>>2553812>how do i pick a good stem? all i know is that it's not supposed to be half-bent.I think your best option would be going to a pipe shop and asking a cashier for advice and trying out several stems that they have available. If it was a modern pipe and you knew what model it was, then I'd recommend online shopping, but in this case getting a nice fit will be a bit problematic.
It's fine if it's really hard to put a new stem in (it's normal having to sand them down a bit), but anything loose will make smoking impossible. At the same time you don't want to be forced to sand it down a lot - thinner walls are more fragile and could get damaged while you're separating it from the bowl for cleaning.
I recommend that you go with a classic black, straight stem. I guess you could also turn it into a churchwarden if you want to (that's what you call those long, Gandalf-like pipes, pic related).
I'm not sure from your photo, but maybe getting a stem wide enough for filters is an option. If not, it's not a big deal. But if you do have that option, then I recommend you take it. I'm using 9mm carbon filters in my pipes: it's makes smoke a bit more mellow, with less "bite" to it and I feel that it's less unhealthy. If later you'll decide that filters aren't for you, then you don't have to put them in for smoking.
