These replacement parts are an exact copy of the pins I replaced, which I 'm guessing were the originals. (I inherited this stove 5 years ago). They're a little stiff to insert into the receiving holes in the airtubes. I managed to get one pin into each tube, which seems sufficient to keep the tube stable. I was concerned about cracking the iron/steel of the stove itself if I had were to have used the force I deemed necessary to insert the pin in place.