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