobs but I do tend to break/bite through them a little too often.

I just need to order a new one and see...

EDIT: I had to vote "no" as I've not yet tried them. But, I think I would use them.

[LandonColby]

No. I think they look tacky, and make the stem to large and uncomfortable to clench...I prefer thin or saddle bit stems so when I clench I'm actually biting down on more of the stem than just the very end. This is more comfortable IMO as I don't need to really bite it just hangs there, also meaning I don't have an issue with tooth marks.

[GWBowman]

I have them on all the pipes that they fit. A few of the stems are to small for the bits from the local to work B&M. Think I'll try the heat shrink, especially on the small stems, thanks to tmoran for the idea.

[HabanoMan]

I use them on most of my pipes. I am a clencher and sometimes I get a bit over aggressive leaving teeth marks. Plus I feel they are much more comfortable to clench on than the hard stem.

[Pugsley]

Tried one once, didn't like it and took it off. Like LandonColby, I prefer thinner stems and the bits were uncomfortable. I rarely clench anyway.

[cbr310]

I use them on all my vulcanite pipe stems.

I don't waste money on those softie bits though. They're way over-priced and I chew right through them.

I make my own out of vinyl tubing. :thumb:

how you do that? Now I want to try them.

[Branzig]

how you do that? Now I want to try them.
I'm at work right now. I'll post a how to on this later in the DIY section though of there is interest.

For like 3 bucks you can make over 100 stem protectors. Super cost effective IMO.

[bluenoser]

no because I just have the 2 pipes and they're just as they came but would like to give one a go sometime. I'm not a clincher so probably wouldn't really make much difference to me

[MrMotoyoshi]

I used to use them but I have given up except for my birth year Dunhill. I would like that pipe to stay pristine.

My reasoning is multifaceted.

1. A work of art. The stem is one of the most used parts of the pipe, if not the most. The pipe crafters (the good ones) take their time to make it comfortable and a work of art on its own. Putting that rubber/vinyl piece on goes against all the hard work that went into making it. I also don't like the look of it.

2. That nasty nasty. Drool, tobacco juice and whatever else is going to collect under there. If you're using the rubber bits they become destroyed by constantly putting them on and taking them off (in addition to the biting while clenching). If it's a bit that you're leaving on, all that saliva and juicy goodness stays there and festers.

3. Stems with character. After all they are my pipes and I think a pipe with teeth marks has character and looks loved. Besides, you can always clean your vulcanite stems. It's part of the stewardship of a pipe IMO. Estates with chatter are commonplace so why should I not enjoy my pipe to the fullest while it's mine?

These are just my thoughts. For all the people that use them please don't take this as me bashing you. Everyone enjoys their pipes differently.

[Ropey]

2. That nasty nasty. Drool, tobacco juice and whatever else is going to collect under there. If you're using the rubber bits they become destroyed by constantly putting them on and taking them off (in addition to the biting while clenching). If it's a bit that you're leaving on, all that saliva and juicy goodness stays there and festers.This is my main concern, after which is the comfort of the thing.

The only thing I can think of is a very stretchy rubber bit which is taken off and cleaned every time. And as for the rubber ones, don't they taste like... rubber?

[cpmcdill]

I only have a few softee bits on pipes. Some of the pipes were estates that I restored, but the bit end of the stems were too damaged to make good as new, and the soft bits hide the heavy bite marks. On a couple others, I have them on pipes I'm inclined to clench if I'm doing something that needs both hands. Usually I don't clench, so most of my pipes have uncovered bits.

[Branzig]

This is my main concern, after which is the comfort of the thing.

The only thing I can think of is a very stretchy rubber bit which is taken off and cleaned every time. And as for the rubber ones, don't they taste like... rubber?

I don't worry about the spit. Who cares. It's mine. Also, the vinyl tubing I use is see-through, and you'd be amazed at how little spit actually gets under there while smoking.

I use food grade vinyl tubing that has 0 flavor too it. I have chewed through one once and it had absolutely no taste to it at all.

The tubing is thick, and takes time to get used too. If you think softie bits are uncomfortable, then the tubing will be unbearable to you.

