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Beeswax.

I don't have a lot of experience with meerschaum but I have refinished the tops on calabash pipes before. I sanded to 1000 grit then applied melted beeswax and got a nice sheen. I'd try it on a small section and see what happens.

Sweet Lady Freedom! That's quite a haul, Walt!

I just watched the whole things from start to finish. Now it's almost three in the morning....

Very nice job, George. I enjoyed it quite a bit and picked up one or two tricks to boot!

As I like to say here in the shop, "mucho bettero." I think that's Spanish for, "hey, that ain't too shabby."

A couple of things I'd like to point out. Overall things are looking pretty good, but there are some things you can implement to give it more of the classic look. 1. Your shank has a reverse taper. That's a no no on classic designs. The shank should fatten up as you go from stem up the shank to the ...

I'll echo what Jeremiah said. I love teaching. It's nice to have someone else in the workshop from time to time, but this is also my livelihood and my time is valuable, and let's face it, pipe making isn't exactly the easiest way to make a living.

I'm not necessarily throwing my hat into the ring here, but one thing you should consider if you want training from a full time pipe maker is what you are willing to pay for such training. Hobbyists typically don't care, but if a full timer has to spend a day teaching, you should at least be comfort...

Better yet, buy a Jesse Jones pipe. I own one and smoke it regularly. He's taken the time to learn just the right amount of radius for the top and bottom of the stem, and the curved button really helps. Jeremiah, I'm sure you'll understand when I say that I'm a little embarrassed of work from that ...

Thanks for the very high praise, George! The only drawback for this design is the size of the bamboo. In order to accommodate 1/4" diameter delrin connectors you can't use a super thin piece of bamboo. You could use stainless tube, but I've never liked the way tenons made out of stainless felt ...

DocAitch wrote:I look at that exquisitely shaped and polished stem and feel despair. I don’t feel like I will ever get that down.
Beautiful.
DocAitch

Doc, I've got one of your pipes sitting right here by my computer. Let me assure you, you're closer than you think!

Charl wrote:Very cool, Jesse!

Thanks, Charl!

Thanks guys

I think that pipe turned out well, but what I'm most proud of is the fact that it made it into George's collection. For me, that's some of the highest praise I've received.

Rick, I don't comment on pipes too much these days unless I see something interesting. This is interesting.... in a very good way. Please humor me as I throw in my two cents. First the good. The overall design is a good one. It seems to me you have a grasp of proportion. That is a very important tra...

I'm in!

Congratulations, Jeremiah!

So...are you guys shooting for a baker's dozen?

Wow! Absolutely stunning work! Thanks for sharing!

Both of my contacts have been reached, and my pipe is in the mail!

I want one!

This is a fine pipe. I think most of the critique mentioned here is personal aesthetic. Frankly, at this stage it's much more difficult to critique a pipe without the actual pipe in hand. If possible, the next step toward improvement is to get one of your pipes into the hands of a professional and a...

Here's mine! I'll send additional photos and my own self critique to the recipient.