Hopefully a billiard/Take two

staffwalker · Post by **staffwalker** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 4:24 am

A couple of years ago I sold a pipe to a guy with the rather thick button of the type I made in those days. He's a hard clincher with a habit of chewing through his stems. About a month ago he dropped by with the pipe and the chewed through stem and asked me to make him a replacement stem. These days I make a very thin button on the order of 1 1/2-2mm. I made the person a replacement stem and without thinking made what I do now, a thin button. When he came to pick up the pipe he stuck it in his mouth and said it doesn't feel like the old one. I explained why but asked him to try it for a few days and if he still didn't like it I would very willingly make him one with my old style button. A week later he called and said forget about another stem this one feels so much better than the old one did.

bob gilbert

ckr · Post by **ckr** » Tue Mar 24, 2009 6:23 am

My father was a good and wise man. Family values and all, what really mattered to him was the well being of his children. He is not with me any longer but I do think about the advise he would give. Were he here I think it would be something like ... "Chris, Just shut up and do it."

Behind Bit .155 Now .132
Button .23 Now .17
Stem 2.60 Now 2.54

It is not the dimensions that concern me but more the form. The top button seems too rounded and probably over buffed due to a scratch that I had to back up on and eventually sand out. The height of the top button is also less than the bottom which does have a clearer definition.

I think there is still some meat on the top so it could be re-worked to fix what I see providing the buttons have not been worked to low. I do foresee a trip to Octogenarian Depot for some additional equipment.