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Stem Work
Stem work was one of my big debates at the beginning of the morta
project, because it was obvious that if I made all the morta pipes with
handcut stems the combined labor would make even the tiniest ones cost
$300. Since no one wants to pay $350 for a thimble with a handcut stem,
I chose to compromise and split the stem work according to the
sizes/grades of the pipes themselves, thus keeping the smaller pieces
relatively affordable while providing higher-end collectors with the
quality of materials and workmanship that they expect. Classic-grade
pipes use very good quality pre-shaped stems, while Signature-grade
pipes use handcut stems. Even in the case of the molded stems, however,
there is a good bit of stem work to do. The bits are filed thinner for
comfort, and the airholes are carefully opened to match the size of the
shank airhole in order to maintain the proper flow of smoke without
inducing condensation problems. All bits, whether molded or handcut,
are also sculpted at the buttons to open the interior and allow easier
pipecleaner insertion. Below I am doing just that, using a jeweler's
bit that performs this task well:
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Talbert
Morta 
