As I’ve mentioned before, a broken tenon is by far the most common pipe repair, and for good reason. The stem tenon is the smallest structural part of a pipe and is subjected to a disproportionate amount of stressors as the pipe smoker removes and reinserts the stem in the shank. An overly-enthusiastic twist with a bit of sideways torque can snap the tenon in two, possibly inflicting damage to the shank in the process. A fall off a counter or table onto a hard floor can also be enough to snap a tenon.

Thankfully, replacing a tenon on most pipes is a straightforward process; where it gets a bit tricky, however, is when there is no clear demarcation between tenon and stem. Such is the case with today’s repair patient, a rather nice Castello Sea Rock KK with a faux Army mount stem. I suspect an accidental fall caused…