What Are Tobacco Pipe Stems Made Of?
The two most common materials used in tobacco pipe stems are Acrylic and Vulcanite, aka Lucite and Ebonite, respectively. A common material used for stems, particularly in the mass-produced pipes from the past century. Today, stems of pipes are usually made from Acrylic, as well as other synthetic materials like Bakelite, plastic, and even ebonite. They may also be made of antler, ivory, and bone, all of which are fairly uncommon nowadays. The pipes from this site were made from two-piece molds, with the stem, bowl, and foot (or spur) all adjacent. Briarwood stems, which may either integrate with the bowl and make the pipe a whole unit, or may be an individual stem which has a tenon of wood, bone, metal, or Delrin that joins it to the bowl of the pipe. Acrylic and ebony stems can be made either out of solid blocks or bars, or by molding. Stems fabricated from blocks or rods of acrylic and ebonite are generally harder and longer lasting than those made using injection ...