My pipe this morning was one that I bought on eBay this summer, a Hexagon bulldog with straight horn stem, which the buyer said was from Germany (1920s?) and was new. The interior of the bowl certainly looked unsmoked. I loaded it with some Amphora English and had a pleasant 20-minute smoke. Then, as I cleaned the pipe, I noticed a metal spear in the draft hole. The pipe cleaner helped me fish it out.
Apparently this pipe has a stinger, and the "spear" portion either came loose from the metal extension or is designed to do that. I did think that the pipe was a little hard to draw on, but thought it was my leaf packing. The spear fits neatly back into the metal extension, but for the moment I took it out and am letting the pipe air. Is a stinger, if it's present, *necessary*, or is it like a filter, in that the pipe will smoke fine without it? If it is needed, should the spear come loose from the metal extension like that?
And Pipedia says that stingers came on many pipes for the majority of the 20th Century, but are no longer seen. Roughly when did this practice cease? It might give me some idea how old this bulldog is.
Apparently this pipe has a stinger, and the "spear" portion either came loose from the metal extension or is designed to do that. I did think that the pipe was a little hard to draw on, but thought it was my leaf packing. The spear fits neatly back into the metal extension, but for the moment I took it out and am letting the pipe air. Is a stinger, if it's present, *necessary*, or is it like a filter, in that the pipe will smoke fine without it? If it is needed, should the spear come loose from the metal extension like that?
And Pipedia says that stingers came on many pipes for the majority of the 20th Century, but are no longer seen. Roughly when did this practice cease? It might give me some idea how old this bulldog is.
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