I'm with you! I have more than 135 pipes (maybe 10% acrylic stems) and I recently spent a week cleaning that !@#%^* vulcanite back to black. I like acrylic and I can make bits, but no way am I going to put acrylic on my horde. When I was Davidoff's in NYC last week they had black socks on the pipe stems (mostly Dunhill) on the hanging board. It's Sun light (UV) that speeds the oxidation. I think you are better off keeping you pipes in drawers, away from the UV. And too, use the Obsidian pipe stem oil.Hate vulcanite stems. I tolerate them on old English pipes because I love their aesthetic, but I am at an absolute loss as to why someone would actually want a stem that requires near constant maintenance to keep from turning green and smelling foul.
The mouthfeel argument carries no weight with me. I use softy bits on all my pipes whether acrylic or vulcanite because I am a clencher and prefer how they feel to a naked stem. When they get old I toss them out and replace them. Cost 25 cents — and my stems stay free of tooth marks.
I’m sure I just kicked a hornet’s nest
It will if you keep them short as in 20 seconds or less.Did a set walking reps, and smoked a bowl of year 2016 D&R Three Sails in an undated straight brush etched black Molina apple with a nickel band and a tapered black vulcanite stem. Took a couple of videos of the babies. I wish the forum software would let me post them here.
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