First churchwarden

[UnderShade]

I made this for a buddy. I’m not a big fan of the shank extension (due to the overall length and abrupt change in diameter from it to the stem) but that’s what he wanted. Critiques (at any level of specificity) are welcome. ~UnderShade
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img921/8425/yAnnYc.jpg
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/3373/DmP2Ul.jpg
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/7550/GGTGB4.jpg
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/5258/zQyMP5.jpg
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/3395/x1tDIo.jpg
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img923/3946/Sc3eIM.jpg

[LatakiaLover]

[UnderShade]

Thanks George. I tried to upload as instructed, but obviously to no avail. Any thoughts on the pipe?

[LatakiaLover]

How many have you made / what number is it? (close is fine)

Translation: If it's your 500th, meh. If it's your third, it's fantastic.

[UnderShade]

It’s my 8th pipe. I’m not a big churchwarden guy, but my friend wanted one. It’s the first flawless plateaux I’ve gotten so far, but the grain was kinda washed out.

[LatakiaLover]

The only major negative thing is the way the summel looks "undecided" --- like a cross between a bent billiard and a Sixten "potato sack" (without the pointy heel), with a dash of Dublin tilt thrown in. But it doesn't look like a so-called "freehand," either.

Does that matter? If comfort in hand was the top priority, then you killed it (it looks positively luxurious in that respect). If you were shooting to invent a new classic hybrid shape, it needs some refinement.

Overall fit and finish looks quite good for an 8th-ever pipe.

[UnderShade]

Thanks a lot LL. It’s for a guy who is just getting into pipe smoking, so comfort and simplicity is what I was going for. I’ll try to make No. 9 less ambiguous in shape.

[Sasquatch]

Your friend will (and should) be thrilled.

[UnderShade]

Thanks Sas. I had a chance to check out the BST website and really dig your pipes. And no, I’d never buy a pipe from a puppy eater...

[Sasquatch]

Right? I'm a force for justice and clarity in the pipe world.

If you look at those pipes, you'll see how on one hand, they are all basically entirely ordinary, I am not exploring extreme bamboo, I'm not really cutting ground at all, aesthetically. I make pipes, they are for smoking, and I try to make pipes that people want to smoke, and that means getting 175 little things just right, it's a hard enough game even on simple shapes. The trouble is, there's 300 things to get right and that means I have 125 more to figure out. But they sell because there's a whole bunch of people who have bought them now, and found that pipes with 175 things done right smoke, feel, and look better than pipes with only 100 things right, or only 30 things right. There's a big market for "pretty good" it turns out. So that's my niche. Like everyone here I began with expectations of being the next Bo Nordh, after all, I am Todd Fucking Bannard! And after about 20 ugly pipes I retreated and tried to understand the wisdom/criticism I was getting here, and where it came from, and why, if I made the changes that were suggested by Tyler, Rad, TJ, Bruce etc my pipes would immediately sell. It was like magic. Took about 3-5 years for me to actually really fully get my head around that stuff. And longer yet for my hands and eyes to work together. And now? Now I can make an ugly piece of shit of a pipe really quickly. Wait, where was I going with this...... DAMMIT!

[UnderShade]

Wise words indeed, Sas. Words that I truly take to heart. I really appreciate the time that you, Kurt, Doc and George (and all the other talents here) have taken to write these invaluable pieces of knowledge. I’m not trying to be the next Bo Nordh, or Jeff Gracik, or anybody else either. What I’m looking for is to learn how to make great pipes consistently. This forum is the only place I’ve found for that. I’m a quick learner (except for when it comes to posting pics) and can take constructive criticism because it’s the only way to grow/reach my goals. I’ll bother the shit outta you guys if it means I’ll get better at making great pipes!

[Sasquatch]

Get the science end right for the smoking, get the aesthetics end right for the collectors. Boom. You're rich.