my jurney, my pipes

[MBP.Matus.Biric]

HI fellow pipemakers,
my pipemaking journey started in january 2019 with my first hobby block.
It wasn’t the prettiest briar, but I was happiest guy after that. I made this devil anse from it, block was full of flaws as you can see on first picture:


over time, my skills improved, i came up with new techniques and i even bought a sandblaster (I love that thing)
so I would like to to share my work for the last 2 years.
thank you for any criticism, good or bad





little rc

[MBP.Matus.Biric]

that's not all, just a selection of "the best"

[Sickle]

Since no one else responded, I'd like to say that your work is beautiful! Personally, my favorite is the red rusticated squashed tomato with the asymmetric shank. (I've recently fell in love with squashed tomatoes)

For something to work on, I'd say some of the mouthpieces could be worked on. Your saddles look good, but the two authors look like the mouth piece is a bit too fat, and stays fat near the tip with a harsh taper, so it would slide out of your mouth. I would probably say the same for the brandy nose-warmer 3rd from last and the bent-egg (white pipe with orange stem).

It's hard to tell from this angle, but it looks like the pipe 2nd from last (I guess I would call it a Dublin sitter?) Has a really harsh taper going out toward the button.

Lastly, it looks like some of these have WAY too big buttons.

Again, I love your work! Keep it up!

[MBP.Matus.Biric]

Since no one else responded, I'd like to say that your work is beautiful! Personally, my favorite is the red rusticated squashed tomato with the asymmetric shank. (I've recently fell in love with squashed tomatoes)

For something to work on, I'd say some of the mouthpieces could be worked on. Your saddles look good, but the two authors look like the mouth piece is a bit too fat, and stays fat near the tip with a harsh taper, so it would slide out of your mouth. I would probably say the same for the brandy nose-warmer 3rd from last and the bent-egg (white pipe with orange stem).

It's hard to tell from this angle, but it looks like the pipe 2nd from last (I guess I would call it a Dublin sitter?) Has a really harsh taper going out toward the button.

Lastly, it looks like some of these have WAY too big buttons.

Again, I love your work! Keep it up!

hello, its been quiet some time, I still dont know how to make tapered mouthpieces still got big buttons, ideal in my opinion, just my preference, im gonna post some i made recently,in last half of year

[DocAitch]

Welcome to the forum, Matus. (Please correct me if this is not the proper form of address).
I see a lot that I like on these thumbnail photos, but they are very limited in depicting your work.
If I may suggest, go to the “Gallery” and review the sticky by Premal Chheda about how to present your pipes in photos, then review a selection of the pipes that are being reviewed.
It will be mush easier to praise or critique your work if we can see it better.
I am looking forward to getting a better look at some of these or your other work.
DocAitch

[wdteipen]

I agree with Doc. If you are looking for feedback, you'll likely get more if you post one pipe at a time from different angles and closer up. That being said, the one thing I notice from what you have posted so far is a progression of gradual overall improvement. The best way to continue that progress is volume. Keep making more pipes!

[MBP.Matus.Biric]

then I´m gonna begin with this hawkbill-y wideshank something, simply freehand, I used some bright yellow wood that I had here for some year or two





and i would like to share this blowfish with stabilized wood pendant, I used brass tube for military mount, I´m not very proud of this transition between stabilized wood and tenon, maybe next time it´ll be better

[LatakiaLover]

The good news? You are fearless.

The bad news? You're trying to run before you can walk.

"Jumping ahead" to imaginative & complicated shapes/designs has become a common theme among carvers who've had access to the Internet.

The guys who pull such things off at a national/world-class level---because there's no other way such pipes look good---took many years to get there.

An anlogy is playing piano. Jumping into Liszt straight away will result in sound coming from the instrument, but not the right sound.

Deciding to resist your Inner Artist and spend a year making basic/simpler shapes that can be made to a pre-determined, accepted standard is your best way forward.

This forum is largely kaput regarding social back-and-forth, but it still the best place to have a pipe "deconstructed" by reviewers in a helpfully critical way.

Finally, the feedback can be no better than the pics. Use a long(er) focal length lens, always include dead-on side shots (oblique views can look great but often convey little information), and more light = better.

Enjoy your journey.

[DocAitch]

Yes.
Please read the sticky in the Gallery Forum.
We need larger photos with more detail and better light to really see what you have done here.
These photos also should be posted in the Gallery. When this is done, it signals to us that you are ready for a critique.
But- you should really consider what George (Latakia Lover) is telling you about nailing down some basic shapes.
DocAitch

[MBP.Matus.Biric]

sorry for late response, I haven´t been here for some time,

I just read your opinions and I think I agree with you, but I think there´s nothing bad in trying harder shapes. I´m college student and I don´t have that much time making pipes. this is my hobby, not my side job, so I like doing what I want at the time, even if it´s bit harder, It´s just fun and art for me.

but I still agree about nailing those classic shapes.
I used to switch every other pipe style form more freehand-y to classic, but I broke this rule with these last shapes.

By chance my last pipe is a bit more clasic with my little twist
It´s rusticated billiard with a bit sandblast to blast some dye for contrast, with oxhorn stem for 9mm filter, hope you will like this one
sorry for bad photos, shot them before reading the sticky, still ready for critique I guess

[LatakiaLover]

Not bad at all.

Unusual color and finish, but in a good way.

The curved-shield-style button would be overly tall for most smokers, but some people like 'em that way. Props for tackling the tougher "Butera" style and (for the most part) pulling it off.

The slot's top and bottom aren't quite parallel, and the end cuts aren't uniformly radiused. (easy to set right)

The smooth and light-colored rim doesn't look as good as continuing the interesting "scratch rustication", imo. (Though it would be easier to keep clean)

By far the biggest aesthetic boo-boo is the excess material---the "bloat"---on the base end of the stem. Convex curves NEVER look good on straight stems. Shoot for dead-straight lines or a subtle "scoop" (though scooping looks bad if not done gracefully, symmetrically, etc.)

[MBP.Matus.Biric]

reason for weird radius is width of horn, theres not many material between inserted 9mm tenon so it´s done like this

i´m not a native speaker so I didn´t get the bloat convex part :DDD
please explain for foreigners like me