Aluminum Tipped Stems...?

[Toast]

An Ashton churchwarden has just finished on eBay - with a feature I'd not seen before, an aluminium Tipped stem.

I'm assuming this is to protect it - but it seemed a bit counterintuitive to use a softer stem material that needs more maintenance & then cover it with metal exactly where most people want it softest. Am I missing something...?

 

[Merton]

It makes my teeth ache just looking at it...

 

[kcghost]

Seems odd to me.

 

[greeneyes]

Not silver?

 

[Toast]

Not silver?

Good point. The seller said aluminium - & I imagine silver would be more attractive, so I'm assuming they're right.

But either way - metal?

 

[Toast]

O dear, I've just become a senior!

 

[daveinlax]

I’ve also seen gold dental bits!

 

[ashdigger]

I’ve seen silver to restore the bit. Not aluminum. Silver is anti microbial, silver wouldn’t have the metallic taste of aluminum.

 

[OzPiper]

It'd be fun trying to explain to your dentist why you're in need of his attention ?

 

[Chasing Embers]

Could be an entirely Sterling Silver stem.

 

[mso489]

Some people get a twang of pain if they mistakenly chew on some aluminum foil and it interacts with their filings.

 

[mortonbriar]

They just wrapped the end in aluminium foil to avoid showing it all chewed up???