Big D KC

Yup, I'm a clencher and a chewer appearently! Found that out with my first cob! I figured from then on when I got nicer pipes I better use the softies!

The grills are powdercoated though, so it's not really like its bare metal scratching across them if you weren't using the softies. If you weren't using them, I would invert the vents so they were facing upwards, then its just a matter of setting them into the slots. The slots aren't really putting any pressure on the stems, you wouldn't have to force anything into the slots they would just set. I don't think this pressure would be any different then any other rack that you lean or set a pipe into really.

With the softies a bit more pressure is applied to them due to the extra thickness they add. However its on soft rubber instead of the stem itself. Thats why I faced the vent slots downwards, it makes them easier to slide in and out with the softies on.