Billiard #2

[ReverendThom]

Staining didn't go as planned. That centre band was supposed to match the rim. Oh well. More concerned about thoughts on shaping?

[JMG]

The bottom view looks pretty good. Nice symmetry. One thing to work on, and something that is probably the hardest part for me on a billiard, are the cheeks. As yours sits, it's too cylindrical. Give the ole girl a few curves. Noting drastic, just a little junk in the trunk, and some wider hips. You actually have a little bit going on on the back side/stem side of your bowl, but the front is pretty straight. Your shank needs to be about 1/2" longer IMO. Also, my personal taste never cared for partial rustication.

Best advice to give, and it's given a lot, find a pipe you admire and try to copy it. When you're done, compare the two. Notice what you did right, and the things you didn't will probably stick out like a sore thumb.

Keep moving forward. Good work.

[ReverendThom]

Thanks jmg, helpful advice again. And yeah, the partial looked really cool in my mind haha.

[Odissey]

I agree with JMG you did not get a billiard, but rather a pot. Billiards is a classic - a correct billiard should have a shank length equal to the height of the bowl. The angle between the tobacco chamber and the smoke duct should be 93 degrees. The bowl should tilt slightly forward. You managed to polish the top edge of the bowl. Judging by the direction of the grain in the briar block, there should be a bird's eye on the sides of the bowl. There's nothing on your rim. The job of polishing the rim is poor.
You managed to make a pretty good stem and fit it well into the shank. Work on the shape and finish of the smoking pipe and you will succeed.