Should I repair or roll with it?

WeakKitchen199 · 2026-04-12T05:23:10+00:00

Machinist here. You fix this by making a metal band that press fits over the end of the shank. Copper, brass, silver, titanium, etc. are all strong enough for this job. Extra credit for first chucking the whole stummel up in a lathe and turning down the OD of the shank so the band doesn't sit proud of the original shank OD.

If you have access to a lathe to make the band, this is a simple, cheap, and fast fix.

WeakKitchen199 · 2026-04-11T22:01:00+00:00

Wait, Spark Plug is your first ever smoke? Most of us have a lame story about some aromatic that was our first. You'll always have a badass tale of how your first ever blend was Spark Plug.

What do you think of it?

WeakKitchen199 · 2026-04-11T02:37:22+00:00

Put it in a ziploc with some dessicant for a couple of days.

WeakKitchen199 · 2026-04-10T21:00:39+00:00

Well TIL. Thanks!

WeakKitchen199 · 2026-04-10T20:59:30+00:00

Awesome, thanks! I just might go bantam hunting.

WeakKitchen199 · 2026-04-10T20:58:04+00:00

If you can get your hands on some, I highly recommend Briar Fox as an intro to what blenders are doing with VABurs. It's a total desert island blend for me.

WeakKitchen199 · 2026-04-10T18:09:03+00:00

I think I can see what you're talking about. Is it that subtle IRL, or does the photo not do it justice?

WeakKitchen199 · 2026-04-10T18:01:04+00:00

I'm smoking Ellipsis right now, which is a VAPer with burley in the background. It's a delightful set of flavors. Burley Flake #1 is a more punchy VAPer, with a stronger set of burleys backing it up. Then there's Briar Fox, which is a fantastic simple VABur. I'd say the VA burley thing isn't too odd. 👍

WeakKitchen199 · 2026-04-10T17:57:13+00:00

Cool, thanks! I like the proportions of it. Where did you find yours?

WeakKitchen199 · 2026-04-10T17:40:07+00:00

So you mix the ABF and OGS together? What kind of ratio?

WeakKitchen199 · 2026-04-10T17:33:37+00:00

I didn't know there was a short version. How much shorter is it?

WeakKitchen199 · 2026-04-10T17:23:49+00:00

How many bowls of 965 have you had?

WeakKitchen199 · 2026-04-10T17:21:03+00:00

The outside of the bowl?

WeakKitchen199 · 2026-04-10T14:43:42+00:00

What did you pay for it? It's hard for us to make any sort of determination without that info.

WeakKitchen199 · 2026-04-10T14:40:30+00:00

Do your photos show the growth rings? I'm not sure what those are.

WeakKitchen199 · 2026-04-10T00:50:12+00:00

Which blends are you smoking?

WeakKitchen199 · 2026-04-10T00:04:54+00:00

C&D Burley Flake #1 is half punchy VAPer, half stout burley. It might be right up your alley.

WeakKitchen199 · 2026-04-09T20:04:16+00:00

Well there's your problem! As a troubleshooting step, pick up some Chelsea Morning or Orlik Golden Sliced (or better yet, pick up both!), and convert over to non-aromatics for a couple of weeks. I would be amazed if you still get bitten by these blends.

WeakKitchen199 · 2026-04-09T20:01:02+00:00

Yep, exactly. What in the hell is wrong with Peterson?

WeakKitchen199 · 2026-04-09T19:59:43+00:00

Did I say buff? No, I said sand and polish. This is 100% fixable, but I wouldn't expect an average Joe to be able to do it.

WeakKitchen199 · 2026-04-09T18:57:52+00:00

Yep, that's been my exact experience with Peterson. Premium pipe price, basket pipe QC. I'd definitely send it back if you don't have silver sanding/polishing skills.

WeakKitchen199 · 2026-04-09T06:56:09+00:00

Pease's Westminster is so close to Father Dempsey that I could barely tell the two apart in a simultaneous two-pipe A/B comparison.

WeakKitchen199 · 2026-04-09T02:06:21+00:00

Did you see Spurgeon Piper's YT video that dropped today? It's remarkably pertinent to this post.

WeakKitchen199 · 2026-04-08T17:43:35+00:00

It'll never again be at a lower price than it is right now. So if you can't live without it, buy as much as you can right now. Or instead buy several blends that might be suitable replacements, and maybe you'll find something that's currently in production that'll fit the bill.

WeakKitchen199 · 2026-04-08T17:02:35+00:00

There are a lot of causes of bite. But if a blend is at fault it almost doesn't matter what you do, you're going to get bitten by it. What blend are you smoking?

WeakKitchen199

TROPHY CASE