Walker Briar Works - Forever Stems

[DireWolf]

Just got one for a new MM Shire Cobbit.

Fancy flame something or other - looks fantastic.

Insert into shank and it spins freely.

Question is - is this a MM issue or a WBW issue?

Anyone else experience this?

 

[Fr_Tom]

Curious... I have only bought vulcanite ones, but they have all fit nicely. I would call them. They may have sent the wrong stem.

 

[RDPipes]

Sounds like you ordered a none filtered stem for a filter pipe. The tenons are much larger on filter pipes so the mortise will not fit a nonfiltered stem. You'll have to let them know that your want a nonfiltered stem for a filter pipe. I make my own and the cost is about a fourth of what they charge for an Acrylic stem.

 

[DireWolf]

If it's a filter pipe, there was no filter provided, nor does the description say anything about a filter.

Second, the WBW site states their bits fit this model.

This would fit snug with a wrap of scotch tape.

 

[RDPipes]

Okay, I'm still not a fan of there's, $20 to $25 not including shipping I imagine for a stem you can purchase for $5 and cut the tenon yourself. :fpalm:
I'd just send it back and tell'em to try again then.

 

[DireWolf]

Your helpful input has been noted.

 

[DireWolf]

More digging:

The Shire Cobbit is listed as unfiltered, but I sent an inquiry to MM.

Reply -

Hi!

Although the Shire is a non-filtered pipe, the size of the shank is the same size as the one used on filtered pipes. You might check with Walker Briar Works to see if you ordered the right size Forever bit. We did send a set of the Cobbit pipes up to Dave so he would know exactly what sizes the stems are.

Thanks!

Marilyn

Missouri Meerschaum Co.

And in checking the WBW site:

http://www.walkerbriarworks.com/html/-forever-_stems.html

The Shire Cobbit is called out on the right as a model the stems fit, on a page with filtered pipe bits.

I sent an email to WBW last night, but no word.

I suspect the bit is the problem.

 

[DireWolf]

Looks like I'm just lucky.

Dave seems nice enough, though.

Thank you for your email. I'm sorry you're having a problem with your stem. MM's shank inside diameters vary from batch to batch. I make stems to fit the average inside diameter of new pipes we have in stock. They end up fitting about 95% of the pipes properly, but are either a little loose or a little tight in the remaining 5% due to the shank variances. Usually just smoking the pipe solves the problems as the shanks are made of birch and the moisture and heat from smoking softens the wood at which point it molds itself to the new stem.

It sounds like your pipe has an unusually large shank diameter. That being the case, I will make a new stem with a larger diameter tenon to fit your pipe. I'll ship it out with a postage paid return envelope for you to return the stem you have to us. Please keep in mind, the new stem I send you will probably be too large to fit the average MM shank.

I this will problem on your new pipe. Again, I apologize for the problem, and hope you understand why there is one.

Thanks again for your note, Shawn, and for buying our stems.

Regards,

Dave

 

[Brewdude]

Looks like I'm just lucky.

Dave seems nice enough, though.

Thank you for your email.  I'm sorry you're having a problem with your stem.  MM's shank inside diameters vary from batch to batch.  I make stems to fit the average inside diameter of new pipes we have in stock.  They end up fitting about 95% of the pipes properly, but are either a little loose or a little tight in the remaining 5% due to the shank variances.  Usually just smoking the pipe solves the problems as the shanks are made of birch and the moisture and heat from smoking softens the wood at which point it molds itself to the new stem.

It sounds like your pipe has an unusually large shank diameter.  That being the case, I will make a new stem with a larger diameter tenon to fit your pipe.  I'll ship it out with a postage paid return envelope for you to return the stem you have to us.  Please keep in mind, the new stem I send you will probably be too large to fit the average MM shank.

I this will problem on your new pipe.  Again, I apologize for the problem, and hope you understand why there is one.

Thanks again for your note, Shawn, and for buying our stems.

Regards,

Dave

Dave has always been very helpful in my experience. Looks like your issue should be resolved soon Wolfman.


Cheers,

RR

 

[SteelyJ]

I have the MM Wizard Cobbit and was thinking about getting one of their nicer acrylic stems for it.

 

[DireWolf]

Took two wraps of tape.

I didn't see the point of returning it if this one would fit future cobs.

Looks great though.

Fire Swirl!

But yes, Brewman.  Very nice guy.

I'll probably pick up one or two stems more.

I'm chewing up bits just a bit sooner than I am burning out Morgans.

 

[Puff Daddy]

As soon as Cart wants to start selling em for 1/4 the price I'm in. I've wanted couple of these but they are kinda steep.

 

[Kyle Weiss]

On the flipside, someone could start selling them at $30 - $35 and suddenly Dave's stems would look like a bargain.   :lol:   Reverse "Wal-Marting?"    

I like the tape idea if the stem isn't fitting, and especially when the stem is the part invested in (presumably) forever... no sense in expanding the tenon. I've swapped OEM cob stems on many cobs, and some fit, some don't. <img class="emojione" alt="?" title=":shrug:" src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/emojione/assets/png/1f937.png?v=2.2.7"/> 

WBW is good people; they've always been cool to me.  

8)

 

[RDPipes]

As soon as Cart wants to start selling em for 1/4 the price I'm in. I've wanted  couple of these but they are kinda steep.

You must have missed that "Yourself" comment. :lol:

 

[DireWolf]

As soon as Cart wants to start selling em for 1/4 the price I'm in. I've wanted  couple of these but they are kinda steep.

I was waiting for an offer to make me one but shockingly, it didn't come.

They are not cheap, but dear lord the OEM stems on MMs are pure crap.

And I am chewing through Morgans before I can burn them out - shoving knives into the bits to try to open them up. With a pipe that can take a month of ridiculous abuse, I'll invest a few bucks into a bit that won't crush into bits after a night of being a bit over served. They make a marginal truck/garage pipe that costs $4.50 twice as nice, and I just move it to the next one.

 

[RDPipes]

As soon as Cart wants to start selling em for 1/4 the price I'm in. I've wanted  couple of these but they are kinda steep.

I was waiting for an offer to make me one but shockingly, it didn't come.

I hope you weren't holding your breath.

 

[Puff Daddy]

I went ahead and bought a Walker Forever stem. On the face of it it seems a bit high priced to spend $27 (total including shipping) for a stem for a pipe that costs $9, but then there's the simple ideal that a man is in business to supply us a thing we want and he's probably only making a few bucks on each one. From what I've heard, these aren't just stock stems (which come in need of tuning), they are drilled out properly and cut to fit the pipe we have, and that takes a few minutes even for a guy with the proper tools and experience. I know every time I've opened up a stem I fiddled and fiddled with it using tiny files and such until I got it just right. It's a pain in the butt. If he's pocketing $15 for his time and I don't have to do it, sounds like a fair trade.

 

[Dutch]

I purchased several of Dave's stems for my cobs, and I have been extremely happy with the quality. Internally, they are spot on, and visually, they really dress up my cobs.

I would highly recommend any of the services and products he offers.

 

[JustTroItIn]

They really are very nice stems. I have had this one for a year now and just ordered a second yesterday.

 

[Puff Daddy]

A promised update. Got my nosewarmer bit from Walker Briar and it's worth every penny. Going to order a bent one for filtered cobs (this one is straight unfiltered). Daves nosewarmer bits are an inch and a half and balance perfectly. Excellent airway, smokes wonderfully, fast service and shipping, can't beat it.

As I figured, as soon as I put this new bit in the Spindle Cob it smoked like a dream.