Should I use a rubber?

[Phlegmatic]

I dont want my pipes the get bite marks. Ive seen rubbers you can put on, but I wonder if they are any good? Do the taste odd, or any other bad things?

[DSturg369]

They are something that takes a little getting used to. I use them on a couple new pipes I have but mostly leave them off.

[rharris]

Would that be known as safe piping? Wrap that rascal!

[Rolando]

Once you learn how to properly grip the pipe in your mouth you shouldn't leave bite marks.

[wharfrathoss]

i use 'em on all my pipes, mostly cause i have a couple teeth that are too pointy & leave marks on the bit easily-before i use 'em i wash 'em w/the dishes, or if i'm in a hurry wipe it down w/rubbing alcohol-it was a bit different at 1st, but now i wouldn't smoke w/o 'em-even the softest vulcanite seems uncomfortably hard now

you can also use heat shrink tubing cut to length if the softies don't fit (like for P lip stems)-you can usually find it in the audio dept of many stores for sealing wire connections

[Slow Triathlete]

I have them on all of mine as well because I clench my pipes most of the time. Helps my jaw.

[Crunkleton]

Only if your pipe gets around, if ya know what I'm sayin'

[Hermit]

I have em on a few lightweight pipes to smoke when I need free hands.
Normally, I'm not a clencher.

[bige610]

i just noticed that these rubbers being sold on the back of my pipe cleaners are made 5 miles from my work. maybe i can stop by and pick up a few

[leasingthisspace]

Totally not what I thought this thread was about.

[Mad Hatter]

In my experience you really have to chomp down to leave a notable bite mark on vulcanite and you have to walk into a doorjam to leave a mark on lucite. Bite tips IMO are way too thick. I currently have my eyes open for a good rubberized tape maybe the thickness of a bike innertube for protecting mine. Until then I'll just bite the stems.

[PipesandGOP]

electrical tape perhaps? If you were careful when wrapping the stem with it (one pass would be plenty) you could make it look almost totally unnoticeable both to the eye as well as to the mouth.

[The Pirate]

I use them on all of my pipes too. Once I got used to them, I found them to be quite comfortable.
Ken

[aliefj96]

I have them for all my pipes as well. No added taste. The only negative is the pipes will not slide into pipe racks that have holes for the bit.

[atlacatl]

I try to use them often 'cause I don't want to leave bite marks on my pipes.