[mooster]

I used them when I started out for a bit, but then realized they were kind of pointless since I rarely clench anyway.

[NeverBend]

I used to use them but I have given up except for my birth year Dunhill. I would like that pipe to stay pristine.

My reasoning is multifaceted.

1. A work of art. The stem is one of the most used parts of the pipe, if not the most. The pipe crafters (the good ones) take their time to make it comfortable and a work of art on its own. Putting that rubber/vinyl piece on goes against all the hard work that went into making it. I also don't like the look of it.

2. That nasty nasty. Drool, tobacco juice and whatever else is going to collect under there. If you're using the rubber bits they become destroyed by constantly putting them on and taking them off (in addition to the biting while clenching). If it's a bit that you're leaving on, all that saliva and juicy goodness stays there and festers.

3. Stems with character. After all they are my pipes and I think a pipe with teeth marks has character and looks loved. Besides, you can always clean your vulcanite stems. It's part of the stewardship of a pipe IMO. Estates with chatter are commonplace so why should I not enjoy my pipe to the fullest while it's mine?

These are just my thoughts. For all the people that use them please don't take this as me bashing you. Everyone enjoys their pipes differently.


No. I think they look tacky, and make the stem to large and uncomfortable to clench...I prefer thin or saddle bit stems so when I clench I'm actually biting down on more of the stem than just the very end. This is more comfortable IMO as I don't need to really bite it just hangs there, also meaning I don't have an issue with tooth marks.
@MrMotoyoshi (http://www.cigarbum.com/forum/member.php?u=193) and @LandonColby (http://www.cigarbum.com/forum/member.php?u=397), will you two guys get out of my head! I thought that I wrote your posts but you wrote mine! :)

I'm a dedicated clencher and I've owned most of my rotation for around 30 years. I groove every one similarly but of the hundreds of pipes that I've smoked (about 40 in my current rotation) I've never bitten through one but I have cracked the button twice.

The shape of your teeth is key - some mentioning that they punch holes in the stems sounds like they have sharp teeth. How hard you clench is a factor too. It comes down to what you're comfortable with and with anything on my bits, I'm not. I've tried, but I get that chalk on blackboard squeak and I have to run and pee. :)

[LandonColby]

@MrMotoyoshi (http://www.cigarbum.com/forum/member.php?u=193) and @LandonColby (http://www.cigarbum.com/forum/member.php?u=397), will you two guys get out of my head! I thought that I wrote your posts but you wrote mine! :)

I'm a dedicated clencher and I've owned most of my rotation for around 30 years. I groove every one similarly but of the hundreds of pipes that I've smoked (about 40 in my current rotation) I've never bitten through one but I have cracked the button twice.

The shape of your teeth is key - some mentioning that they punch holes in the stems sounds like they have sharp teeth. How hard you clench is a factor too. It comes down to what you're comfortable with and with anything on my bits, I'm not. I've tried, but I get that chalk on blackboard squeak and I have to run and pee. :)

I agree with the alignment of your bite being key to a comfortable clench. There is a place on the right side of my mouth that the button of a stem fits nicely, and comfortably. But there is a different spot for the left side since my teeth have been allowed to grow naturally...they're straight, but not perfect.
I classify myself as a clencher, but only take the pipe out of my mouth for short intervals to swallow just so I don't drool down the stem too much over time.

[mooster]

I've tried, but I get that chalk on blackboard squeak and I have to run and pee. :)

I thought that was just me. They also made my teeth itch.

[NeverBend]

I thought that was just me. They also made my teeth itch.

Yesss, that too.

_______________

Very much a personal thing akin to whether you like broccoli.

[freestoke]

I used shrink tubing for a while, which is actually fairly nice -- at first. After five or ten smokes it starts getting nasty and I got sick of putting on new ones. The nubbies were uncomfortably fat for me, though. I haven't even thought about it in a few years, and it never even occurred to me before that.

[Demuths1770]

i use em on all of my pipes. the bit feels nicer in my mouth and easier to bite down on and easier to clinch