Today My Pipe Was Personal Protective Equipment!

[Sobrbiker]

I posted my Missouri Meerschaum Morgan filled with Irish Flake in the WAYS thread this morning.
I was smoking it while changing the hydraulic fluid and filters in my tractor.
What I didn’t post about in that thread was how that little pipe saved me from a trip to the ER for some stitches and/or dental work and a hockey goaltender smile.
I was under the tractor trying to take a drain plug out of the rear axle housing. The little bugger was exceptionally tight, so I was lying on my side, and had a rather large 15/16” wrench on the plug, with another large wrench hooked with its box end over the open end of the 15/16” wrench creating a breaker bar.
I was pulling really hard, and when the plug broke free the wrench used as an extension flew back full force into my face.
It hit square on the front of the Morgan’s little round bowl.
Thankfully it’s only a nosewarmer, as the bowl went straight back, hitting my lip at my incisor, and the stem and shank went diagonally across my mouth to behind the opposite molars.
Had I not been clenching that little pipe at the time, the wrench probably would have done a fair bit of damage to my lip and teeth!
All’s well that ends well, the pipe is fine and I’m fine.

 

[AroEnglish]

Glad to hear you’re ok! I wish I could say that I’ll be doing something as manly as that but i think the worst situation I’d find myself in while smoking is having some air stream towards my pipe from from a leaky bike tire.

 

[OzPiper]

Glad you escaped personal damage
Teeth can be expensive to fix

Going to show my cob a lot more R E S P E C T

 

[bullet08]

That cob definitely deserves public service medal. Can you imagine smiling with a few teeth missing?

 

[ssjones]

I've not tried clenching a pipe underneath a motor! But, I have whacked myself in the face with a wrench, socket, etc while under a vehicle. I better add some cobs to my toolbox!

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

I posted my Missouri Meerschaum Morgan filled with Irish Flake in the WAYS thread this morning.
I was smoking it while changing the hydraulic fluid and filters in my tractor.
What I didn’t post about in that thread was how that little pipe saved me from a trip to the ER for some stitches and/or dental work and a hockey goaltender smile.
I was under the tractor trying to take a drain plug out of the rear axle housing. The little bugger was exceptionally tight, so I was lying on my side, and had a rather large 15/16” wrench on the plug, with another large wrench hooked with its box end over the open end of the 15/16” wrench creating a breaker bar.
I was pulling really hard, and when the plug broke free the wrench used as an extension flew back full force into my face.
It hit square on the front of the Morgan’s little round bowl.
Thankfully it’s only a nosewarmer, as the bowl went straight back, hitting my lip at my incisor, and the stem and shank went diagonally across my mouth to behind the opposite molars.
Had I not been clenching that little pipe at the time, the wrench probably would have done a fair bit of damage to my lip and teeth!
All’s well that ends well, the pipe is fine and I’m fine.

View attachment 289901

Saving its “master” - I’d name it Lassie!

 

[Bbailey324]

Glad to hear you made it through with no serious damage.

 

[woodsroad]

Yes, but how was the tractor?

 

[JOHN72]

It all turned out to be a scare. I'm glad you're okay, friend.

 

[Elric]

Take that, non-smokers!

 

[Briarcutter]

I'm glad to hear you are ok, could have been much worse! This story is not really related but interesting. It must have been over 50 years since I saw this article in an outdoorsman magazine and as I remember it.... A gentleman was squirrel hunting. He had in his pocket his pipe, along with loose ammunition, I believe .22. So he decides it's time for a smoke. Loads his pipe, lights it, a few seconds later, you guessed it, boom!!! Blew his bowl apart but he was uninjured. What he didn't realize was that his pipe was already loaded with a .22 round that sliped in the tobacco chamber while in his pocket. There was even a picture of his exploded pipe! Could have been much worse. Looks like another case where the guy says "I didn't know it was loaded".

 

[olkofri]

Cobs have always been sacrificial anyway.

Yea, good thing the stem was short or you woulda ended up in the ER anyway, methinks.

 

[olkofri]

I'm glad to hear you are ok, could have been much worse! This story is not really related but interesting. It must have been over 50 years since I saw this article in an outdoorsman magazine and as I remember it.... A gentleman was squirrel hunting. He had in his pocket his pipe, along with loose ammunition, I believe .22. So he decides it's time for a smoke. Loads his pipe, lights it, a few seconds later, you guessed it, boom!!! Blew his bowl apart but he was uninjured. What he didn't realize was that his pipe was already loaded with a .22 round that sliped in the tobacco chamber while in his pocket. There was even a picture of his exploded pipe! Could have been much worse. Looks like another case where the guy says "I didn't know it was loaded".

That's why you always carry your pipe in a sock.

 

[kcghost]

I bet that was scary!! Missouri Meerschaums have a lot of uses including saving teeth!

 

[LeafErikson]

See fellas? This is why pipe smokers live longer than non-smokers.

 

[tbradsim1]

Glad you’re ok Friend!

 

[bent1]

Whew, glad it worked out that way. Looks like the MM passed the impact test.

 

[telescopes]

I thought you were going to say that the sight of a pipe scared away some do-gooder who would have otherwise bothered you stroll through the park.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

You must have some sort of death grip with your jaw holding that pipe. With as loosely as I clench, they would have to surgically remove the pipe from my esophagus. Ha ha.

 

[AroEnglish]

Yes, but how was the tractor?

Asking the real questions.