Rubber Bit Covers?
- Thread starter dispatch
- Start date
.gif)
SmokingPipes.com Updates
Watch for Updates Twice a Week
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
Site Sponsors
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor
- Status
I have tried softys - but to be honest - I just don't like them - they feel funny in my mouth - like I am biting down on a piece of inner tube. For stem damage - I just have my local guy whip up another stem for me at $20 a pop.
There are a few members here that use shrink tubing (I think that is what it is called). I agree with clanobucklin, the softy bits don't feel right to me!
It's also called "heat shrink".
It is an electrical tubing that is used to seal wiring splices among other things.
It is an electrical tubing that is used to seal wiring splices among other things.
I just put in an order for some medical grade heat shrink tubing. It's not only non-toxic but rated to be used in medical implant devices. I've been clenching more lately and want to protect my pipe stems. It's available through Grainger Industrial Supply.
Is the Heat Shrink tubbing easy to get off if need be? I've been planning on buying a bulk set of softies, but with people saying they feel odd, I'm not so sure. I just want to make sure that whatever I buy, it's easy to get off. Not so easy that it comes off when I don't want it to, but easy enough that I won't be fighting a battle with it.
I don't know what brand I have, they have a formed lip on the end. They are pretty hard rubber and make clenching easy. $2/2 pack at Boswell's. I have them on my better, bent, black vulcanite stem pipes. My lucite bits are on their own and seem to hold up well. A little odd at first, but you get used to them and there's no chance they are slipping out with the bit on the stem.
Yes, its no problem removing it. In fact, I change out the stems that I have heat-shrink tubing on weekly, because I am a bit of a gnawer. Unlike the Softee-bits, once you've taken off a piece of tubing, you can't put it back on...but with the price-point around $2.00 for four feet as opposed to $2.00 for two bits, it goes a long way. Plus, you can get it in clear, for your perspex, cumberland, and coloured lucite stems.
The only real downside is that it doesn't properly emulate the button, like the thermo-formed Softee-bits do; you do get a bit of a bump still, but its very rounded off. I would post pics, but I'm at work atm, no camera on me.
You Should be able to find shrink tubing in most hardware stores, for sure Radio Shack. I got some softies, not to protect the bit, but the whole pipe. I have a denture and if it shifts I chance having the pipe fly out of my mouth. I grab the bit ahead of the softie. That waythere is much more resistance to the pipe going into orbit. I do not like the softies, just do not feel right. I have been thinking O cutting them down so they do not cover much more than the button. I would try heat shrink tube if I could find some that was thicker when shrunk.
You can find them at Smokingpipes.com, Tobacco-barn.com, wvsmokeshop.com, uniquebriar.com, pipetobacco.com and so on – there are really many sites to check….
Some of the manufacturers that make them are Softy Bits, B J Long, Mitchell Thomas and others…..
They are really cheap and useful
Some of the manufacturers that make them are Softy Bits, B J Long, Mitchell Thomas and others…..
They are really cheap and useful
There are lots of brands out there, every self respecting shop, online or not, carries them.
"softy" seems to have become a generic name, kind of like Kleenex is to facial tissue.
I work with electronics for a living, I buy heatshrink at a local surplus store I frequent often. I also found some super thin high quality heatshrink at Mcmaster-carr. (http://www.mcmaster.com/) Worked well, just be careful heating it so you don't damage your bit. Quick nip with a thin knife and off it comes, $2 worth will do about 30 pipes.
Between the softy and heatshink, I would take the heatshrink because it is harder and thinner.
My preference is neither.
FYI, there is also a heatshrink with a heat activated epoxy inside. Once applied it becomes permanent, hard, and shiny black! I used it to cover a bite hole in a pipe once, worked extremely well.
"softy" seems to have become a generic name, kind of like Kleenex is to facial tissue.
I work with electronics for a living, I buy heatshrink at a local surplus store I frequent often. I also found some super thin high quality heatshrink at Mcmaster-carr. (http://www.mcmaster.com/) Worked well, just be careful heating it so you don't damage your bit. Quick nip with a thin knife and off it comes, $2 worth will do about 30 pipes.
Between the softy and heatshink, I would take the heatshrink because it is harder and thinner.
My preference is neither.
FYI, there is also a heatshrink with a heat activated epoxy inside. Once applied it becomes permanent, hard, and shiny black! I used it to cover a bite hole in a pipe once, worked extremely well.
Been using smokingpipes.com ones but agree they are little weird
Shrinking tube stuff, think I will give that a go
Shrinking tube stuff, think I will give that a go
For the first six months that I smoked a pipe, I never used these things, and now I dont know how I didnt. I think that they feel great and they make clenching so much more comfortable and help reduce damage to the stem.
Hmm, a conundrum for me....
I have softy bits on the black stems of my Stanwell #64 and a Boswell bent. I just pulled the bit off the Stannie last night and the stem is so nice to sip on without it. I pulled the softy from my Boswell this morning. The Stanwell has an acrylic stem and the Boswell was one of his modestly priced pipes, I might just smoke them without for a while.
I have softy bits on the black stems of my Stanwell #64 and a Boswell bent. I just pulled the bit off the Stannie last night and the stem is so nice to sip on without it. I pulled the softy from my Boswell this morning. The Stanwell has an acrylic stem and the Boswell was one of his modestly priced pipes, I might just smoke them without for a while.
I'm liking the shrink tubing. I bought the Insultab brand, but 3M makes them too. Just make sure and get food grade or better. I can't testify as to whether the industrial grade ones leave a taste or not. The plain food grade ones are somewhat cheaper than the medical grade ones I bought, so if you need a lot of it that may be the way to go.
- Status