Stem Material

[Masterblaster]

Just wondering what the difference are in stem material? Most pipes I see have either vulcanite or acrylic and I think I know the basic differences with those, but what about lucite and Ebonite? A few Artisans pipe makers use Ebonite and Vermont freehand sells lucite. What's the difference? Any pros and cons with all four materials?

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

I prefer acrylic

 

[AppalachianPipe92]

I prefer softer stems for comfort. Acrylic is easier to maintain and keep looking nice, but it's not comfortable to me. Everybody's different, it's just what's comfortable for you. If at all possible, maybe find some estates with examples of different material stems so you get a feel for their differences. Or hell, have an artisan make you a stem for a pipe you currently own.

 

[STP]

Ebonite is made by vulcanizing natural rubber. The two terms are interchangeable. Acrylic and lucite are also generally the same, however, lucite is usually rated as a higher quality of acrylic.

I find that vulcanite stems feels better on the teeth, but lucite is easier to maintain and offers an infinite selection of colors and appearances.

 

[Chasing Embers]

lucite and Ebonite

Lucite is just a trademarked name of acrylic by Dupont and ebonite is just another word for vulcanite since vulcanite is the name of a mineral. There's also Juma, bone, ivory, amber, bakelite, and different kinds of metal stems.

 

[romaso]

How can you tell them apart if you don't have a product description? (Besides leaving them in the sun!) I know acrylic is harder, but how to tell for sure?

 

[Chasing Embers]

How can you tell them apart if you don't have a product description? (Besides leaving them in the sun!) I know acrylic is harder, but how to tell for sure?

Buff them with your thumb until they're warm. If it smells like hot rubber, it's vulcanite/ebonite/cumberland/brindle.

 

[sablebrush52]

Ebonite and Vulcanite are two words for the same basic material, but, there are different types which contain different amounts of sulfur. The higher grades contain less sulfur.
Likewise, acrylics come in different formulations with differing characteristics, including hardness. I’ve had several replacement stems made by @georged that use an acrylic that feels like Vulcanite, so I get the best of both worlds.

 

[MarcosEZLN]

There have already been plenty of clarifying answers here, but I wanted to add that my pipes with Juma stems have become favorites. They feel about halfway between acrylic and ebonite and supposedly won't oxidize. As a clencher who is terribly lazy about pipe maintenance this earns a lot of points for me. I still smoke my acrylic (usually with a softie bit) and ebonite stemmed pipes just as often, but I'd love to have some of their stems redone in Juma.

 

[Masterblaster]

Well thank you very much for the clarifications my only question now would be where do I find pipes with juma?

 

[mso489]

No one has mentioned horn. Ropp makes a line of pipes with horn stems. If I remember correctly, sablebrush has praised horn as being a good stem material. I've been tempted, and some of the Ropp pipes with horn stems have made my short list when i'm buying a pipe, but I always finally chose something else.

Between vulcanite and acrylic, I find vulcanite a touch more comfortable and acrylic easier to maintain with no pesky oxidation. Heavier pipes are definitely better with vulcanite as a softer stem.

 

[crashthegrey]

As mentioned above, there are not many differences between some of these names. Ebonite is a fancy name for vulcanite, and while there are some differences in sulfur content, its more of an antiquated name. The original differences do not really apply, you really just pay for fancy names and more color options. Lucite and acrylic cover all kinds of resins and plastics that fall broadly in that category, so the more you branch out the more differences you will notice in the feel on your teeth.

 

[mso489]

As I've noted before on Forums, I don't think some of the inexperienced staffers at online retail don't know the difference between vulcanite and acrylic. I've ordered two pipes advertised as having vulcanite stems that had acrylic. Both were fairly light weight, so it made no difference to me. But these came from a retailer who is otherwise notably reliable, so I attribute the misstatement to new employees who simply haven't learned the difference. I could tell just taking the pipes out of the socks without any further examination or handling. Sure enough, acrylic.

 

[kola]

I too have gotten burned buying pipes labeled as having vulcanite stems only to find out it was acrylic (plastic). I despise plastic stems of any kind. Too hard.

 

[sablebrush52]

Well thank you very much for the clarifications my only question now would be where do I find pipes with juma?

Artisan pipemakers. Scottie Piersel uses juma from time to time.

 

[Chasing Embers]

where do I find pipes with juma?

J. Everett

 

[vosBghos]

No one has mentioned horn. Ropp makes a line of pipes with horn stems. If I remember correctly, sablebrush has praised horn as being a good stem material. I've been tempted, and some of the Ropp pipes with horn stems have made my short list when i'm buying a pipe, but I always finally chose something else.

Between vulcanite and acrylic, I find vulcanite a touch more comfortable and acrylic easier to maintain with no pesky oxidation. Heavier pipes are definitely better with vulcanite as a softer stem.

I have a Ropp warden good briar and draw , might check out a horn stem , and post up