Quote Originally Posted by NeverBend View Post
@MrMotoyoshi and @LandonColby, will you two guys get out of my head! I thought that I wrote your posts but you wrote mine!

I'm a dedicated clencher and I've owned most of my rotation for around 30 years. I groove every one similarly but of the hundreds of pipes that I've smoked (about 40 in my current rotation) I've never bitten through one but I have cracked the button twice.

The shape of your teeth is key - some mentioning that they punch holes in the stems sounds like they have sharp teeth. How hard you clench is a factor too. It comes down to what you're comfortable with and with anything on my bits, I'm not. I've tried, but I get that chalk on blackboard squeak and I have to run and pee.
I agree with the alignment of your bite being key to a comfortable clench. There is a place on the right side of my mouth that the button of a stem fits nicely, and comfortably. But there is a different spot for the left side since my teeth have been allowed to grow naturally...they're straight, but not perfect.
I classify myself as a clencher, but only take the pipe out of my mouth for short intervals to swallow just so I don't drool down the stem too much over time.