PremalChheda wrote:Here's my first pipe for critique! Be gentle (but honest).
If you want gentle, go post on a collector's forum.
If you want honest, this is the right place.
Can't have both.
Nice job, Premal. You've managed to be neither gentle nor give any actual critique.
As far as the pipe goes there are some really nice things here. Shank is nice and straight which is tough on something this long. From what I can see the finish looks good (although the rim looks a bit odd. could be lighting). The stem is nicely done as well.
The things that could be worked on from button forward are: 1) The button is pretty small. If the customer has to sand or buff it over the long run you are going to run out of material. 2) A radius on the saddle would look much nicer than the abrupt right angle approach. Use a round file there instead of a flat one. 3) The shank extension/stem inlay is (gently put) really bad. It is way too long, first. Second, the ebonite wafer between inlay and shank should be thin and subtle; this one is massive to say the least. Last, stem inlays should contrast with the stummel; this just looks like you added a piece of the cut off briar because you didn't have a long enough block to begin with. The actual execution of the stem/inlay is pretty good, the design/concept isn't. 4) The transition area between shank and bowl is way too abrupt, almost a right angle. Like the saddle of the stem, this needs to have some radius to it so the pipe doesn't look like two disparate parts stuck together. It should be well defined but still "flow". 5) The flat rim is too reminiscent of factory pipe mentality. There is some discussion of the right way to go but I can say that I am 100% correct (yes, this is sarcastic, but also true) when I say that the rim should be domed/rounded (definitely not concave/chamfered).
All in all, a good pipe. Keep it up.