Pipe Making: Difference between revisions

Stem inserts are used as accents by many pipe makers. To clarify, inserts become part of the stem and are not to be confused with shank extensions, which become part of the stummel (see [[Shank Extensions]]), although some designs do blur these distinctions. Stem inserts are most often made from material that contrast with the stummel and stem, so lighter materials, or materials that contain lighter components to them, tend to be the most aesthetically pleasing. At one point, Ivory was popular with pipemakers. Elephant Ivory can no longer be purchased legally or used ethically. Some fossilized Ivory (such as mastodon, mammoth, and walrus Ivory) is still used, as well as antler, horn, bone, boxwood, and many other exotic hardwoods. Most often an end cap of the same material used for the stem is used to sandwich in the insert material. See [[Stem Inserts]] for suggested techniques.